Beast Wars: Symmetries
by Deep Metal
Summary: The Beast Wars begins anew in this reboot of BW continuity! After crashlanding on a modern Earth, will Optimus Primal and his crew be able to adapt to this world as strangers in a strange land and save the world from Megatron and the Predacons?
1. A New Beginning Pt 1

**Disclaimer:** Hasbro and Mainframe own Beast Wars and all its characters. Beast Wars: Symmetries is only a fanfiction series that reboots the Beast Wars timeline and starts things over in a new continuity unrelated to the original TV show. It should be considered neither official nor profit-oriented. It's just for fun.

**Beast Wars Symmetries**

_A New Beginning Part 1_

_Growing up on Earth, most of us didn't know anything about the galaxy that surrounded us. Heck, some people on Earth don't even believe that there's life beyond our solar system. Because of this, some people on this planet would be hard-pressed to even accept the notion that there may be other worlds out there that parallel to ours. So many infinite possibilities wrapped up in one, bright star-illuminated cloak._

_My name is Luna Whitman and along with my brother Jack, we are the ones who lived through it all to tell this strange and fascinating tale. Though the two of us play no central role in this story, both our lives, as well as the lives of almost every living thing on this planet, were affected profoundly. _

_It all happened back in the summer before Jack and I were to attend high school in Crimson High as freshman. Truth be told, the two of us had always considered ourselves to be two, average teens no better or worse than anyone else. We had always expected to graduate high school, finish college, find decent jobs, and live out the rest of our lives as normal people._

_Boy, were we wrong about the normal part._

_This very summer, something miraculous and wonderful happened to this world. It's a landmark event that, for the next five years and countless other years to follow, would change the face of this Earth._

_To me, it always seems that this event was some sort of thing that was destined to happen, almost like a calling. I don't know if this makes much sense to you but it's probably best that I start from the very beginning._

_This summer was a new beginning for all of us. It was the beginning… of the Beast Wars._

* * *

"Jack, don't you ever get tired of reading that junk?" demanded Luna.

"Nope," answered Jack. He held a tabloid paper in his hands that read, "**FLYING SAUCERS SEEN OVER CRIMSON CITY ZOO**!"

"Supposedly, people have reported wild animals ," said Jack, "There was also a report of giant insects flying around at night."

Luna whacked Jack across the head.

"You know, I've always considered strangling you in your sleep," remarked Luna.

"Ha!" he laughed, "You're just jealous that I've been keeping up with the real news!"

"Come on, my mentally challenged brother," scoffed Luna, "Flying saucers? Prove it to me and maybe I will believe you."

"You want proof?" asked Jack as a devious smile crossed his face, "Then pack your flash lights, hiking shoes, and the night vision we have in the basement. We're going out tomorrow night for some adventure!"

"What?" cried Luna, "We could be grounded for months if our parents find out! Don't go out doing something this stupid!"

At this point, Jack was no longer paying attention. He was dead set on his midnight adventure.

"I wish Jack would grow a brain," thought Luna, "School is about to begin, and not just any school. High school is probably one of the most important events in our lives and it's not something to be wasted on living out a fantasy world!"

* * *

The next day had come and passed. Luna was not entirely sure if Jack had gone out at night or not.

However, by the next morning, Luna found Jack huddled against the corner of her room covered in blankets.

She sighed.

"Did the bogeyman try to eat your soul last night?" she asked with more than a hint or amusement.

"It… it… was a freakin T-Rex!" he stammered, "Just walkin' around in the woods… and outta nowhere…"

"So, you did go out after all!" she glared at him accusingly.

"Yeah, but it was real… all of it!" he exclaimed.

"Guess that'll teach you not to pull such a stunt again," she said. He nodded, agreeing with his sister for once.

Luna stopped to look at Jack's face. It was a face of genuine terror. Even though she didn't think he really saw a T-Rex, there must have been something he had seen to frighten him this much.

"Maybe I've been too harsh on him," she thought.

"Hey, Jack," she said with more concern in her voice this time, "Why don't the two of us go out there today and you show me where you went that made you see this T-Rex."

He nodded. Even though he was frankly terrified of what he had seen, curiosity won over him. He very much wanted someone to believe his tale.

* * *

"Don't see any big purple dinosaurs here," thought Luna as she and Jack strolled through the park mid-day.

There weren't an awful lot of people in the park that day, partly because of the heat.

As the two pre-teen children edged near the forests, they felt that something was watching them. Still, they continued along their path.

"Hey Jack, are you sure you didn't stumble upon some animatronics theme park?" asked Luna skeptically.

"Don't be stupid," he said, "There's no theme park around this area."

"School's about to start and I'd hate to have everyone know the two of us are related," she moaned.

"Hmph, that's so like you," he retorted, "Always caring too much about what other people think of you."

A sudden rustling of vegetation caused both children to freeze. As they turned around, they saw a sight they had never had the pleasure of seeing so openly and freely. Normally, it would be something reserved for their eyes on TV only.

It was a fascinating mixture of gold and black. Cunning eyes descended upon the two as if they were prey. A low hiss came emitted from its throat.

"That… that's a cheetah," stammered Luna, "Maybe we should get out of here…"

"I don't think we need to worry," said Jack, "Cheetah's don't attack humans… err, I don't think they do."

The cheetah stared at the two children with fascination. Likewise, both Jack and Luna were awed by the sight.

"Do you think it escaped from the Crimson City Zoo?" asked Jack.

"The cheetahs I remember seeing over there never looked this weird or this fascinating," replied Luna.

The staring continued for several more seconds if not for a loud cry.

"Cheetor!"

"Uh, oh," growled the cheetah as he ran off more quickly than Jack and Luna had ever seen a wild animal run.

Soon, it was a golden blur in the distance.

"Now that was weird!" exclaimed Luna, "I hate to admit it, but I'm starting to actually believe some of the things you say."

Jack smirked.

"We still have three more weeks before school begins," he said, "We should investigate it more over the next few days."

"That we should," agreed Luna, who was now arguably more fascinated than Jack with this whole phenomenon.

* * *

"You shouldn't have run off and let yourself be seen by those humans," chastised a stern, but still caring voice.

The cheetah lowered his head before the bigger, unseen being in the shadows.

"I'm sorry, BigBot," he said, "I'll try not to let it happen again."

"It's nothing too bad, Cheetor," said the calm voice, "We've been on this planet for a few days already and we still can't come out too openly."

The one called Cheetor nodded. Soon, a rather large gorilla emerged from the shadows.

"I know what you mean, Optimus," replied Cheetor, "Especially since we crash-landed on this planet at night and got those beast modes from that 'zoo.' Oh man, did we cause a near-panic in the morning when those two-legged things saw our ship!"

"Yes, and it's a good thing that only a few inhabitants saw us so early in the morning," commented the one called Optimus, "It's also fortunate that the Axalon has a cloaking device, AND the ability to submerge underwater. It's too bad we didn't realize at the time that these bipeds were the dominant creatures of this planet and that they're not use to seeing beasts walking around in public, much less sentient Cybertronians."

"Speaking of which… how are the stasis pods doing?" asked Cheetor.

"Unfortunately, I don't have the answer to that question, Cheetor," answered Optimus, "We were forced to eject the pods over planet-fall because of the Predacons. Right now, they're scattered across the globe and we won't be able to trace where they are unless they send out a homing or distress signal. The only solace we can take is that they landed safely, and they each have special camouflage receptors that will keep them out of sight for the most part."

"Whoever built the Axalon really did think about all possibilities," came a deep voice from back.

A large rhinoceros emerged from the background.

"Rhinox," asked Optimus, "Do you think we'll be able to search our terrain during the daytime?"

"Not a chance," replied the rhino who had decided to take the name of Rhinox, "Too many of those two-legged creatures out there and from what I've seen through the binoculars of our submarine, they're not exactly too keen on sharing their planet with other sentient beings."

"That's just Prime," sighed Optimus, "But at least we were able to track down the Predacons to this planet, even if they currently are out of our hands."

"Yeah, and too bad their ship is just as advanced as ours!" exclaimed a rodent-like voice

"Rattrap, what IS that in your hands!" demanded Optimus.

"Ehh, don't overload yourself, Magilla Gorilla," replied the rather LARGE rodent who was referred to as Rattrap, "It's just a piece of err… pizza… that I picked up last night from the garbage can while all them bipeds were asleep! At least I think it's called 'pizza.' Tastes good too. Wanna try some?"

Optimus wrinkled his nose at the sour, acidic smell coming forth from this "pizza."

Worms and maggots were crawling over it but Rattrap merely wolfed it down greedily.

"Great thing is…" said Rattrap as he licked his fingers, "We can convert organic molecules into an alternative energy source just in case we don't find any energon on this planet."

"Yes, but unfortunately, it's not as effective of an energy source as energon," replied Optimus who was thoroughly disgusted by Rattrap's table manners, "Remember, our weapons won't be powered as well without energon and since we still have those Predacons to worry about…"

"Ugh," muttered Cheetor, "We're stranded; all our crew are currently missing and we can't even go out freely. Now he tells us that we still have Preds to worry about…"

"Rhinox, do you have any theories as to where we are right now?" asked Optimus.

"Not sure," answered Rhinox. "We could be anywhere."

"That's what I was wondering too!" exclaimed Rattrap

"Think we've gone into another galaxy?" asked Cheetor.

"Possible," considered Rhinox, "Cybertron has no files on this planet at all."

"Swell," said Optimus. "Looks like we're lost."

"We could've entered into another galaxy after chasing Megatron for as long as we have…" finished Rhinox.

"And you honestly believe that, Big R?" asked Rattrap.

"Sounds believable to me," Cheetor muttered.

"And we haven't seen the Predacons so far," said Optimus, "They must also be keeping a low profile right now."

"Do ya think they've figured out that we're no longer in Cybertron's sector of the galaxy?" asked Rattrap.

"Knowing how Megatron is, I wouldn't be surprised," replied Optimus.

* * *

"IDIOT!" bellowed an angry voice, "You allowed them to see you!"

A large, angry robot who easily towered over seven feet, glared at another smaller robot.

"Err, whoops," muttered the smaller robot, "Sorry Megatron."

He was a medium-sized 'bot who was clad in red. He apparently had a pteranodon's head situated on his back.

The larger robot known as Megatron held out a newspaper with Terrorsaur perched near the park's monument.

"Now, Terrorsaur," began Megatron, "I can allow you the leisure of a nice afternoon flight if this planet were sparsely inhabited but unfortunately, since these humans spread far across this planet like a plague, we must be far more inconspicuous with our dealings, yesss!"

"Yeah, yeah, I get the point already," complained Terrorsaur, "Ya don't need to hammer it down that hard!"

Immediately, Megatron's hand clamped around Terrorsaur's neck and held him up to face level.

"Oh, and Terrorsaur," smiled Megatron sadistically, "I don't particularly like your tone of voice either."

"S-sorry!" Terrorsaur managed to choke out. Megatron let him go.

A gray, chunky 'bot and a green insect-like 'bot appeared from behind Terrorsaur.

"Guess that means we can't just go out and blast the Maximals, eh boss?" asked the short, gray robot.

"Correct, Scorponok," replied Megatron, "On this planet, we are not its natural life forms."

"Oh, and Megatron," buzzed the insectile Predacon, "Affluent fleshy-bot says he wants to see you."

"Hmm, I suppose we do owe him that much for housing us and allowing us sanctuary from the great unwashed masses," muttered Megatron, "As loathsome as it is for me to start conversations with one of these beings."

* * *

"Greetings, Mister… Megatron, is it?" asked a tall, lanky human with sleek black hair.

"Err, greetings," grimaced Megatron. Clearly, the leader of the Predacons did not like humans.

"I am Charles Damien, owner of Damien Enterprises," spoke the man, "As you can tell from the size of my mansion and my wealth, I am a very affluent man."

Megatron rolled his eyes. Why exactly did he care about what some human had to say, again?

"I never really believed that there was life outside of our solar system," explained Damien, "If everyone knew about you, there would be a national uproar over aliens landing on Earth."

"Tell me something I don't know," muttered Megatron.

"But I want to help you," smiled the man, "I want to help you and your friends adapt to life on Earth. I want to protect you from those who would seek to harm you."

"And in return, what do you want from me?" demanded Megatron. He was expecting a catch all along.

"Well, that's where the fun part begins," replied Damien, "I realize that beings of immense power such as yourselves can be rather useful to me on many levels. In return for my hospitality and good grace, I would like you and your servants to… help me out from time to time."

"And what makes you think that Megatron would follow the orders of a mere human?" asked the Predacon leader.

"Well, as you can see, I'm a very influential man in this town around judges, politicians and lawyers," explained Damien, "Right now my cameras are filming you in this very room and if I were to ship a tape off to the Pentagon, there would be national hysteria over aliens living in our midst. You wouldn't want to cause an uproar and be pursued by the world's governments now, would you?

"Seeing as how we've not yet familiarized ourselves with the laws of these lands," gritted Megatron through clenched teeth, "Nooo…"

"Good, then we have an agreement," smiled Charles Damien, "I will call on you whenever I require your assistance."

Terrorsaur, Waspinator, and Scorponok soon appeared behind Megatron.

"I assume you've scanned your 'beast modes' from the exhibits of my private museum," noted Damien, "The two of you got your forms from the dinosaur exhibit, you've gotten yours from the preserved emperor scorpion in the entomology section, and you… got yours from the wasps that make their home outside the museum."

"Hmph," grunted Megatron, "We assumed late at night that these were some of the planet's strongest creatures… We had no idea that you humans had already conquered this planet."

"Which is why I'm the one calling the shots from now on," smiled Damien arrogantly.

Soon, that smile vanished as Megatron grabbed him with two fingers by the scruff of his collar and lifted him into the air as if he were a mere insect.

"Pay close attention, human," growled Megatron, "The only one that calls the shots around here is Megatron!"

He dropped Damien to the ground. With that, Megatron stormed off, followed by Terrorsaur, Waspinator, and Scorponok.

"With that attitude, you'll have a hard time making friends here," smiled Damien. He had every bit of confidence that he would control Megatron and the Predacons.

* * *

"Have any idea how a wild animal can talk?" asked Luna as she and Jack sat in her room, chewing the cud over their situation.

"Hmm, perhaps it's been genetically altered in a lab by some mad scientist to talk?" suggested Jack.

"Hmm, I don't rule it out completely, but it's doubtful," said Luna.

"Maybe it's some kind of were-animal that used to be human?" suggested Jack again.

"Now you're drifting off into the realms of fantasy."

"Hmm," muttered Jack, "What if it's really an alien who's crash-landed on Earth and took up animal forms to hide among humans?"

"Sounds too sci-fi to me," groaned Luna.

"Well, if I'm right in any of my predictions, then you owe me five dollars."

"Whatever."

* * *

"We can't hide in this world, forever!" declared Optimus to Cheetor and Rattrap, "Sooner or later, someone's going to find out about our existence."

The other two Maximals nodded in agreement.

"And that means we're going to have to take some chances in trying to introduce ourselves to some of the beings on this planet, "We have to try to find allies and people who can help us adjust."

Rattrap groaned.

"You make it sound like we're gonna be living here for a long time," he muttered.

"I'm not sure how long we'll be here, Rattrap," replied Optimus, "But I'm sure we'll be here long enough that Cybertron won't be sending out rescue missions for us anytime soon so all we can do for now is adapt."

"Yeah, well got any bright ideas for adjusting to our new home?" remarked Rattrap sarcastically.

"We'll have to befriend some natives and convince them that we mean no harm," explained Optimus, "Cheetor, what about those two youngsters you saw?"

"Well, to be honest, they didn't run off at the sight of me like everyone else," replied Cheetor, "In fact, I think they were really curious about me. Maybe we can get to talk to them."

"Agreed," said Optimus.

"Speaking of which," said Rhinox. "I couldn't help but overhear the conversation while I was peering through the mini-cameras we set up in the trees. Could these two children be the ones you've met, Cheetor?"

Cheetor walked into the control room with Rhinox and the others and looked.

"It's them alright!" he declared, "Let's go meet 'em!"

* * *

That night, Luna and Jack decided to enter the park to increase the chances they might catch something elusive that's been hiding from them.

"There really is something weird going on around this park," said Luna, "We have to get to the bottom of this, whether it's real or a hoax!"

"Think we'll see any giant insects?" asked Jack.

"Hmm, who knows," she murmured.

A thick buzzing sound was heard from behind them accompanied by a loud, ear-blasting screech.

The two children turned around in fear.

"Lookey what we have here, Waspinator," a loud voice screeched. Jack and Luna looked up to see a pteranodon covered in a crimson shade.

"Waspinator needs target practice!" buzzed the giant wasp named Waspinator.

"Terrorsaur, TERRORIZE!"

"Waspinator, TERRORIZE!"

Both the dinosaur and the insect immediately shifted the bodies internally and transformed into two menacing robots.

Jack and Luna felt their knees giving way under them.

"This is too easy," laughed Terrorsaur as he aimed his gun at them. Likewise, Waspinator did the same.

"Say goodbye, mammal!" laughed Terrorsaur.

A surge of energy knocked the gun out of Terrorsaur's hands. He screeched in pain and looked down to see where the blast came from.

"Leave them alone!" cried two other robots who had opened fire on Terrorsaur and Waspinator.

"Hey, Jack," whispered Luna, "That one robot looks and sounds almost exactly like the cheetah we saw! Maybe that is him!"

"Ha!" laughed Jack, "You owe me five bucks… but only right after we find a good hiding place!"

The two of them ran off to hide in the bushes to observe the fierce battle.

* * *

Cheetor and Rattrap blasted away at the two fliers but soon discovered that they were, indeed, very hard targets to hit, especially since they could perform so many acrobatic feats in the air to avoid the shots.

Soon, however, help arrived in the form of Optimus and Rhinox who opened fire on the two Predacons.

"Uh-oh," cried Terrorsaur, "Let's get going!"

The two Predacon fliers flew off.

Finally, after Jack and Luna gathered to courage to re-emerge, the four Maximals were there to greet them.

"Greetings," began Optimus, "I am Optimus Primal, leader of the Axalon crew. I know we're new to your world and you aren't use to seeing beings like us but believe me, we don't wish to cause harm to anyone on this world."

"How is it possible that you speak our language?" asked Luna.

"Our sensors adapt whenever we encounter beings capable of basic sentence structures," said the large green Maximal. "Simplest way to put it."

"Err, okay," said Jack who was thoroughly confused.

"Allow me to clarify," explained Optimus, "Our advanced technology allows us to do that. We come from a distant planet."

Both Luna and Jack had a look of immense confusion on their faces.

Jack scratched his head. "Makes sense. I think we'd better find a good hiding place before the cops show up."

Sure enough, the sound of sirens could be heard coming closer.

"Agreed," said Optimus, "Let's go."

Rhinox transformed to beast mode.

"Hop on," he said. Cautiously, Jack and Luna climbed on to his back as Rhinox galloped off with Optimus, Cheetor, and Rattrap following closely.

* * *

Surveying the scene, the two police officers were not quite sure what to make of what they saw before them. A tree lay before them, seemingly blasted to pieces from the middle.

"Think it was part of a gang-war?" Officer Monroe asked, "We heard all those shots just as we were driving by."

"I dunno," replied the younger officer besides him, "Think it was the doing of the South Side Serpents?"

"_All units requesting backup!"_ came the voice over their intercom, "_The Serpents have us cornered downtown at the abandoned candy factory! We need more support! Repeat! Requesting backup!"_

"Looks like it ain't the Serpents this time," remarked Officer Monroe, "Come on, we'll return to this scene later."

* * *

"Hmm, so let me get this straight," said Luna, "You and your crew ended up in our galaxy from pursuing these criminals called the Predacons and right now, your ship is hidden from plain view, right?"

"That's the whole story," explained Cheetor, "All we want to do is make sure these Predacons don't conquer this world since they've already landed here."

"It's… a lot to take in," confessed Jack, "Especially for two kids on Earth who haven't even started high school."

"I realize that," said Optimus soothingly, "All we ask is that you trust us and not fear us."

The siblings looked at one another. There was just something very soothing and trustworthy in the "Maximal's" voice that made them agree.

"Alright, I think we can do that much," said Luna, "After all, you can't have staged that attack on us back there. From what we can tell, you guys seem much nicer than those two 'Predacons' that tried to kill us."

"You're humans, right?" asked Cheetor. "That's what you're called?"

"Yeah," Luna answered. "On Cybertron, do you guys have genders?"

"We have some female crew members," Rhinox replied. "If that's what you're talking about. But all the crew are in stasis right now."

An explosion could be heard from the distance.

"What was that?" cried Rattrap, "Was 'dat the Predacons?"

"Hmm, maybe not," observed Luna, "I think it's the Serpents. They're the most dangerous gang in Crimson City's urban parts. They have the biggest, nastiest weapons and no-one knows where they get 'em. The cops can't ever seem to bring them down."

"Hey, Big 'Bot," suggested Cheetor, "You think if we bring down this gang, the people on Earth will trust us?"

"It's worth a try," said Optimus, "We need to gain the trust of the inhabitants here first and foremost."

"I guess that means we'll meet again at the same place tomorrow night, eh?" asked Cheetor enthusiastically, "We can get to know each other better."

"Alright then," agreed the two children.

* * *

"Wow, was that for real?" asked Jack by the time they had snuck back home through the window of Jack's room.

"Looks like it," said Luna, "They looked real enough to me. We'll have to go back tomorrow night!"

"Heh, aliens in our own backyard," laughed Jack, "And from what we can tell, there are not only one, but TWO factions of them. Does this mean we're now part of a space opera?"

"Oh no," Luna moaned, "I hope not."

* * *

The South Side Serpents were the most dangerous gang in Crimson City. From gang violence to extortions to illegal weapons bought from the black market… they dealt with it all. The police, especially, had the hardest time trying to control them.

Their leader was Cobra, a long haired man with sunglasses. His three main underlings included Viper, a deadly blonde women who dealt with poisons and daggers, Krait, his bald-headed, right-hand man who was most adept at smuggling armaments for his gang, and Diamondback, a large man whose brains matched his brute strength.

Together, along with the rest of their criminal empire in Crimson City, they were unstoppable.

But today, unbeknownst to them, everything would come crashing down on them to a screeching halt.

"Those cops are getting more and more persistent," noted Cobra as the police cars were lined not-so-neatly outside before the candy factory they were hiding in, "Guess we'll need to show 'em who's STILL in charge!"

"Shall I, boss?" inquired Krait.

"Absolutely, Krait," replied Cobra, "And Viper, my dear, assist Krait with the plasma cannon."

"With pleasure," hissed Viper.

Krait and Viper disappeared and soon, appeared once more. Krait was armed with double-barreled cannons on his shoulders while Viper held a rather large gun by her side.

Cobra signaled for his underlings to open the front door to the candy factory.

* * *

"It's good that you're here," said Detective Madison as Officer Monroe appeared, "We've got the Serpents cornered and this could be our chance to take 'em out for good!"

"Any idea what they've got holed up inside there?" asked Officer Monroe.

"From what we've discerned, the recent smuggling rings—what the devil!"

The doors swung wide open with ringleaders Viper and Krait standing there fully armed.

Krait immediately switched on his double-barrel missile launchers, launching several missiles that struck the ground, as well as police cars, causing the cops to run for cover.

Viper, with several well-placed shots of her plasma cannon, destroyed several vehicles as well, injuring many policemen in the process.

Before the police could retaliate, however, Viper and Krait went back into the factory and had the doors closed.

"Blast it!" thought Officer Monroe, "How could just two of them cause this much damage?"

He quickly went to attend to the injured.

* * *

"Haha! Did you see that?" laughed Krait as he and Viper ran into Cobra's hiding room, "They scattered like roaches!"

"Indeed I did," chuckled Cobra, "It just proves that we, the Serpents of the South Side own this city! And soon, more cities in the West Coast will fall to us!"

"Where next?" asked Diamondback, "San Diego? Portland? Seattle? Los Angeles? Sacramento, perhaps?"

"Beverly Hills seems like a nice place," suggested Viper.

Their brief moment of gloating was cut short as one of their henchmen stumbled into their room with hysteria written all over his face.

"A-a-animals!" he cried, "Got in here and started wasting us! Need… help!"

He collapsed from fear.

All four head Serpents rose in consternation.

"Grab your weapons," ordered Cobra, "We need to check this out."

* * *

The four of them soon found themselves out in the open, in the middle of the candy factory. Before them, they saw that nearly all their men had been taken out.

"Who the hell could have done this?" wondered Krait as he and the other three tried to make sense out of the whole ordeal. That process was cut short by a loud, ferocious roar.

"What was that?" cried Viper. Another fierce roar emanated all across the factory.

"Now let's just try to stay calm!" cried Cobra, who, himself, was slightly unnerved.

For what appeared to be the first time, none of them obeyed Cobra.

"I ain't takin' my chances!" cried Krait as he grabbed his laser cannon and opened fire in all directions.

The other three quickly dropped to the ground.

"Stop firing, you fool!" yelled Cobra, "You'll hit one of us!"

This time, Krait decided to listen to his leader and lowered his gun.

That was his mistake. A mysterious cat-like creature leaped out of the shadows and pounced on Krait, slamming him to the ground and knocking him out cold. Immediately, it ran back into the darkness.

"Stay together!" ordered Cobra as Viper and Diamondback huddled behind him for cover.

Without warning, two beasts charged out of the darkness towards them, what seemed like a rhinoceros and a gorilla.

Viper aimed her plasma cannon at the charging rhino but another shot rang out from the darkness and knocked the gun out of her. She turned around just in time to see a small, bizarre humanoid creature tackling her.

Now it was just Cobra and Diamondback.

The rhino halted its charge, however, and… what shocked both Diamondback and Cobra… turned into a large, hulking robotic creature that stood on two legs.

"I don't care how big you are," shouted Diamondback as he put on his metal electronegatively-charged gloves and charged the monster that stood before him.

The robotic rhino-creature easily caught Diamondback's punch, lifted the big man into the air as easily as he would a doll, and threw him into a pile of crates, eliminating him from the fray.

Now, Cobra was the only one that remained.

"Wh—What are you?" he demanded. The gorilla that stood before him pounded his chest and transformed into a bizarre fusion of flesh and metal.

Cobra aimed his personal handgun at the creature and fired several rounds. Each and every shot bounced off the creature's metallic plating. It then shot out its hand and yanked the gun out of Cobra's hands.

With a simple squeeze, the metallic gorilla broke the gun in two. Cobra was quite terrified now. The creature grabbed him by his collar and lifted him up.

"You're going to give yourselves up to the proper authorities!" it growled. All Cobra could do now was nod in fear.

* * *

"Did you hear all that?" asked Officer Monroe, "Sounds like something big went down in there!"

By now, a siege tank had appeared on the scene to act as a battering ram against the enormous doors of the factory.

"Doesn't matter what it was," snapped Detective Madison, "We've got to move in for the kill now!"

But to their surprise, the doors swung open and the police were not greeted with a hail of missiles and lasers. Instead, they saw before them the strangest sight ever.

The four leaders of the Serpents were knocked out and tied up together. What was even more bizarre was that there were four animals standing there, a gorilla, a rhinoceros, a cheetah, and an oversized rat.

The police were clearly puzzled.

"What is this?" shouted Detective Madison, "How did these wild animals get loose? And why is that rat the size of a dog?"

Then, the unthinkable occurred. The animals spoke.

"Greetings," spoke the gorilla, "I am Optimus Primal, leader of the Maximals. We come before you today with no ill intentions. In fact, we want to earn your trust. Right now, there is another faction like us on this planet called the Predacons. Unlike us, however, they intend on conquering…"

"Oh my God… it can talk…" came from some of the policemen in hushed whispers.

"All units!" shouted Detective Madison to his unit, "Don't take any chances! Just shoot them!"

"Wait a minute, detective!" cried Officer Monroe, "From what my eyes have seen, these animals just HELPED us take down the Serpents! And even if they do represent a threat, we'll need the animal precinct to come down for this. They have the tranquilizers."

"Don't argue with me, Monroe!" snapped Detective Madison, "Our duty is to ensure public safety for _humans!_ NOT to act as zookeepers!"

* * *

Optimus and his three companions stared at the humans in disbelief. After they had helped them bring down violent criminals, the police forces on this planted wanted to SHOOT them?

"I don't believe 'dis!" cried Rattrap, "What's with these humans?"

"I don't like the looks of this," muttered Rhinox as the one, unsavory human by the name of Madison turned to them maliciously.

Optimus did not give up, however, and persisted.

"Like I said," he continued, "We mean no harm. I'm sure if we discuss this like sentient beings, we can come to a peaceful conclu—"

"Take aim, men!" commanded Detective Madison who was done arguing with Officer Monroe. All the policemen, minus Officer Monroe, raised their firearms.

A look of shock crossed the face of each Maximal.

"Wait… what are you doing!" cried Optimus in alarm, "We mean no harm to you or this planet!"

"FIRE!"

_To be continued._


	2. A New Beginning Pt 2

**Beast Wars Symmetries**

_A New Beginning, Part 2_

"RUN!" screamed Optimus as the police opened fire on them. The Maximals ran off together as they were met with a hail of bullets. Some of the stray bullets struck them and bounced off of them.

"What?" cried one policeman in disbelief, "I could've sworn I shot 'em!"

Soon, several police cars gave chase.

"Give me one good reason not to turn around and waste 'em!" yelled Rattrap.

"Because it's not the Maximal way!" Optimus shouted back.

"That's a REAL good argument, boss monkey!" shouted Rattrap, "I'll take that into consideration the next time you come up with a stupid idea like this!"

"Ugh! Would you just be quiet, Rattrap!" roared Optimus as the four Maximals were nearing Crimson City Park.

"Save it!" shouted Rhinox, "We're getting closer to the Axalon!"

"You three go on ahead!" ordered Optimus, "I'll stay back and hold them off!"

"Ah, so now yer playing 'da hero to feel better about yourself!" remarked Rattrap snidely.

Optimus Primal ignored Rattrap and turned around to face their pursuers.

* * *

Detective Madison could hardly believe it. He and the three other police cars were going well over 70 miles per hour and yet, they couldn't keep up with the four animals. Just exactly WHAT were they?

Without warning, the gorilla turned around to face them while the cheetah, the rhinoceros and the rat continued running.

Detective Madison quickly hit the brakes. Because the road they were on was so narrow, some of the cars collided with each other.

The gorilla then leaped on to the hoods of their cars and ran off in the other direction.

Detective Madison got out of his car. By now, the other animals had escaped but the gorilla was still in sight.

"Chase him!" he shouted. The gorilla soon disappeared behind an alley. Madison and his unit gave chase.

As soon as they turned to face the alley, the gorilla was gone. There was not a trace of him anywhere… no hair samples… no blood… nothing.

"What are we dealing with here?" wondered Madison. "They can run this fast?"

None of the answers would come to Detective Madison, however.

* * *

After Optimus went by the lake, he summoned the Axalon's submarine through radio control.

What awaited him back at base was the furious expression of Rattrap.

"What kinda dumb plan was that!" demanded Rattrap, "Now look at the mess you put us in!"

"I know that, Rattrap," said Optimus, "And I'm sorry for putting all of you in danger."

"Sorry ain't enough, Diddy Kong," snorted Rattrap, "You screwed up big time, fearless leader!"

"Look, I said I was sorry," Optimus shot back, "What else could you expect me to do, Rattrap? You know as well as I do that we can't hide from this world forever!"

Before a full-blown argument could begin between the two, Rhinox decided to step in.

"You're right, Optimus, we can't hide from this world forever," said Rhinox as he glared at Rattrap who looked like he was about to say something completely out-of-line, "But at the same time, introducing ourselves to them all at once may not be the best approach."

"You have a suggestion, old friend?" asked Optimus, "I'd like to get as much input as possible before taking our next course of action. Go ahead and tell us."

"Well, for one thing," explained Rhinox, "The humans we met were much older and more set in their ways. From now on, we will have to gain the trust or more… shall we say… the younger and more open-minded?"

"Makes sense," agreed Optimus, "We can make friends and allies on this planet and at the same time, not start a mass stampede."

"Have any idea why the humans on this planet are such stiffs?" wondered Rattrap aloud.

"Probably because they haven't been exposed to any cultures outside of their own planet," Rhinox explained, "That kind of isolationism can lead to fear of what they don't understand."

"You bring up a lot of good points, Rhinox," smiled Optimus. "You sure you don't wanna take command?"

"Nah," Rhinox replied. "I'll leave it to the younger generation. Besides, I'm more content smelling the flowers."

"Speaking of which, there's a lot of flowers in this park," noted Optimus, "We should head out for a hike in that big forest someday when the humans are scarce. As explorers, we should also check those out sometime."

"Now you're speakin' my language!" exclaimed Rattrap, "So let's get going then!"

"Sorry, Rattrap," said Optimus, "But not tonight. I want you all to go get some rest before tomorrow."

* * *

10:00 A.M.

At a military base in the outskirts of Crimson City…

"Welcome, gentlemen!" exclaimed Damien, "Please be seated right away! Today is the day that I show you some of my new prototype models!"

"The President really likes some of the weapons you've built for him, Mr. Damien" commented General Wesley, "I know that you won't disappoint with what you're presenting today."

"Then you're going to love my new series of robots, the Predacons!" replied Damien as he picked up the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" he said through the microphone, "Today marks the beginning of a new era in robotics! No more will we have the clumsy, unbalanced tin cans of the past, but now, we will witness a rebirth!"

Several, large robotic war machines appeared. There were ten total and each brandished a nasty, looking blaster cannon on their right arms.

"A few years ago, I sent these Crimson Clawbots to the White House," explained Damien, "They were state-of-the-art weapons capable of many enormous feats… but today, they will be put to rest."

"What the heck's he talking about?" muttered some of General Wesley's colleagues behind him, "He actually created better robots than our current ones?"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" cried Charles Damien, "Enter the Predacons!"

Suddenly, from an underground tunnel that opened up right beneath the sand, a large dinosaur-like creature emerged, followed by a pteranodon and two giant insects.

"I present to you Megatron, Terrorsaur, Waspinator, and Scorponok!"

"These are your new robots?" laughed a journalist, "They look more like Jurassic Park rejects to me!"

"And that's where you're wrong!" smiled Damien as he snapped his fingers.

Immediately, all four "Predacons" shouted "TERRORIZE!" in unison. To the awe and shock of all the spectators, they transformed into large, menacing robots.

General Wesley carefully observed the four robots.

"They move far more fluidly than any robot I've ever seen!" he thought, "Mr. Damien may indeed be onto something here!"

"Let's see what the Predacons are capable of, shall we?" asked Damien. The audience roared their approval. All 10 Crimson Clawbots were immediately activated and turned to the Predacons.

They simultaneously lifted their right-arms up and fired powerful plasma rounds from their cannons, causing much dirt and smoke to rise up from the ground.

A large explosion could be seen from where the audiences were seated.

The Crimson Clawbots scanned the smoke for any signs of movement.

In a flash, a purple laser effortlessly weaved through the smoke and cut through five Crimson Clawbots, destroying them.

When the smoke cleared, Megatron and the Predacons attacked the Clawbots savagely.

Terrorsaur and Waspinator flew into the air, blasting away at three Crimson Clawbots.

Scorponok quickly dispatched one with his missile while Megatron impaled the last, remaining Clawbot with his T-Rex tail, which was now used as a spear.

It was over in a matter of moments.

The audience burst into cheers.

"You really out-did yourself this time," complimented General Wesley as he shook Charles Damien's hand, "Your new inventions are brilliant!"

"Oh, the credit doesn't belong to me," said Damien humbly, "But to the men and women in our Cybernetics Department who have worked day in and day out to complete the Predacons!"

"When do you think you can make the Predacons available for use for the United States Government?" asked General Wesley.

"Oh, in about a year or two, I suppose," replied Damien, "They still have glitches here and there that still have to be fixed up. It's going to take quite some time before I can have them operating at their full potential so I hope you don't mind the wait."

Charles Damien stole a quick glance at the Predacons. He noted that Megatron was glaring at him with a look of outright hatred.

* * *

"Blast that human!" bellowed Megatron as he and the Predacons were lounging around in the private mansion of Charles Damien, "Does he dare claim credit for creating us?"

Waspinator and Terrorsaur were mounted on the sofa, watching television while Scorponok was rummaging through the wardrobes out of curiosity.

Megatron, himself, was reading one of the books from Damien's private library. He was ranting and reading at the same time.

"Sooner or later, I will no longer have any need to put up with that lesser being," growled Megatron, "Why exactly are we performing his menial tasks anyways?"

"Well, he did kinda threaten to expose us to the world," said Scorponok who was trembling slightly at the sight of his leader so furious, "We just gotta follow him until we learn enough to free ourselves."

Megatron put down his book and turned around to face Scorponok.

"For one thing, you follow ME!" threatened the giant Predacon as he towered over the scorpion, "

"Sorry, Megatron," stammered Scorponok, "I follow you above anything else!"

"Suck-up," muttered Terrorsaur as he and Waspinator were fighting each other in the video game Damien had purchased for them.

Megatron's glare focused on Terrorsaur.

"What was that?" he demanded.

"Err, I said that as much as we don't like listening to that human, we still don't have much of a choice," replied Terrorsaur, "He could sic all the human governments on us if he wanted to. Besides, this deal isn't totally bad. Some of the pastimes here can be amusing."

Megatron took one look at the TV set, aimed his T-Rex cannon at it, and calmly blasted it to bits.

"HEY!" screeched Terrorsaur, "We were playing that!"

Waspinator was also visibly upset.

"Yes, why Megatron so angry?" he asked.

"This whole time, that human has been lulling you into a false sense of happiness with the temptations of this primitive world!" seethed Megatron, "He wishes to keep you content with trinkets and gifts so that you will willingly do his work! Can none of you incompetents see that?"

The three Predacons didn't dare say a thing.

"One day I will grind that pathetic sack of flesh beneath my heels," said Megatron who had calmed down slightly and walked off.

After Megatron was gone, did the three Predacons dare to talk amongst themselves.

Terrorsaur glowered. "Hypocrite… He accuses us of accepting trinkets while he goes off and reads books from that human's entire catalogue!"

"You shut your mouth!" ordered Scorponok, "Megatron always has a good reason for doing what he does! Unlike the two of you who are just wasting away time on primitive electronic games, he's actually doing something to enrich his knowledge of this world!"

"And what does he have to learn from a bunch of hairless apes?" asked Terrorsaur, "If I were in charge, we'd have taken over this planet in two weeks, max!"

"If you were in charge, we'd have landed in a black hole during this trip!" countered Scorponok.

"Oh yeah?" asked Terrorsaur mockingly, "And Megatron landing us in some bizarre, never-been-seen-before galaxy is any better?"

"Better than anything your scaly red hide could accomplish!" growled Scorponok.

The arguments went back and forth until Waspinator decided to just leave.

Half-way down the hall, he saw a strange room where many strange utensils lay.

"Hmm," he pondered, "Where Waspinator now?"

He walked inside and saw many pots and pans hanging around the place.

What caught his attention, however, was something that lay on the table. It seemed that small, miniature particles lay within a small glass container.

"Hmm," he hummed, "Waspinator not know what this is…"

He zoomed in with his optics that could also act as a microscope. It appeared that the small particles within the glass were like… energon cubes.

"Humans take energon too?" he buzzed in confusion. Inquisitively, he popped the lid off the glass easily and stared within.

"Ooh, Waspinator try!" he chirped as he hungrily slid the "cubes" down his throat.

It was an odd and strange, yet breezy sensation for him. For some reason, he felt much more elevated and energized than before. Before he knew it, the power of "human energon" had taken over his very spark.

It was a wondrous moment for Waspinator that day. He had his first dose of sweetened sugar.

* * *

"Come on, Rattrap, don't be such a spoil-sport!" urged Cheetor.

"Nope! I ain't doing it!" declared Rattrap angrily, "I don't trust them humans, especially after what they tried to do to us!"

"Just because a few humans are like that doesn't mean they all are!" pleaded Cheetor, "We've got to give some of them a chance if we ever want to gain their trust!"

"Easy for you to say, kid," said Rattrap sadly as if he were recalling some unpleasant memory from the past, "Yer still young and can still be open to new things. As for me… I'm not so sure I can do it anymore."

"Come on, Rattrap," replied Cheetor, "I'll be there with you and those two kids are still young enough to accept us for who we are! You gotta give it a try!"

"Oh… fine," sighed Rattrap, "May as well. It's not like they can scratch us or anything."

* * *

Luna and Jack arrived just in time to see a cheetah and an enormous rodent appear from the bushes.

"You showed up!" exclaimed Cheetor, "We were afraid you weren't gonna appear."

Rattrap looked up at the two and started sniffing them cautiously.

"Rattrap, what are you doing?" demanded Cheetor, "Remember how I told you to be nice!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" grumbled the older Maximal.

"What would you like to see around here?" asked Luna, "We'll try to show you around our world as best we can, without people seeing you."

"Sounds like a plan," Cheetor agreed.

"Well, are you ready?" asked Jack, "We can't take you down town or anything but we'll show you around the places we live."

"Lead the way," said Cheetor.

* * *

After a tour of the park and their old middle school, Jack and Luna arrived home, with Cheetor and Rattrap close behind.

Normally, the Luna would have never dared to walk outside during the night but tonight, she and her brother had two invisible guardian angels with them.

"This is our home," she said, "Our parents are out of town for this week. Wanna come in?"

"Sure," said Cheetor, "We'd love to."

As soon as they entered the house, Cheetor and Rattrap .

"Hey, Rattrap, how much more time do we have on our bands?" asked Cheetor.

"Eeh, looks to be… one megacycle and two cycles," remarked Rattrap as he glanced on the chronometer on the band.

"Do they mean one hour and two minutes?" asked Jack.

"I think so," replied Luna, "But I'm not entirely sure."

"Want to check out upstairs?" asked Jack.

"Sure," said Cheetor, "You coming, Rattrap?"

"Nah," replied the older Maximal, "I think I'm gonna lounge around here for a while and look at this…?"

"TV," said Luna as she used the remote to turn it on, "Wanna watch?"

"Whoa," exclaimed Rattrap, "Didn't know you humans had this!"

Rattrap sat comfortably on the couch to experience the joy of flipping through channels.

"This is my room," said Luna as she led Cheetor up, "Looks nice, don't it?"

It looked like a typical room of what a normal girl her age would have. However, to Cheetor, it was new and fascinating.

"Whoa!" he cried, "What's this?"

"That's just a lava lamp," she explained, "You get used to it after a while but I guess to someone who's never seen one before, it can be pretty spectacular."

Jack also showed Cheetor his room, along with some of the action figures he used to collect when he was younger.

"Wow, you guys aren't too advanced but you can still create miracles!" exclaimed Cheetor who was thoroughly fascinated with some of the things he had seen.

"Err, thanks, I think," said Jack, "Wanna check out my Playstation?"

"Sure, what's that?" asked Cheetor, "Whatever it is, it sounds like it'll be fun."

Jack never got the chance to teach Cheetor how to play video games that one night as a loud, booming voice came from downstairs.

"Yo, Cheets!" Rattrap yelled, "Get down here so you can see 'dis!"

Cheetor quickly bounded down the stairs in beast mode.

"What is it, RT?" he asked.

"Look!" said Rattrap, "These are the Preds!"

Sure enough, on television, the four Predacons could be seen at the site of a military installation displaying their powers before an audience of humans.

"_And in today's news, Charles Damien presented his new batch of robots before the United States Government,"_ said the reporter, "_These so-called Predacons quickly outperformed most of Damien's old robots as well as the heavy artillery used against them by the military's tanks."_

"Is this human crazy making friends with the Preds!" asked Rattrap.

"I dunno," said Cheetor, "Is it possible they fooled him?"

"I'm not exactly sure, kid," replied Rattrap, "From my experiences, when Predacons are holed up in a new habitat, they tend to seek out… kindred spirits."

"So you think this human is a bad seed as well?" asked Cheetor.

"Not think, know!" declared Rattrap, "Just from the looks of his face, I can tell he's up to no good!"

Sure enough, Charles Damien's face was on the television.

"_It will be a great honor to serve society with my new Predacon units as soon as I'm able,"_ said the man called Damien, "_For now, these are only experimental units and it may take a while before they may be utilized."_

"We'd better report this to Optimus!" proclaimed Cheetor, "Do you have all this recorded in your memory banks?"

"Every last shred of it!" declared Rattrap, "We'd better go back to base now."

Cheetor glanced over at Luna and Jack.

"Thanks for your tour of the city and all you've done for us," he said, "I know that with people like you around, humanity can't be all bad. Hopefully we'll meet again soon?"

"Same time two days from now," said Luna, "Hope to see you then!"

"And good luck with what you're doing!" piped Jack, "Oh, and to help you out, our dad used to work for Damien Enterprises. I seem to remember him telling us that Damien's mansion is just in the outskirts of town near the rolling hills when he was there for a dinner party. You'll see it situated in the lowest hill, hopefully."

"Thanks!" beamed Cheetor, "Come on, Rattrap! Don't be so sour!"

"Yeah, yeah, thanks ya brats," grumbled Rattrap, "You ain't so bad for humans."

"Err, you'll get used to him," Cheetor explained to the two children, "He'll grow on you eventually."

"Don't worry about it," said Luna, "Just be sure to stay safe!"

"Will do!"

* * *

"So, the Predacons have allied themselves with a wealthy and influential human?" asked Optimus after watching the clips downloaded from Rattrap's central core processors.

"Yeah, and that human even claimed credit for building them," replied Rattrap, "He's got a few loose screws if you ask me!"

"This can't be good," said Rhinox, "Right now, the Preds have one-upped us in terms of adapting to this planet. With their new advantages, going against them is gonna be harder."

"That means we'll have to pay this 'Charles Damien' a visit soon," grimaced Optimus, "Perhaps we can talk to him and convince him that the Predacons are a threat to his world."

"You also got a few loose screws, big monkey!" sneered Rattrap, "This Damien fellow is just as bad as the Preds! I can just tell from the looks of his face!"

"You don't know that for sure!" Optimus told Rattrap, "For all we know, he could be an innocent who is being held against his will by the Predacons. We have to go over there to see!"

"Besides, if we convince him we're right, we could make another human ally on this world," said Cheetor, "So let's have at it!"

"Let's scan for the geographic locations first," began Rhinox, "Cheetor, you said that his whereabouts were located on the outskirts of this city in the hills?"

"Yeah," replied Cheetor, "It's on the lowest hill, supposedly."

Sure enough, on the scanner, they picked up the traces of a building on the lowest hill on their scanners which were able to show their geographic locations within several, several miles.

"Well, what're we waiting for!" declared Cheetor, "Let's get this ball rolling!"

"Before we do that, I have to show you all something," said Rhinox with a gleam in his eye, "Something that just made our lives easier!"

* * *

7:00 AM

Damien Manor.

Optimus, Cheetor, Rattrap, and Rhinox were there in beast mode. They had snuck into the mansion successfully without tripping any alarms. Rattrap had been kind enough beforehand to disable them.

"Prime," said Optimus through his disguise, "Remember, we're not here to cause confrontation… we're here to prevent it!"

"Speak for yourself," said Rattrap, "I ain't takin' my chances if the Preds come blastin' at me!"

The four Maximals walked up the hill.

"Why would that sleazeball work with Megatron?" asked Cheetor.

"Greetings Maximals," a man in a black suit walked up to them. "That is what you're called, right?"

"Are you the owner of this property?" asked Optimus.

"I am, yes," Damien answered. "I assume you're here to see your friends?"

Four, mechanical clawed creatures arose from the ground. They were clad in shiny, red armor and had the savage snouts of animals.

"I'm sure you'll play nicely," Damien smiled and stepped back.

The four mechanical units took aim and fired. Optimus, Cheetor, and Rattrap managed to roll aside and evade the blasts, but Rhinox was struck with two beams of laser and knocked down.

"Prepare for engagement, Maximals!" declared Optimus, "Don't hesitate to defend yourselves!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" shouted Rattrap as a Crimson Clawbot attacked him with repeated thrusts from his three-digited claw.

Optimus blasted forth with his Prime Jets, slammed into a Crimson Clawbot and punched it right through the abdomen.

Cheetor somersaulted over a charging Clawbot and blasted it behind the back simultaneously with his quasar cannon.

Rhinox, in the meantime, got back up and tore his Crimson Clawbot opponent to shreds with his chain-guns.

As for Rattrap, he was knocked to the floor by his adversary but quickly slid under between its legs, while planting a small bomb in its thigh region at the same time. He ran away quickly as the Crimson Clawbot turned around to see an explosion overtake its systems, blasting it to pieces.

"Well, so much for that," remarked Rattrap, "Can we go home now?"

Optimus shook his head.

"We're not leaving until we find the Predacons," he said resolutely. A clapping could be heard coming closer.

"Bravo," said Damien, "You destroyed my robots like they were nothing! Megatron told me all about you and what you were capable of."

"You must be Charles Damien, correct?" asked Optimus.

"I am, and as a man of many resources, I'd like to help you and your friends."

"Help us?" shouted Cheetor, "You tried to slag us with your drones!"

"Do you know what you're getting yourself into," demanded Optimus, "You're housing Megatron and the Predacons who happen to be some of the worst criminals on Cybertron!"

A missile smashed to the ground where the Maximals stood, knocking all of them off their feet.

"On the contrary," smirked Damien, "I know exactly what I'm getting into. You see, Megatron's descriptions were correct. You may be strong, but what is all that strength without the will to conquer? Having the Predacons on my side will serve my purposes well enough for now."

"Oh, do be quiet," groaned Megatron in robot mode. He made a motion to Terrorsaur.

Terrorsaur grabbed Damien by the back of his shirt.

"Put me down, I command you!" shouted Damien, "You serve me and you will treat me with respect!"

Terrorsaur rolled his eyes and flung Damien several feet away. The Predacons watched in amusement as he sailed through the air. The millionaire then landed with a thud and was knocked out instantly.

"Now, back to the main course," said Megatron as he and his soldiers turned to the fallen Maximals.

What greeted Megatron as he turned around, however, was the sight of Optimus' fist smashing into his face and knocking him back, head over heels. By now, the Maximals were ready to engage the Predacons.

Terrorsaur reacted quickly and shot Optimus in the back. In turn, Rattrap took aim and blasted away at Terrorsaur who also fired back.

Cheetor transformed to beast mode and ran off with Waspinator trailing him closely behind with several shots.

* * *

Scorponok stood over the fallen Maximal leader and pinched his claws excitedly. Here was the perfect chance to prove to Megatron how good of soldier he was!

Megatron, in the meanwhile, was slowly recovering from the punch.

He took aim with his rocket launcher with dangled from his claws.

"Say nighty-night, Primal!" he growled.

"Back off!" rumbled a low voice. Scorponok was soon sent flying through the air as Rhinox charged into him in beast mode. The short Predacon smashed into several rocks outlining a pond and was sent into stasis lock from the impact.

Rhinox helped Optimus up.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Never felt better," winced Optimus. Two consecutive laser beams struck both of them.

Megatron was back on his feet with an angry, expressive look. Rhinox managed to get up but Megatron brought him down with another shot to the chest.

"Now for you, Primal!" he growled as he kicked the injured Optimus Primal viciously.

* * *

"You're fighting a hopeless battle, vermin," laughed Terrorsaur, "My strength, speed, and firepower are superior to yours!"

He gracefully avoided three shots from Rattrap and took aim. He pointed his gun at Rattrap's direction while his shoulder cannons appeared and his eyes glowed purple.

The eye lasers struck the ground first, followed by twin missiles and his plasma blast, throwing Rattrap into the air and back to the ground again.

"There's one thing he ain't bragging about," thought Rattrap, "His firepower's top-notch! But there's just one thing he's missin'! If I can only just get him into the right range…"

Rattrap opened his arm-compartment to reveal the bombs that he made for special cases that required demolitions. He took one out and glanced at the distance between himself, Terrorsaur, and the sun.

He ran off in another direction.

"Hey! Where are you going?" demanded as he flew after Rattrap bombarding the ground behind him with missiles, "I'm not through with you yet!"

* * *

As fast as he was, Cheetor couldn't keep running forever. The insect-like Predacon did not show any sign of slowing down.

"There's gotta be some way I can get this bug off my back!" thought Cheetor who suddenly saw the metal gates in a distance.

"Kitty-bot better give up!" giggled Waspinator as he took several more shots at Cheetor from different angles. It was only Cheetor's immense speed that helped him to narrowly avoid each blast.

Because of his overconfidence, Waspinator began to fly at a lower altitude, something Cheetor was expecting.

"Dead end for cat-bot!" laughed Waspinator as he and Cheetor neared the gates.

However, without any sign whatsoever, Cheetor leaped into the air, used the wall as a toehold to bounce off, and pounced on Waspinator, knocking the gun out of his hand and bringing the bug to the ground once more.

* * *

To Terrorsaur's surprise, Rattrap stopped running and threw a small mechanical device in his direction.

"A bomb!" thought Terrorsaur as he sailed up into the air before the explosion could engulf him.

Terrorsaur looked down to find Rattrap but a glaring flash of light blinded him.

"My optics!" screeched Terrorsaur before several shots struck him and sent him crashing to the ground.

Rattrap stood over his charred body and smirked.

"Had to get ya into the right 50 degrees angle so that the sun would blind ya!" grinned Rattrap.

* * *

Megatron grabbed Optimus by the leg with his T-Rex cannon and slammed him into the ground repeatedly.

On the third swing, Optimus gripped his sword and stabbed Megatron's arm with it.

The Predacon leader howled in pain and dropped Optimus. He did not get much of a chance to recover as Rhinox tackled him to the ground.

Megatron elbowed Rhinox in the face to force him off but as he got up again, a missile from Optimus Primal struck him and smashed him into the side of the mansion, destroying a good portion of it.

"Thanks, old friend," said Optimus, "Looks like we've won this battle."

Cheetor and Rattrap gathered next to them after defeating their respective opponents.

"Looks like we beat the Preds… now what?" asked Rattrap.

"Hmm," pondered Optimus, "There's no way we can bring them back with us now that the sun has risen. We may have to wait until nightfall. Then we can take them with us back to the Axalon."

"Don't forget, their ship has to be somewhere around the premise," added Rhinox, "These lands are most likely their territory right now. We'll also have to search their ship as well."

Suddenly, Cheetor convulsed violently and fell to the ground.

"Cheetor!" shouted Optimus, "What's wrong?"

"Is it some kinda energon surge?" asked Rattrap as he and the others bent down to help the young Maximal.

"No," replied Rhinox darkly, "He was shot with a dose of cyber-venom! We need to get him back to base and fast! Forget about the Preds. We'll have to go now if we want to make it back in time!"

Sure enough, a small, metallic dart was revealed on the back of Cheetor's neck.

"Our cloaking devices have all been damaged. We need to go back through the woods," said Optimus, "That way, the chances of humans spotting us are less likely."

"Who the heck did this?" asked Rattrap, "It's all so sudden!"

Optimus picked up Cheetor gently and headed off with Rattrap who did his best to help Optimus and the fallen Cheetor.

Rhinox stayed behind for a few seconds to look around. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a dark figure on top of the mansion… well, on the part that hadn't been destroyed by Megatron's body.

"What the-?" wondered Rhinox as he quickly zoomed in with his telescopic lens. But by then, the figure had disappeared completely.

"This can't be good," thought the large green robot, "But right now, I have a crewmate who needs my help!"

He quickly left to join Optimus and the others.

* * *

Cheetor woke up to the familiar sights of Rhinox, Optimus, and Rattrap.

"Hey guys," he said groggily, "What happened?"

"You took a bad dose of cyber-venom," explained Rhinox, "We had to leave the Predacons and take you back to base through the woods."

"My cloaking device is damaged!" said Cheetor in alarm, "Did any humans see us?"

"Well, two human hikers saw us but I doubt anyone would believe their word about talking animals in the woods," chuckled Optimus.

"This means the Predacons are still out there," said Rhinox, "And who knows what they may plan next."

"Well, when the time comes, we'll deal with them," replied Optimus, "But right now, I think all of us can relax. They weren't in exactly the best of conditions when we left them so I doubt they'll be starting trouble soon."

"Guess this means we're adjusting to life on Earth," snickered Rattrap, "I can tell things are gonna be REAL interesting from now on!"

"Oh, and I promised Jack I'd meet him tonight for the Gamestation," said Cheetor, "Mind if I go out?"

"As long as you promise to be back within four megacycles," promised Optimus, "And try not to stay out for too long."

"I'm gonna go with Cheetor too," said Rattrap, "I'm gonna watch more cable TV!"

"I'll need to write these events down in my log," mused Optimus, "Any suggestions to what we should call our current situation?"

"How about 'da Beast Wars?" suggested Rattrap cleverly.

"The what?" asked Optimus.

"Ya know… the Beast Wars," continued Rattrap, "We're beasts… and we're in a war. It sounds like something you'd say!"

Optimus raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm, would I really be that corny, Rattrap?" asked Optimus who had a slight grin to his face, "Maybe I said it in a past life but… Beast Wars?"

Cheetor and Rhinox could barely conceal their laughter.

"Haha, it definitely sounds like something you'd say, BigBot!" snickered Cheetor.

Despite the stern and orderly demeanor Optimus wanted to present himself as captain of the Axalon, he soon found himself laughing with his friends and teammates.

Life on this Earth would be interesting indeed.

* * *

"So, we have a stowaway," mused Megatron aloud as Terrorsaur, Waspinator and Scorponok kept their guns trained on the figure who stood before them.

He also appeared to have a strange, arachnid-styled beast mode of some sort…

"I appreciate you bringing us to the CR baths but tell me exactly why you decided to follow us or we will be forced to deal with you… in an orderly fashion," said Megatron in a low, dangerous voice.

"Why, I've been sent by the powers-that-be to help you in your quest," replied the shadowy figure who was soon revealed to be an average-sized 'bot clad in purple and shades of green.

"You mean the Tripredacus Council?" demanded Megatron.

"Let's not worry about that for now," replied the 'bot, "You see, I know the reason why you're cowering before that pathetic human right now. You, along with your incompetent crew, have no idea how to refine or process energon. It's logical to assume that your current supply of stabilized energon is dwindling! As such, you'll need my assistance."

"I should have you executed on the spot!" bellowed Megatron angrily.

"And lose your only means of survival?" laughed the figure, "I think not! You see, I'm the only one who knows how to refine energon and without me, you're stuck for the rest of your lives taking flanking orders from that human!"

"Then by all means, process the energon!" growled Megatron, "If you are indeed as skilled as you say you are! But should you fail, I will personally rend you to pieces!"

"I am more than up to the challenge," laughed the figure as Megatron gestured for the Predacons to lower their guns.

Soon, they reached the energon chamber in the ship. The mysterious figure soon got to work. The pieces he refined were merely small fragments of the crystal but the sheer fact that he knew how to process energon impressed Megatron enough.

"What was your name again?" asked Megatron who, along with the rest of the Predacons, was quite curious.

"Oh, I've been called many things," said the stranger, "But you may call me Tarantulas."

_The End._


	3. Indoctrination

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Indoctrination_

"Such utilitarianism," observed Megatron, "These cloaking devices of yours work splendidly!"

"The holographic fields generated by these devices will bend the light around us, enabling us to look like the humans," explained Tarantulas, "These devices were often child's play on Cybertron. Here, they benefit us immensely."

"Your expertise is indeed noteworthy," remarked Megatron.

"_But I can't help but wonder if this you had something to do with our landing on Earth,"_ thought Megatron immediately after the praise.

"For all the benefits of these devices, there is one thing they cannot disguise," cautioned Tarantulas, "Your height."

The rest of the Predacons glanced nervously at Megatron who was well over nine feet tall. A human male that tall would not have blended in with the populace well.

"No matter," sighed Megatron, "I will use is sparingly."

"Hey! These devices work really well!" cried Scorponok as he turned on his device to appear as a human. Terrorsaur and Waspinator followed shortly.

"Well, my work for today is done," chuckled Tarantulas, "I will take my leave now."

"Dismissed," agreed Megatron.

As soon as he was gone, Waspinator was the first to voice his suspicions.

"Waspinator not trust spider-bot," he complained, "Something fishy about him!"

"I agree," Terrorsaur added, "It's been about a month since he's shown himself to us and he goes off to do who-knows-what for long, irregular mega-cycles! The only time he's around us is to process energon or create new gizmos!"

"I've taken that into consideration, yes," said Megatron, "But for now, we still need his skills. Besides, I don't see the three of you with diplomas from Cybertron's best universities."

It was true that on Cybertron, Waspinator, Scorponok, and Terrorsaur would not have been considered some of its more well-educated inhabitants.

Megatron's remark, however, went completely over their heads.

"Hey, Megatron," asked Scorponok, "How much more have you downloaded into your processors?"

"Oh, one more week and I shall be rich with the necessary information of this world," smiled Megatron, "Speaking of which, I think I shall download that human's internet library on Macroeconomics now."

* * *

It had been a normal day for Cheetor, a Transformer with boundless not common to most of his species.

Optimus had recommended almost a month ago that he explore the Earth in order to learn more about its people. That way, he could learn what the culture on this planet was like. So far, he was getting the hang of this place. He often found that he learned more when he was around Jack and Luna.

Of course, nobody knew him as a Transformer. He had close encounters with humans before but most of those cases were chalked up as some escaped circus animal. For the most part, he simply ran away before they could get a close look at him.

Optimus, in turn, took his time scouting the human world as well. Most of it was during the evening when he flew across the place.

While Rattrap and Rhinox were also exploring the world, they chose to spend most of their time underneath the lake aboard the Axalon. Outside of that, they explored the woods much more than they did human civilization.

For the time being, Cheetor was sprinting across the rooftops. It was part of his daily exercise regiment. He was the fastest thing on earth possibly but it would do no good for him to slack off.

Cheetor walked the building and looked down an alley where he heard a strange chanting.

"_Praise to thee, almighty Primus…"_

That stopped Cheetor on his tracks. _Primus_ was a word that he had been more or less familiar with in his young life. He was the god of light who helped to vanquish Unicron eons ago, wasn't he?

Curiously, Cheetor turned to the alley where the chanting was going on.

Cybertron had been a secular society for the most part, although there was a sizeable amount of 'bots who professed to having beliefs in Primus.

He saw two men and a woman holding what appeared to be Cybertronian data-tracks.

Cheetor gasped. He quickly overcame his fear and transformed, leaping down to confront the people.

"Where did you get those?" he demanded nervously.

"We come from a remote island off the Pacific," said the man with dark hair in the middle, "We are simply newcomers to this country."

They did not appear to be afraid of Cheetor at all.

"Hmm, I'm not sure about that," replied Cheetor suspiciously, "Why are you holding Cybertronian data-tracks in your hands?"

A dark-haired man stepped forward in surprise.

"You know what they are?" he asked.

"Yeah, and I also know you were chanting hymns to Primus," said Cheetor. "He's one of the gods of Cybertron."

"How is it that you know about us?" asked the dark-haired man, "Unless you are a Cybertronian yourself…"

"_Uh oh… me and my big mouth!"_ thought Cheetor, "_I don't want to blow my cover for good but these could be other Cybertronians marooned on Earth!"_

He decided to play it cool.

"Yeah, so what if I am?" asked Cheetor with false confidence, "Why don't you show me what a 'Cybertronian' is first?"

"You two stay here," said the dark-haired man to his two companions. They complied.

"Come with me," he beckoned Cheetor.

Cheetor hesitantly followed him through the door of an abandoned building.

"_If he turns out to be a Predacon, I'm gonna be on guard and blast him with my quasar cannon,"_ thought Cheetor.

It was a large, abandoned warehouse that was empty for the most part. It was also there that the man turned to Cheetor and stopped.

He revealed a cloaking device by the side of his belt and pressed it, de-activating the human illusion and exposing the true robot beneath.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Cheetor, "So you come from Cybertron as well!"

Immediately, Cheetor turned off his cloaking device to reveal himself as well.

The mysterious Transformer then opened forth his chest plate to showcase a spark.

"You're definitely one of us then!" cried Cheetor, "And I thought you were a Predacon!"

"_This guy can't be a Pred then,"_ thought Cheetor, "_Reports only told us that four Predacons were aboard the Darkside and we've already seen what those four look like."_

The 'bot put back his spark and turned on his hologram projector once more to take the shape of a human.

"Predacons?" asked the 'man' innocently, "Here on Earth?"

"Yeah, Optimus said to be on the look-out for any Preds," said Cheetor, "Oh, what's your name anyways?"

"Ah, yes," came the reply, "We haven't been introduced yet. My name is Terrance Lane, an Earth name given to me by my parents. But you can call me Terry."

"But how is it there are other Cybertronians on an Earth?" asked Cheetor trying to make sense of the whole situation. "We just discovered it a few days ago!"

"I do believe we come from the same lineage of peoples," replied Terry, "You see, about a century ago, my parents, part of a group of religious pilgrims from Cybertron, left our home world in order to find a religious colony where we could worship Primus and escape the mindless conflict between Maximals and Predacons. It appeared that we entered through a warp hole into uncharted galaxies we had never seen before. Little did we know that we would land here! I was born on Earth and have lived here ever since. I've never known my ancestral home of Cybertron."

Cheetor did not know what to say. He was overjoyed that they had found kindred spirits on Earth without the label of 'Predacon.'

"Well then, uh, Terry," remarked Cheetor, "Could you show me your robot mode again? I've never seen anything like it!"

"Ah, I'm sorry," apologized Terry profusely, "But for religious and ceremonial reasons, we may not reveal ourselves in public. Only when we're in the safety of our havens, may we show our full splendor in order to worship Primus in all his glory during the monthly ceremony. I have broken the rules but I believe my family, along with Primus, will let it go once they hear of the good news I have for them!"

Cheetor smiled. "Wow, you have no idea how great it is to see other kindred spirits on this planet!"

"Likewise," Terry smiled back, "Looks like this going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship!"

* * *

"Dad, I'm home!" announced Terry as he and Cheetor entered the two-story home.

"Hello, Terry," said Mr. Lane, "Is this a new friend of yours?"

"He's not just any friend," explained Terry, "He's one of us!"

Mr. Lane's expression turned serious.

"You don't mean…" he began.

"Show 'em," requested Terry. Cheetor turned off his cloaking device to reveal his true self. Mr. Lane gasped as Mrs. Lane and what seemed like Terry's sister showed up.

"You are from Cybertron as well?" asked Mrs. Lane.

"You betcha!" exclaimed Cheetor.

Please forgive us for not showing our robot forms to you," apologized Mr. Lane, "But we may only do so on special occasions which will be next week. Religious reasons, you see."

"I'm totally fine with that," said Cheetor, "It's just great to know that there's more like us out there! Umm, you guys are Maximals right?"

"Labels don't matter anymore when you're part of the Fellowship of Primus," explained Mrs. Lane, "Maximal or Predacon, it doesn't matter. You can be yourself in Primus' ever-loving optics."

"We're having a small worship service tonight, though," said Terry, "Wanna join us?"

"I'd be glad to!" replied Cheetor.

* * *

In the car, Cheetor and Terry discussed a great deal of things from Six Lasers over Cybertron to how their lives on Earth have been ever since they landed. Soon, Cheetor found himself liking Terry more and more. He seemed like someone Cheetor could truly call a friend.

"Hey, Terry," said Cheetor, "I'm not the only one here on Earth. There are other Maximals living with me. I'll have to bring them over to meet you!"

"Sounds great," replied Terry, "Oh, we're here!"

Cheetor looked out the window to see a nice, suburban house situated nicely below some hills.

"So this is it, huh?" asked Cheetor.

"Yup," beamed Terry, "We meet here almost once every week to study the Analects of Primus."

The Lane family got off with Cheetor.

"So uh, what was your family originally named before they came to Earth?" asked Cheetor.

"My parents were only children back when they agreed to become part of the Fellowship's religious pilgrimage," explained Terry. "After we landed on Earth, they grew up together. I was their only son."

Cheetor tilted his head to the side in curiosity.

"I was given a human name instead of a Cybertronian name," said Terry, "I've grown up hiding amongst the humans my entire life. Sure they knew the nice young man who mowed people's lawns but they never got to know the robot in disguise."

"That's a really interesting story," commented Cheetor as he walked inside what appeared to be a church.

* * *

"Only through our savior Primus, may we be saved!" announced the voice of what appeared to be a pastor.

There was a small group of 20-30 people inside. From what Cheetor could tell, they were a nice group of people.

_These must be the original pilgrims from the Fellowship of Primus and their offspring _ thought Cheetor. Indeed, young and old congregated together.

"We brought with us a new member," Mr. Lane told the pastor, "He is one of us!"

"Oh?" asked the pastor curiously.

Terry nudged Cheetor.

"Come on and show 'em!" he urged.

Cheetor reached to his belt and turned off his hologram projector erasing the illusion of a young, teenage human being. Everyone gasped.

"Y-you are a Cybertronian indeed!" exclaimed the priest, "But how did you arrive here?"

"Same way you guys did," replied Cheetor, "I was part of a crew that crash-landed on this planet after chasing some Predacons… except for the whole 'religious pilgrimage' thing."

"I… don't know what to say," said the priest still in awe, "But I am Veros, better known as 'Pastor Vernon' in human society. It is good to have you with us, however you arrived!"

Cheetor went around greeting everyone around him. All the older members, it seemed, had Cybertronian names while the younger members had Earth names. It made sense, after all, thought Cheetor.

Soon he found himself sitting next to Terry.

"Today we're studying the Analects of Primus data-tracks: 24-49," whispered Terry as Veros stepped up to the podium, "You're going to love it here!"

And indeed Cheetor did for he truly felt that he belonged amongst these individuals.

* * *

"Hey, Cheetor, why are you so late coming back?" asked Rattrap out of nosiness.

"I was out," said Cheetor, "Where's Optimus and Rhinox?"

"They're out in the woods collecting fungal specimen," replied Rattrap dismissively, "But the question is, where have **you** been? It's 7:00 PM Earth's time. You don't usually come back so late, kiddo."

"I hung out with some kindred spirits today, Rattrap," elucidated Cheetor happily, "Cybertronians just like us!"

"Right," snorted Rattrap, "I'm sure Megatron gave up on being a Predacon overlord to be a nice, sensitive guy."

"They're not the Predacons!" said Cheetor exasperatedly and told Rattrap the whole story.

After Cheetor was done, Rattrap looked even more incredulous.

"Ya mean to tell me that 100 years ago, some cult decided that Cybertron wasn't enough and decided to move down to Earth?" asked the older Maximal, "A likely story!"

"They're not a cult, Rattrap!" growled Cheetor angrily, "They're friends, especially Terry! If you would just meet them, you'd see what they're like."

"No thanks," replied Rattrap brushing off the invitation, "Stuff like that ain't my thing."

"What is it going to take to get you to believe me?" snapped Cheetor, "The Fellowship of Primus IS real and they're especially not a cult! They're a group that accepts me for who I am and sees the good in all beings!"

Rattrap still didn't buy it. He only rolled his eyes. Cheetor, who caught it, was none too pleased.

* * *

It had been over two weeks. Cheetor was showing up less and less at base and at his apartment. By now, Optimus Primal had become quite concerned.

"Rattrap, do you know where Cheetor's been?" he asked, "It's well over 7 PM and he's still not back."

"How should I know?" shrugged Rattrap, "He's old enough to make his own decisions."

"Rattrap, he's only twenty-eight years of age," sighed Optimus, "That's hardly an age of self-sufficiency and independence."

"Hey guys, what's happening?" came a voice from down the hall.

"Cheetor, where have you been?" asked Optimus with a concerned voice.

"Oh, just out with some friends," replied Cheetor, "I'd like you to meet them next week on Sunday, in fact. They're really good people and I'm sure you'd like them."

Optimus looked slightly more relieved.

"Well, that's good," he said and patted Cheetor on the shoulder, "It's nice to see you're making friends already."

Rattrap did not look convinced, however.

* * *

Charles Damien woke up to a cold draft in the room. He had not yet gotten the full rest he needed and his eyes could not fully register what was going on in the darkness.

"What was that?" he muttered.

A small scratching sound could be heard from all sides of the room.

Realizing that something was in his room, he quickly reached for the gun that sat inside his cupboard and aimed it into the darkness.

"Who are you?" he demanded, "And what do you want?"

"It simply amazes me what money can do for an individual," came a voice from the shadows, "Power, respect, admiration and the loyalty of thousands who would obey you without question."

"Your point being?" demanded Damien as he aimed the gun at the source of the voice.

"What if all that were to be taken away?" whispered the voice playfully, "All the things you've ever accomplished in life washed away in the sands of time…"

"That's not going happen anytime soon!" growled Damien as he fired several shots at the intruder within his room.

Nine glowing green eyes emerged out of the darkness and a sinister laugh could be heard echoing across Damien's rather large bedroom.

"_That's it, I'm summoning security!_" thought Damien as he rushed towards the emergency button hidden behind a spot on the wall.

Unfortunately for him, death came in an instant.

A sickle-like claw swung out of the blackness of the room and sliced open his jugular.

Blood erupted like a fountain and soon, flowed like rivers of crimson.

* * *

The next day came. Everything was going normally at base. Rhinox spent most of the day analyzing bacterial samples he found underneath the lake. Optimus was assisting him with the cleanup. And Cheetor went to see Jack and Luna after they had finished up with their entire day of classes.

Soon, Cheetor was back from his visit and on his way to the Fellowship of Primus but little did he suspect a pair of eyes watching him as he prepared to leave to meet up with the Fellowship once more.

He entered into the mini-submarine and left the Axalon to ascend to the top of the lake.

"Computer, check for all signs of human life within a 10 mile radius," said Cheetor.

"None detected," replied the computer.

"Sweet,"

Being an expert at stealth, Rattrap was easily able to avoid Cheetor's sight as he followed the younger Maximal to his destination.

"Something about this really don't seem right," he thought, "First of all, that story's too far-fetched to be true. Second, 'da Order of Primus don't register in our computers as a religious sect on Cybertron!"

He watched carefully from afar as Cheetor entered into a church-like building.

Rattrap glanced around at the place. It all seemed too fishy to be true. The chances of a religious colony landing on Earth from Cybertron seemed far too out there for him.

His eyes narrowed.

* * *

"Today is the day that you receive your baptism, young one," proclaimed Pastor Vernon as he anointed Cheetor's head with fragrant oils, "After your cleansing, you may truly live again as a servant to the one and only Primus whose name we are not even worthy of speaking."

"_You're going to love it," said Terry, "Getting baptized through the cleansing powers of Primus is totally worth it. You'll feel as if you were reborn!"_

"_Is it worth it?" asked Cheetor, "It's a big commitment, you gotta admit. I mean, I believe that Primus is the creator of our race and all, but a lifetime of service… wow!"_

"_Didn't you tell me yourself that you wanted to serve a greater cause?" asked Terry, "To have action, adventure, intrigues, and purpose in life? Well here's your chance! With Primus and the Fellowship, you'll never be alone again. You'll have friends by your side and Primus who will watch over you for all eternity! Isn't that what you want?"_

"_It… is," confessed Cheetor, "Ever since I arrived on this planet, I've felt as if I didn't belong. But with the Fellowship of Primus, I feel as if I've been given a purpose in life… to live life to my fullest potential."_

"_That's certainly the right attitude to have," said Terry and patted Cheetor on the back, "Don't worry about it at all, 'cause I'm here for you and so is everyone else, including Primus!"_

"Before your baptism," said Pastor Vernon, "We will reveal our true selves to you, Cheetor. As your spiritual family, it is time that we make you a part of the fold."

Cheetor perked his head up eagerly. He wanted to see what the others looked like beneath their hologram projectors.

All the members of the Fellowship of Primus rose from their seats.

"_I wonder what they look like,"_ thought Cheetor.

Several moments had passed and none of them transformed. Something was deathly wrong. Cheetor turned off his hologram projector to look at Pastor Vernon, otherwise known as Veros.

Suddenly, his whole world erupted in pain as he felt something inject itself into the side of his leg.

He whirled around to see Terry wielding a strange gun in his hands and looked down to see the dart that drilled into his leg. Soon, his body went numb.

"_Cyber-venom!"_ he thought. Soon, it coursed through his body.

"It's just a small dose," said Terry, "Right now, your whole body should be numb. I don't feel like putting you into stasis lock yet."

"You… betrayed me…" moaned Cheetor, "Why?"

"Heh, heh, heh," laughed Terry. With every chuckle, his voice seemed to grow more and more sinister. The look in his eyes changed as well with each ensuing giggle.

As for the rest of the Fellowship of Primus, their eyes glowed neon, green. They formed a circle to surround Cheetor.

"BWAHAHAHAHA!"

Terry's laughter erupted into a chaotic mirth of evil and disorder.

The laughter stopped and Terry stood in front of Cheetor, glaring down at him with contempt and sadistic amusement.

"You… betrayed me!" yelled Cheetor and lunged at Terry, only to miss and collapse to the floor again due to his weakened state.

"And you have only yourself to blame," laughed Terry, "For you were foolish enough to fall prey to the compliance of cult speak."

Cheetor stared angrily at Terry, his eyes full of hurt and betrayal.

"Why…?" demanded the young Maximal, as his whole body gave way and sank to the floor.

"You gullible little fool," sneered Terry, "And to think you fell so easily into my snare."

Cheetor's optics widened even further as he came realized that the people in room were not Transformers at all. Terry seemed to be able to read his mind.

"As you've most likely guessed, these hapless fools are not Cybertronians of any sort," he explained, "Rather, they were nothing more than innocent church-goers who happened to fall prey to the micro-chips I implemented in their brains, controlling their every movement."

How far the chips were implemented into their brains was anyone's guess.

"Linking my mind to the chips, I can control their thoughts, expressions, actions and speech patterns," Terry went on, "Because of their weak bodies, the humans could have easily died due to one wrong move. Fortunately, I was able to experiment on at least 20 to 30 of them successfully and take control of their bodies."

"Who… what are you?" asked Cheetor who did not seem like he would be able to move about for quite some time.

"What am I?" chuckled Terry. He turned off his hologram projector to reveal a clawed being slightly less than Cheetor's height. His head was not shaped as that of most Cybertronians since he had one single visor in place of what was supposed to have been his optics and two hook-like claws in place of his hands. His chitin was rough and purple, resembling that of an arachnid. Several other decorations lined the back of his body.

"I've had many names but you may refer to me as Tarantulas," he said, "Not that it will really matter to you anymore."

The robot now known as Tarantulas glared down at Cheetor in disgust.

"Think of me as your angel of mercy designed to bring salvation," he said in a grotesque parody of what Terry's voice had sounded like, "The time for judgment is now."

Tarantulas tore away the voice-box away from his spider-like mouth and threw it against the wall, shattering it to pieces. He then took out his gun and aimed it at Cheetor's chest-plate.

"Megatron suspected that you Maximals were hiding here like rats," he muttered, "Looks like he was correct."

"I dunno," echoed a voice from down the hall, "Last time I checked, I was the only rat around here."

A powerful burst of plasma shot forth and knocked the gun out of Tarantulas' claws.

Tarantulas howled as another blast struck him in the chest-plate and knocked him to the floor. He clutched his chest in pain.

Cheetor's eyes widened in hope as he saw Rattrap near the door with his gun pointed at Tarantulas. Tarantulas, however, was not through.

"Destroy him!" he ordered the 25 brainwashed humans in the room. Soon, they surrounded Rattrap.

"What now, vermin?" sneered Tarantulas, "Think you have what it takes to stop all of them without injuring them? After all, isn't respect for all sentient life what you Maximals are about?"

Rattrap looked at his surroundings. There were 25 barely-armed organic beings in the room. Chances were, he could probably take them all out without injuring them… but what about Tarantulas?

_He's definitely gunna take the chance to attack me while I'm distracted_ thought Rattrap. _Using 'da humans against us was a smart move on his part._

Unfortunately, Rattrap did not have time to plan his next strategy as the humans tackled him and piled on top of him in order to hold him down.

"Heh," scoffed Tarantulas, "Today's my lucky day. I get to capture two Maximals in one fell swoop.

"Not yet you don't!" came a voice from below the body pile.

With a sufficient surge of power, Rattrap muscled his way out and threw off the mind-wiped humans.

Immediately, however, the humans got up again.

"Their minds are wired so that they will fight to the death, no matter how much injuries they may sustain," gloated Tarantulas.

"Then that leaves me once choice," said Rattrap as he ran past the humans straight towards Tarantulas.

The purple Transformer used the spider-legs attached to his arms to open fire, however, forcing Rattrap to quickly roll out of the way behind several seats. Some of the bullets from the machinegun fire lodged themselves into Rattrap's arm while most others struck the helpless humans, ripping through them and killing them instantly.

"You piece of slag!" shouted Rattrap as he witnessed the carnage, "How could ya doing something like this!"

"They're nothing more than pathetic bags of flesh and organs," cackled Tarantulas as he continued firing, "Worthless and disposable!"

Rattrap could see a large chandelier hanging above the area between him and the Predacon. He only needed his foe right under the large piece of glass and metal in order to do his thing.

Tarantulas was coming closer… and closer.

"_Now!"_ thought Rattrap without hesitating as he took careful aim and fired.

His shot destroyed the chain that held the chandelier up. At the same time, because he had arisen, several of Tarantulas' bullets struck him, throwing him back several inches.

"You lose, rodent!" laughed Tarantulas. A large shadow descended upon him, however. As soon as Tarantulas looked up, he screamed.

All 500 pounds of sharp glass, iron, and steel came crashing down on him, pinning him to the floor.

With a concerted effort, Rattrap managed to get up, despite his injuries. He glanced down at Tarantulas who was in a far worse condition than he was.

To his shock, he saw a limping Cheetor standing over the Predacon with his quasar cannon pointed directly to his head.

"Cheetor… what're ya doing?" he asked, "We've won."

"No! He has to pay!" cried Cheetor, "He tricked me, used me, and betrayed me! All the while I thought he was my friend!"

Tarantulas moaned from under the rubble. Mech fluid began flowing on the floors from his wounds.

"_You wouldn't dare…"_ he laughed weakly.

"Cheetor, don't do this!" pleaded Rattrap, "It ain't the Maximal way! Killin' beings in cold blood ain't how we do things!"

"_That's your opinion, vermin,"_ sneered Tarantulas, "_I've seen… atrocities committed by both sides that would make any civilized being sick. The point is, you shouldn't let some birthmark hold you back from doing something that you so desire… revenge in your case…"_

Cheetor glared at Tarantulas and cocked his gun.

"Do it!" shouted Tarantulas. "Do it and reveal your true Maximal nature! Bwahahahaha!"

Cheetor could not take it anymore. He fired. Tarantulas' screams filled the air.

Rattrap lowered his head. Soon, however, he raised it again as Tarantulas' screams did not stop.

"_The kid didn't kill 'im after all!"_ thought Rattrap. Indeed, Cheetor only blasted Tarantulas' foot, which was sticking out from under the chandelier.

Cheetor looked down at Tarantulas in disgust.

"Ever since I came to this planet, all I've really wanted was to fit in and to find kindred spirits," said Cheetor coldly, "Guess my situation with you taught me not to be so naïve from now on… _Terry._"

"I'll kill you…" muttered Tarantulas.

Rattrap put his hand on Cheetor's arm. "Come on, kiddo, let's go home."

"I'll kill you," spoke Tarantulas more angrily.

Both Cheetor and Rattrap turned and walked away.

"_**I'LL KILL YOU**_!" shrieked Tarantulas in combined fury and agony.

Cheetor and Rattrap paid no more attention to Tarantulas.

"You Maximals may have won for now," laughed Tarantulas, "But I'll be back to haunt you sooner than you know it! I promise with every last carbon in my body that I'll finish each and every one of you slowly and painfully, hahaha! You know nothing about me while I know everything about you! The clock is ticking and it'll only be a matter of time…"

The maniacal ravings of Tarantulas continued even long after Cheetor and Rattrap had disappeared.

* * *

"Hey, Rattrap, sorry about all this," muttered Cheetor as they made their way back to base through the forests.

"There's nothing to apologize for, kid," said Rattrap, "I'm the one who should apologize for being the jerk earlier wit' you."

"But you were right about them being a cult," replied Cheetor.

"You don't need 'ta blame yourself, Cheetor," Rattrap spoke softly, "There's no way you could've seen that it was a trap. Even I was surprised when it turned out to be a fifth Predacon."

"Yeah, I really screwed it up," said Cheetor, "I could've led you guys into a trap and it would've been all my fault…"

"But the important thing is that it didn't occur," said Rattrap firmly and stared Cheetor in the eyes, "It could've happened but it didn't so you oughta at least be thankful for that!"

"I guess you're right," muttered Cheetor.

"What's more important is that you still have friends," continued Rattrap, "Me, Rhinox, and the big banana! We're here for ya, Cheetor, and we're yer' friends! We're like a family, kid, a family that's only gonna grow even larger once we retrieve our friends in those stasis pods and kick Megatron's butt all over this planet!"

What Rattrap said struck something deep inside of Cheetor.

"Rattrap," he said softly.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," replied Cheetor as he transformed to robot mode and enveloped Rattrap, who was still in beast mode, into a joint-crushing hug.

"Yeowch!" cried Rattrap, "Put me down, already, ya stinkin' fleabag!"

Finally, Cheetor put down Rattrap as a mischievous smile crossed his face.

The younger Maximal held out the side of his arm to play a recording that he had just made.

"_Me, Rhinox, and the big banana! We're here for ya, Cheetor, and we're yer' friends! We're like a family, kid…" _

"Wait'll Optimus hear this coming from you!" exclaimed Cheetor as he transformed to beast mode and ran off.

"Hey!" cried Rattrap, "You'd better not let him hear that, I'm warnin' you! I'll show you exactly why cheetahs face such high rates of extinction in the wild!"

And off into the lush sunset the two friends ran, not knowing of the further great adventures and destinies that awaited them in their stay on planet that they now called home.

_The End._


	4. Curse of the Metal Beasts

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Curse of the Metal Beasts_

Lowland looked up. For the past hour, the dark-haired human had been staring at him through black lenses. Instinctively, Lowland could tell that this human was nothing like the other humans that surrounded him. Something seeping from his smell just didn't seem right.

He had had enough. Standing up on both his feet, Lowland roared a challenge at his observer while pounding his chest. The other gorillas gathered around. They also sensed that something was not right.

The crowd was quite shocked at this display. Usually, the mountain gorillas did not display this much aggression. Today, however, something was bothering them.

Lowland beat his chest further while howling at the mysterious man.

"Whoa there, Lowland!" exclaimed his keeper. "What's bothering you?"

Lowland turned around to see his keeper, Mr. Caney. Luckily for Mr. Caney, Lowland had formerly been a circus performer before retiring at the Crimson City zoo. He was more tolerant of humans than the other gorillas. Lowland especially liked his keeper, Mr. Caney who had over 25 years of experience being around dangerous animals in both the wilderness and in zoos. Finally, the dark-haired human amongst the humans outside their keep walked away.

Lowland grunted and decided to calm down.

"You could break me in half without trying," commented Mr. Caney. That remark, however, went way over Lowland's head.

Mr. Caney breathed a small sigh of relief as Lowland went back to courting the females in his group.

"Maybe I should go have a drink tonight," he thought to himself, stroking his long bushy mustache.

After ruminating about it, he decided not to. After all, he was a notoriously honest drunk when he did get intoxicated. He didn't want the boys getting embarrassing secrets out of him while inebriated.

Mr. Caney, unfortunately, took no notice of the man who was bothering Lowland.

* * *

The gorilla's section of the zoo was not the only place Tarantulas stopped at that day.

Other pit stops included the rhinos and the cheetahs. He glared derisively at the animals, observing their movements. It had taken him over two mega-cycles but he had finally documented the specimen he needed. The gorilla known as Lowland had been the blueprint for Optimus Primal's beast mode.

In the cheetah's enclosure, Tarantulas had singled out a young male named Yambo as Cheetor's original "outline."

While in the rhinoceros' enclosure, Tarantulas immediately pin pointed a large, territorial male named Cerato. He was the design for Rhinox's beast mode.

Megatron, curse him, had been right. These creatures were not native to the surrounding lands. It had taken Megatron's quick deductions to realize that the Axalon crew's beast modes had been gained from this very zoo. Tarantulas mentally cursed himself for overlooking the details of animal life on Earth's ecosystems while Megatron had realized it before he had.

_I must stay one step ahead of Megatron in everything!_ thought Tarantulas. For the moment, he was working for Megatron since the purple tyrant required his assistance.

And now, he realized which three beasts were the originals that the Axalon crew based ¾ of their members' beast modes off of.

"Tarantulas to Megatron," he said into his com-link. "I've found your animals and marked each of the three with a faint signal from my arachnid drones hidden within their enclosures. Come nightfall, they will be knocked out with a powerful dose of tranquilizers. I leave the rest to Waspinator and Terrorsaur."

* * *

Two weeks later.

Optimus Primal was flying home after a day of exploration. He found the people of this city to be interesting but he did not want to get too involved in their affairs. After all, he did not belong in human society. It was his job to explore and learn, but only within his limits.

He tilted his head to the side, observing a large sports complex, which was currently under construction. The dome was complete and as for everything else, paint jobs were not yet finished. What attracted his attention, however, was the sign pointing towards the large complex.

**Coming Soon: Optimus Primal Sports Complex **

Optimus flew down and looked around. There were no humans around. Quietly, he opened the door and snuck in. He surveyed the area for any signs of a possible Predacon ambush but so far, there was none to be found. Tiptoeing quietly, Optimus went towards the office.

"We are still currently under construction, sir," said the recreational director inside the office, "How exactly may I help you?"

Optimus was startled by suddenly being discovered. Shaking off his surprise, he transformed to robot mode and looked at the human.

"If you don't mind," said Optimus. "Where did you get the name for this building?"

An evil smile crossed the director's face. "Come with me to the basketball court and I'll show you."

Soon they were inside the court. It was a very impressive place Optimus had to admit.

A cart of basketballs lay nearby.

"Let's go a few rounds, shall we?" asked the recreations director.

"Err, sorry, I'm afraid I haven't played ball for years," lied Optimus, hoping to avoid any form of Earth activity that would expose his identity. He knew almost nothing of the sports on this planet.

"Oh, I wasn't proposing a simple ball game," replied the director as he immediately threw a punch to Optimus' face that struck. Optimus was caught off guard completely and was even more surprised when the blow knocked him back 10 feet. The Maximal leader looked up. That punch actually hurt. He got to his feet warily.

"I'm not through with you yet!" cried the director as he dribbled a ball in his hand.

Aiming with inhuman precision, the director threw the ball straight at Optimus's head.

The Maximal leader step sided it just barely. The ball grazed his shoulder and sent him spinning to the floor.

_How can any human be so strong?_ wondered Optimus. He had no further time to think.

The recreational director struck him with a flurry of punches that sent Optimus smashing against the wall. He grabbed Optimus by the wrist and flung him over his head, slamming the large Maximal to the floor.

"I know who you are, Optimus!" yelled the director. "Megatron wishes to have your head!"

"The secret's out!" growled Optimus as he spiraled around to grab the director by the collar, throwing him away. But the director landed neatly on his feet. Optimus turned off his hologram projector as well.

"Megatron wants your head on a silver platter, Optimus Primal," explained the director.

He aimed at Optimus with his left hand. In a flash, the skin that seemed to cover his hand ripped open to expose a nasty looking machine gun. "Megatron's orders were to bring you in either dead or alive. He prefers you alive."

"Come get some then," goaded Optimus. It was all clear to him now. The recreations director was an android!

The machine gun opened fire. From his training on Cybertron, Optimus Primal knew a thing or two about avoiding the lines of fire.

Running to the side as fast as his legs would carry him, Optimus ducked behind the bleachers. Bullets from the robot pursuing him ripped through wooden benches.

Quickly, Optimus went from one side of the benches to the other. The director was still on the opposite side.

Optimus Primal aimed carefully and fired. One shot from his wrist-mounted shotgun blew the director's machine gun to pieces. Burning shrapnel now littered the ground.

In an instant, Optimus was onto the director. With one powerful uppercut, Optimus sent the director flying. The android soon smashed into the ground with a dislocated jaw.

Optimus grimaced seeing the synthetic skin hanging off the robot's now tattered face.

"Who sent you?" he demanded. "Was it Megatron?"

The director no longer seemed functional. His eyes glowed however and turned into a holographic projector, flashing an image of Megatron's face.

"What do we have here?" smirked Megatron's unfettered visage. "Could it be that a spark-less robot actually gave the great Optimus Primal trouble?"

Megatron took the moment to look around the gym, rotating his holographic head 360 degrees. "I knew the name of this gym would attract your attention sooner or later."

"We don't have to be at each other's throats, Megatron," urged Optimus. "Surely we could find _some_ peaceful resolution instead of blasting each other to bits."

"You're right, we could have a peaceful resolution," smiled Megatron. "Help me take this planet and we will divide it into two kingdoms, one for yourself and the other half for me. For the time being before we go back to our galaxy, I'm more than willing to share with someone competent enough."

"You know I can't accept your proposal," replied Optimus, shaking his head.

"It's a shame, Primal," said Megatron. "You are quite a brilliant commander. I will give you that much credit. Think of it… we could have the universe if we combined our wits and our know-how!"

Megatron, nevertheless, was the practical type.

"However, the years of brainwashing the Maximal Elders drilled into your core is quite too much for me to simply undo with mere words," sighed Megatron. "For now it seems that we are locked into conflict… a conflict in which I have the upper hand."

"I can see that," remarked Optimus dryly.

"Right now Damien Enterprises, soon to be re-named _Megatron_ _Industries _is under my control," explained the hologram. "Every bit of this company belongs to me, be it legal or illicit. As an entrepreneur, I believe in starting small. In time, however, I will expand my control over this nation. Once the United States has fallen under my reign, I will expand to neighboring countries. In the future, a new iron curtain will fall over this world."

"And I'll be right there to stop you!" declared Optimus.

"Don't make me laugh, Primal!" scoffed Megatron. "I've downloaded nearly every piece of practical information needed to thrive here. I know how its businesses, its legal systems, its infrastructures, its banks, and its people operate. You, with your lowly and mundane little existence hiding from the humans, can't possibly stop me!"

As much as Optimus hated it, Megatron did have an advantage over them. It was anyone's guess how much Megatron knew about operating on this Earth. Chances were, Megatron could easily back up any threats he made at this point.

"Should you ever change your mind, Optimus," smirked Megatron, "I think you have my number."

The hologram vanished and all was left were the remains of the broken android.

* * *

"I was afraid of this," said Rhinox. He had been examining the remains of the robotic director aboard the Axalon, which was now under the lake.

"Yes?" urged Optimus gently.

"Human technology has the potential to create robots and drones nearly as powerful as us," explained Rhinox. "The one you fought wasn't too advanced but knowing Megatron, he'll create more powerful ones to replace it."

Both Maximal scientists stared at the director. All the synthetic skin had been stripped off so that Rhinox could examine its technology more observantly.

"Lucky for us, humans don't seem advanced enough to know how to break past their own evolutionary mental limits to create robots as powerful or as advanced as us," said Rhinox. "So we can breathe easy for about a few earth centuries or so."

"Still, Megatron's ingrained himself deep enough into Earth's society that it's going to be quite a while before we can root him out," sighed Optimus. "I'm not even sure our distress signal can break through the warp hole to contact Cybertron."

"Hey!" came Rattrap's voice from down the hall. "I think you're gonna wanna see this!"

Optimus and Rhinox hurried to the screens in the main room to see what going on.

* * *

"I don't believe this," grimaced Cheetor. He was sitting next to Jack and Luna watching the News 2 channel.

"In today's news, Damien Enterprises' management shifted as Charles Damien gave control of his company to someone else."

On the screen, an unusually large man was standing besides the reporter and Charles Damien. Little did anyone know that the Charles Damien on-screen was really an android covered in perfectly duplicated synthetic skin.

"Mr. Michael A. Troy, do you have any comments on your new ownership of this company?"

"_Megatron Industries is only a step in a natural direction,"_ said Mr. Troy, _"I have designated many improvements in our robotics industries. It is time that we bring its technology up a notch."_

"That voice!" exclaimed Luna. Jack shivered next to her.

"Megatron!" growled Cheetor.

* * *

The nightmare had not stopped for Yambo. Besides him, a gorilla and a rhinoceros were held. Hour after hour of agonizing tortures followed. Yambo did not know what was being injected into him but it gave him several hours worth of agony. He howled in pain as another electrical surge went through his body.

Several clips of film was played before his eyes… not that he knew what film was anyways. However, he was smart enough to deduce the images that were projected. He knew the picture of his tormentor.

It was another male cheetah just like himself. At this point, Yambo was not intelligent enough to know that the cheetah WAS in fact a duplicate of himself. Slide after slide flashed with the cheetah on the screen transforming into a mechanical creature of unknown properties. Yambo howled as more electricity racked his body. The cheetah in the picture transformed yet again into the metal monstrosity that haunted the mind of Yambo. It didn't help matters that his eyes were being sewn open for this.

Anger overrode fear quickly as Yambo cried out. He would one day kill his oppressor given _any_ chance.

He was not aware of it, but the gorilla named Lowland and the rhino named Ceratos were experiencing exactly the same thing as he was.

* * *

"The surgery will follow shortly after the mutations," explained Tarantulas.

"Excellent!" commented Megatron. "Soon, the Metal Beasts will be at my command!"

"Is this wise?" asked Tarantulas. "Even as cyborgs, they will be partly organic. Perhaps you'd prefer it if I constructed even more powerful androids for you?"

"A weakness in your eyes, perhaps," explained Megatron, "but with their nervous systems intact, their bestial instincts combined with their new metallic components will give them even more heightened senses and reflexes!"

"Very well," sighed Tarantulas. "I will not roboticize them completely."

"Good," said Megatron. "But continue their torture even before mutation. I want their rage to culminate before facing Optimus and his crew."

Megatron strode away coolly as Tarantulas turned to the screens.

"Now's when the real fun begins!" he chuckled sadistically.

* * *

Three days later…

"_Yesterday proved most disturbing,"_ said the reporter. "_Sightings of strange animals roaming the area have increased. Yesterday, our local janitor from Crimson City High School reported being attacked by three animals. Reportedly, they were a rhinoceros, a cheetah, and some sort of ape, all of which showed uncanny intelligence for animals." _

Optimus' eyes narrowed. "We need to have a midnight stroll."

The three other Maximals agreed with him unanimously. The news they had heard was undoubtedly disturbing. When they heard that a cheetah, a gorilla, AND a rhinoceros were stolen from the zoo, they knew immediately that Megatron was behind this.

"I'm hurt! How come he didn't take no rat?" wondered Rattrap loudly enough for everyone else to hear… perhaps a little too loudly.

Optimus and Rhinox glared him into silence.

"Okay… shuttin' up now," squeaked Rattrap.

"This is serious business," said Optimus. "I don't know for sure if the attacks relate to the three animals, but I have a feeling that they do. We have to beat Megatron and return those animals safely to the zoo."

"Agreed," said Rhinox. "If anything, I think Megatron expects us to do this."

"Which is why we have to be prepared," said Optimus. "It's only a few more hours before sunset. I want you to get all your weapons ready. Hope for the best but expect the worst."

"No problem, big bot!" exclaimed Cheetor. Rattrap gave a thumbs-up in agreement.

* * *

It was a dark night. What made it darker were the clouds in the sky. An eerie silence pervaded the air as Optimus, Cheetor, Rhinox, and Rattrap trekked their way across the woods to reach the school secretly from the back.

"Be ready for anything," warned Optimus. So far, there was a deathly silence. The only things they heard were the howling of the wind and the rustling of the leaves.

The moon was full. Cheetor looked up. He had read books on Earth that gave account to many inexplicable things happening during a full moon. From humans transforming into wild animals… to serial killers on the loose…

_It's a real Hunter's Moon_ thought Rhinox. Something did not seem right. A gut feeling told him that things were not as they seemed.

Now they were in the middle of the football field. In the distance, they saw the police lines implicating a crime scene that happened. Luckily, there were no police around at this time of night.

But… there was Megatron. Standing before the four of them in the middle of the field, he smiled devilishly. He looked even more sinister under the glow of the full moon.

"Megatron!" snarled Optimus. _Why is he still in beast mode?_

"You must have a real death wish coming here without reinforcements," spoke Optimus calmly. Megatron's grin only widened. Optimus decided not to transform to robot mode unless Megatron made the first move.

"I gave Scorponok and those two idiots the night off," replied Megatron coolly. An eerie roar was heard echoing across the field.

Before Optimus realized what was happening, two large hands smashed him to the ground. As he looked up, his head was stomped into the dirt.

"Big Bot!" cried Cheetor who was assaulted next. A huge clawed hand raked him across the face, tearing off the synthetic fur that covered his face. In a split second, gleaming fangs found their way around his neck.

"AAAHHHH!" roared Rhinox as a large horn slammed into him from the side, causing sparks and machinery to soar out. He was thrown violently to the ground.

* * *

Cerato glared at the other rhinoceros before him. This was his tormentor… the reason for his pain! He would have his revenge NOW!

He stomped the ground, huffed violently and charged once more. This time, however, the other rhino transformed into the gleaming metallic monstrosity of his tortures. That hideous metal creature latched both arms around Cerato's neck in attempt to hold him down.

Cerato roared and fought back violently. There was no way that he would lose, especially after everything he had been through.

Lowland roared a challenge as he launched himself at the silverback gorilla before him.

He threw the other gorilla to the ground and charged fiercely once more. But now… just as Lowland feared, the other gorilla began changing. He was no longer the gorilla that had caused his pain, but the grotesque fiend made of dark alloys. Lowland howled in pain as the monster twisted his arm behind his back. Lowland fought the pain in desperation, trying his best to break loose.

Yambo was thrown back as the cheetah under his jaws transformed into the golden anthropoid hunter that he so feared and despised. He was no exactly sure what happened but his tormentor produced fire from a strange weapon that burned the ground near his feet.

Yambo was thrown back momentarily but regained his balance. He charged once more.

* * *

"My Metal Beasts don't seem to be performing too well," noted Megatron. "Perhaps it is time I utilized Tarantulas' weapon."

A small floating orb floated next to Megatron.

"Time to test your mettle," chuckled Megatron as the orb acknowledged the command by flying towards the battle scene.

* * *

"This ain't good!" observed Rattrap.

The three creatures before him battling his comrades were hideous indeed. The small Maximal immediately deduced that these three were the animals stolen from the zoo. Now, they were nothing more than cyborg monstrosities mutated beyond recognition. They were nearly twice as big as they had been before. Armored plating covered patches of their bodies and their eyes glowed with an unnatural mechanical radiance. Rattrap noted with interest that the cheetah of the group was more anthropoid in appearance, standing on his two hind legs with crushing jaws that surpassed even that of a hyena's.

"_I can think about this later,_" he thought as he transformed to robot mode. He had to help his friends now.

That was not to be, however. He was no sure if it was a malfunction but… now he was back in beast mode again.

"What the slag?" he cried. A large metal boot via Megatron struck him from the side and sent him flying into the air.

* * *

Optimus had the cyborg down for good it seemed. In a second, however, he was forced to loosen his grip as his internal systems hissed and forced him back into beast mode.

He stood in shock for about two seconds. His opponent took the chance to bash him furiously across the face. Optimus tried to battle back but was soon overwhelmed. He was not used to fighting in beast mode and it was proving his undoing right now as the mutated gorilla began pounding him.

His attacker reached forth and grabbed Optimus by the skull with both hands, intending to crush it. What was once flesh and bone was now Cybertronian metal as Lowland used his hands to squeeze the Maximal leader's skull with all his might.

Optimus Primal's vision cracked as he strained to throw off his opponent. He saw in the distance Cheetor in beast mode being thrown around relentlessly. Rhinox hardly fared any better for lasers erupted from the mutant rhinoceros' eyes and struck him on the side.

Rhinox cried out in pain but was helpless against the onslaught. He could not transform back into robot mode either.

The orb returned to its master after doing its duties. Megatron was pleased that night.

* * *

Lowland howled as a high-level sound pierced his ears. He let go of his quarry to fight the torture. Soon, the same was happening to the other Metal Beasts.

Megatron's orb was emitting this radiowave, stimulating the circuitry within the minds of the Metal Beasts. Only they could hear it, of course. The four injured Maximals fell back.

"Haha! The Metal Beasts are only a sample of my power, Maximals!" laughed Megatron. "Henceforth, you should heed my advice and surrender yourselves!"

Cheetor was panting hard. He had lost a lot of mech fluid. Deep cuts aligned his body from the injuries inflicted upon him by his Metal Beast counterpart. He looked at Optimus and Rhinox. They were hardly doing any better as indicated by the wounds they had received.

Megatron chuckled. He had the Maximals exactly where he wanted. Tonight, however, he was in a better mood than usual. After forcing the Metal Beasts to withdraw, he smiled at the four Maximals before him.

_Perhaps I should replace those three buffoons with the Metal Beasts _considered Megatron. _Tarantulas is really the only Predacon I need._

"I give you one more day to consider joining my side, _yeeessss_," declared Megatron. "Without a CR tank, you cannot replenish your robotic forms! I have more power and influence now than you can imagine! Make the right choice and we shall ALL be better off!"

Megatron continued to hold back the Metal Beasts as he watched the wounded Maximal team limp away.

* * *

3:00 AM…

"What was that sound?" cried Mr. Caney. He heard something crashing through his lawn. He put on his nightcap and walked outside with a flashlight. His shock was immediate and rapid.

"LOWLAND! YAMBO! CERATO!" he cried. Sure enough, these were the missing animals he knew from the zoo sprawled out across his lawn. There was also an oversized rodent with them…

"So those are the names of the missin' animals, eh?" spoke the large rat. Mr. Caney was taken aback. He had NOT expected this.

"Lowland… you… you can talk?" he stammered.

"Yes… but we're not the animals you're looking for," said the gorilla that looked like an exact duplicate of Lowland. The large rhino that looked like Cerato carried an unconscious cheetah on his back that looked like a carbon copy of Yambo.

"Yeah, mind if we crash at your place?" asked the rat. "It's gonna be mornin' soon and we're kinda injured right now."

With his mouth still gaping in shock, Mr. Caney opened the door to allow the four Maximals inside.

As he got a closer look, Mr. Caney realized that these creatures were injured. Not only that, but steel and wirings shown on their wounds instead blood and flesh.

* * *

Over the next two hours, Mr. Caney's shock managed to subside somewhat. Everything he heard was very far-fetched, from how the _Maximals_ and _Predacons_ landed on Earth to the story of how the original three animals had been basis for the Maximals' beast modes to how the original three had now been transformed into nightmarish parodies of what they once were.

"The nanites in our bodies take much longer to repair such extensive injuries," explained Rhinox. Mr. Caney could still not get over how much he looked like Cerato, from the ridges on his eyes to the shape of his figure.

"And right now, we're stuck in beast mode since it'll be well past mornin' by the time we get back to base," said Rattrap. "Especially as injured as we are now."

"I've studied animals all my life," murmured Mr. Caney. "I never thought my childhood fantasies of talking animals would come true… in a way."

"Right now we need your help," pleaded the leader known as Optimus Primal. "We want to free the animals from Megatron's grasp and we'll need your help."

The four Maximals looked at Mr. Caney, awaiting his reaction. Finally, after a few minutes had passed by, Mr. Caney spoke.

"Very well," he sighed. "I'll call in sick today at the zoo. If there's anything I can do to help Yambo, Cerato, and Lowland, just tell me."

* * *

"Like all rhinos, Cerato is most likely marked by poor eyesight," explained Mr. Caney.

He had brought out all his books and notes on the subject of zoology. The physiological descriptions he gave were the best he could do to help. He told the Maximals everything he knew about their species, from eating habits to conservation statuses. Optimus listened as intently as he could, absorbing all the information as quickly as efficiently as a computer processed documents.

Optimus, Cheetor, Rattrap, and Rhinox stayed within Mr. Caney's house the whole day, learning not only about their animal counterparts but human society as well. Mr. Caney described to them how human society functioned. Rattrap and Cheetor were most interested in the subject.

Towards the afternoon, they were shown videos of gorillas, cheetahs, and rhinos in the wild. Rattrap stirred a bit next to Optimus.

"Call me crazy," said the older Maximal, "but we haven't learned any of these animals' weaknesses though. Ain't we gonna need that when facing them again?"

Rattrap did have a point, Optimus had to admit. So far, they had learned about the habitats, behaviors, mating rituals, and eating habits of these animals… but little to no actual information on how to pacify them. Optimus didn't want to put their host in danger either. There had to be _something_ that would help them in their goals to take down the Metal Beast while inflicting minimal damage…

By now, after several hours, their wounds were, for the most part, mended by the nanites within their bodies. It was going to be dark in only a few minutes.

Optimus looked at his crew.

"Any suggestions on our next move?" he asked.

"Umm, we could just shoot 'em," suggested Rattrap jokingly. That did not sit well with the people around him.

"Shut up, Rattrap," glowered Optimus. Rattrap did as he was told for once.

"The problem is," said Rhinox later on. "These animals have been mutated from their original forms to the point that they may no longer have any weaknesses we can ascertain. It looks like we can't beat them the way we are right now. Our bodies have healed but our systems are still locked and we can't transform to robot mode. Transformation is our only hope now."

"Ya know guys…" commented Rattrap. "I did notice something about yer' fights with the Metal Beasts before Mega-jerk kicked the slag outta me…"

"Yes?" asked Optimus. Rattrap smiled.

"Let's start with the fight with your double, boss monkey…"

* * *

"I'm sorry we've caused you such trouble," said Optimus. He shook hands with Mr. Caney in goodbye.

"Don't worry about it," said Mr. Caney, smiling. "Just make sure to bring Lowland and the other two back safe and sound."

"Optimus has that kind of effect on people," chuckled Cheetor. Rhinox nodded in agreement.

It was midnight now and Optimus waved goodbye to Mr. Caney as they headed off through the woods back to base.

"Remember," said Optimus. "Just in case we do get assaulted, you all know what to do."

"Affirmative, Big Bot!" declared Cheetor. Ideally, the four Maximals wanted to make it back to base before any unpleasant situations occurred.

They walked for half an hour past a stream or two before an eerie mechanical roar unhinged them. Several growls followed.

"It's them!" cried Optimus. "Run!"

All four Maximals bounded away from the sounds, which pursued them. The Metal Beasts were closing in and fast.

"On my back!" cried Rhinox as they neared an abandoned research facility within the deepest parts of the woods. In truth, it was not really abandoned. Megatron had this facility set up specifically for Tarantulas and his experiments. Tonight, however, Tarantulas was not even there.

Optimus and Rattrap immediately leaped onto Rhinox's back as he smashed open the gate that stood before them. All four Maximals bounded in.

Rattrap was the first to leap off. As he accidentally leaned his right leg against Rhinox, he felt something strange. The small Maximal looked down to see a small, barely discernible device fixed on his side.

"A trackin' device!" exclaimed Rattrap. "No wonder they found us!"

He threw the chip down and Rhinox stomped on it. Carefully, the other three Maximals examined themselves to see if they had any tracking devices. They had none.

"Megatron must've gotten it on me when he kicked me," concluded Rattrap.

Optimus got off Rhinox and looked at the door. With one punch, he smashed the wooden door to pieces.

"Come inside!" he said. All four Maximals entered the large facility.

* * *

Scorponok was ecstatic. The Metal Beasts were still thirsting for violence. And they would have their violence tonight. He controlled the Metal Beasts via radio transmitter, which hung on top of his head like a crown. Megatron had allowed him the great honor of controlling the Metal Beasts tonight.

He looked up at the research facility before him and the Metal Beasts. It was pathetic how the Maximals were now trying to hide. He had previously lost track of their signals but it was obvious enough that they were hiding in the building now.

"Come on!" he ordered. The Metal Beasts followed him within.

"You might as well come out, Maximals!" shouted Scorponok. "Megatron said that you had one last chance to surrender or else the Metal Beasts will be unleashed upon you!"

Silence.

"Okay then! Spread out and find 'em!" commanded Scorponok. In that instant, a heavy wrench was thrown from out of the darkness and struck Scorponok on the side of the head. While it didn't hurt much, it still stung. It did, however, anger the Predacon sub-commander. Scorponok took a stop back only to step on something with a light crunching sound.

"Alright, Metal Beasts, seek and destroy!"

The Metal Beasts did not obey. Scorponok was puzzled. Why were they not obeying?

Then it was all clear to Scorponok. He looked down. The wrench thrown was not aimed at his head, but the transmitter ON his head. It managed to loosen the band enough that it fell down and he stepped on it. Now it was broken.

"Uh, oh," muttered Scorponok.

Lowland and Yambo attacked him simultaneously with Lowland punching him across one side of the face while Yambo slashed with all five claws on the other. Scorponok slammed into the wall from the attack, dazed and in enormous amounts of pain. Cerato's eyes glowed as two powerful laser beams fired out and struck Scorponok in the chest, sending him through the wall.

* * *

"Even in beast mode, I'm still the best shot!" Rattrap congratulated himself. With a savage unifying roar, all four Maximals launched themselves at the Metal Beasts.

Lowland beat his chest, growling at Optimus Primal. The Maximal leader merely ran by him. This surprised Lowland who cried out in surprise and frustration. Lowland turned around to see Optimus Primal tackling Yambo. As soon as he turned around, however, Rhinox slammed into him, smashing him against the wall. Rhinox was careful not to use his horn to impale Lowland, however.

Yambo squeaked in surprise. He had not expected the gorilla to attack him. Lucky for Optimus, Yambo, although strong, was not as strong as Lowland. Optimus lifted Yambo off the ground and threw him against the wall.

Cerato stomped the ground aggressively.

"I'm your dance partner for the night, big guy!" snarled Cheetor as he leapt in front of Cerato. Angrily, Cerato charged only to have Cheetor leap over him easily.

Cerato turned and blasted at Cheetor with his optical lasers. Cheetor, however, zig-zagged everywhere, making himself a very hard target to hit. The young Maximal ran off down the halls, leading Cerato away from the other combatants.

Yambo, in desperation, bit down on Optimus Primal's neck. Now that he had stronger jaws than a hyena, he made good use of the power of his bite. Optimus howled in pain and pried Yambo's jaw off. Grunting, Optimus put Yambo in a headlock. Yambo struggled in vain, even clawing at Optimus from the side. Soon, however, Yambo felt his breath leaving him more and more.

Finally, when Optimus felt that he had done enough, he let go of Yambo. The mutated cheetah fell to the floor gasping for breath. Optimus took the opportunity to bind Yambo's hands from behind him with a titanium crowbar he found on the floor. Taking another crowbar from the identical stack and twisting it around, he did the same to Yambo's feet.

Rhinox, in his battle, was fighting fiercely as well. Lowland smashed his metallic fists together and punched Rhinox viciously across the face with both. The pain was agonizing but Rhinox ignored it and came back with a vicious face butt to Lowland's side that sent the cyborg gorilla skipping across the floor.

Lowland fell on his back and tried to get up again but Rhinox stomped his foot down on the gorilla's robotic chest. Lowland fought back still but soon, Optimus Primal came in to help Rhinox restrain the cyborg.

* * *

Cerato did not know where Cheetor led him but soon, the cheetah would pay with his life.

The mutated rhinoceros huffed angrily as he saw the cat in the corner of his eye.

He shot another optical blast from his eyes but Cheetor leaped on top of him instantly.

Cerato roared in anger and tried to shake Cheetor off to no avail. Cheetor took the chance to bite down on Cerato's ear, which was still soft and made of flesh.

Cerato's bellowed in pain and rolled over, intending to crush the Maximal. Cheetor, however, leapt off before he could be smashed. As soon as Cerato got up, his horn immediately hummed to life. Spinning violently, his mechanical horn turned into a drill as he charged, fully determined to gore Cheetor.

The cat merely stood there as Cerato charged closer… closer…

In the last second, Cheetor leaped aside as Cerato smashed into the large machine that he stood before. As the horn drilled into the console, Cerato felt electricity surging through his body's mechanical and organic components, causing him to cry out in pain. Finally, an explosion consumed part of the machine, throwing Cerato back. He groaned weakly and his head slumped to the floor as he fainted.

Cheetor breathed a sigh of relief. The third and final Metal Beast was defeated.

A goofy smile eventually found its way across Cheetor's face.

"Wow, in a way, I just beat Rhinox," chuckled Cheetor.

"Don't get cocky, kid," said Rattrap as he came out to congratulate Cheetor on his victory. "The REAL Rhinox would still turn your head into pudding."

* * *

"I'm afraid that for the moment, there seems to be no way to reverse their mutations or their robotic implants," said Rhinox sadly. He and the rest of the Maximals stood before Mr. Caney in robot mode on his ranch out in the countryside.

"How could Megatron do this to a bunch of innocent animals?" asked Cheetor forlornly.

"In a way, it is our fault," sighed Optimus. "We were the ones who had gotten our beast modes from the Metal Beasts. "The only thing we can hope to do is pray that they'll one day find it in their hearts to forgive us."

"Don't worry about it," said Mr. Caney as he patted Optimus on the shoulder. "For now, they'll stay on my ranch which is miles away from civilization. Out here, they'll have plenty of room to run around and more freedom than they would have at the zoo. And you don't have to worry about my safety either. The three of them still remember me and are treating me with as much love as always."

Mr. Caney shook hands with each of the Maximals and said goodbye to them as the Maximals switched on their holographic disguises and walked off.

"And kick Megatron's butt real good for me!" he called out from the distance.

Those words helped to brighten the Maximals' day.

"I still feel a little bad about the Metal Beasts," said Cheetor. "Do you think we'll ever find a cure for them someday?"

"Don't worry," assured Rhinox. "I'll do my best to create something that can help them out. We'll restore them to their former selves sooner or later."

"I admit, Rattrap," confessed Optimus. "That was some strategy you came up with to save us!"

"Yeah!" agreed Cheetor. "Without your advice, we'd have been cat chow!"

Rhinox said nothing but only smiled and patted Rattrap on the back.

"Well, if you've lived as long as I have with all my veteran's experience, you tend to know how to get outta sticky situations more," smiled Rattrap proudly.

"Veteran's experience, huh?" smiled Optimus, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"I figured that you, boss monkey, were much stronger than Yambo with enough mobility not to be slowed down by him," explained Rattrap. "As for Rhinox, he was strong enough to take down Lowland as long as he overwhelmed the big ape and held him down. As for you, Cheetor, Cerato was too big and bulky to move around like you do. Wit' your speed, you turned his brawn against him!"

Optimus had to admit, Rattrap was quite a brilliant strategist… when he wasn't being a sarcastic smart aleck.

"And all I pretty much have 'ta say is… good job, guys!" beamed Rattrap.

The Maximal leader turned to look towards the most diminutive of his crew.

"Rattrap, how do you feel about becoming second in command?" asked Optimus Primal slyly.

"Oh no, Optimus!" came the now sarcastic and snide response. "You ain't gonna pin responsibility on THIS rat!"

_The End._


	5. Birds of Prey

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

**Authors Note:** The Kwaknoota tribe are a fictional Native American tribe that I came up with while I was researching the myths and urban legends of the Thunderbird. I got the name from the Kwakiutl Indians and the Nootka Indians from Canada and simply mixed them into Kwaknoota. There are also different accounts of the Thunderbird myth within every tribe so I simply decided to combine several different versions of the Thunderbird mythos into one for my story.

_Birds of Prey_

Dark days loomed ahead for the Native American Kwaknoota tribe near the Catalan Canyons of Arizona. Though many within the reservation denied it, the elders believed that they had enraged the Great Spirit somehow. At night, the shape shifters came, dragging men, women, and children into the darkness as their echoes filled the air.

With glowing red eyes, their piercing howls penetrated the cold, nightly air. Though federal and state troopers were called in to stop the killings, none of them could find exactly where the killers were. As a result, more and more lives were lost each day after the other. The shape shifters were swift in avoiding the law and quick in mounting attacks in the dead of night, taking as many as two or three people.

Dream Weaver feared the worst for his tribe.

He was an elderly medicine man who dressed simply. The only things that stood out were the beads hung around his neck. It was a necklace given to him long ago by his grand father.

Though supernatural afflictions troubled the lands, he was now faced with a much different problem.

"I am quite an agreeable fellow as you will soon find out," spoke an enormous man who towered before him. "You may name any price you wish."

To Dream Weaver, Michael Troy was a millionaire industrialist who came from a place called Crimson City in the West Coast. He had come several times in the past, offering to buy the lands that Dream Weaver and his tribe had held for so long. The clean forests, sprawling canyons, and clean rivers had been a staple to his people for quite a long time.

He could not sell them no matter how bad the paranormal ailments got.

"I apologize, Mr. Troy," he said with as much firmness as he could muster while still being diplomatic, "but I'm afraid I cannot, in good conscience, sell you the lands of our people."

"I understand completely," smiled Troy. "I will be back in a few weeks for business again. Perhaps then, we can get together for dinner and another tour of the caverns."

Dream Weaver smiled weakly. Whenever this large Caucasian man was around, he always felt his strength leaving him. Now that Michael Troy got up to leave, he felt more relieved.

"Yes, perhaps we will, Mr. Troy. I hope to see you then."

Michael Troy bowed. "Yeesss, farewell."

* * *

What Dream Weaver did not know was that Michael Troy was actually a Predacon criminal from another universe known as Megatron. Though he was not native to Earth, he had learned everything he needed to know so that he and his minions could hide themselves effectively in a world dominated by the human race.

"That senile old fool!" growled Megatron as he entered into his underground base deep in the deserts of Arizona. "The land and its energon will yet be mine!"

He had lied to Dream Weaver about wanting the land for preservation. The true prize lay within the caverns of the Catalan Caves. There was energon in there… raw, succulent energon for Megatron and the Predacons. The deposit was large enough to power their entire ship, the Dark Side. With that power, they would be strong enough to conquer the major cities of the world and enslave the human race. Once that was completed, noted Megatron, they would use Earth's natural resources to create a better, more reliable transwarp drive to return to Cybertron, with an invincible army of energon-powered drones, powerful enough and strong enough to defeat even Cybertron's best alloys.

While it was a lofty goal, Megatron still remembered that he had yet to attain even the energon he craved. He did not want to draw too much unnecessary attention to himself and his company by ordering his cyber coyotes to massacre the entire Kwaknoota tribe instantly, no. What he needed was a more people-friendly way of getting the Native American tribe to sell the lands to him willingly. For now, killing on a large scale was strictly out of the question.

"Master, shall we begin another raid tonight?"

Megatron looked down to see one of Megatron Industries' secretly manufactured Cyber Coyotes. The fur on the outside only hid the mechanical interior beneath the powerful robots. Though Megatron would never admit it, he sometimes preferred the company of his drones over Terrorsaur and Scorponok.

"No, not tonight, Number 3," sighed Megatron who referred to them by their production numbers. "I must carry out more studies tonight on the folktales and superstitions of the Kwaknoota tribe. Apparently, shape shifting beasts are not enough to galvanize them into submission."

* * *

Dream Weaver looked on as the sun set across the horizon. The lands were too precious to allow them to fall into hands that regarded them as mere property. His grandchildren were growing up already and some were even leaving the reservation to get a college education in other parts of the United States. The ones who stayed were the ones whom he would teach to protect and watch over the lands.

As he walked away, he did not notice a large, metallic object materialize before a cropping of rocks behind his back. Its scanners hummed to life instantly as it could no longer camouflage itself effectively due to decreasing power levels.

In the distant horizon, the cry of a falcon was heard.

* * *

"Sheesh, this is some low-tech stuff," muttered Rattrap as he and Cheetor walked through the maze of _Zombie Vacation_.

"Don't be such a spoil-sport, Rattrap," insisted Cheetor. "Right now, we're submerged in a completely different culture so we should appreciate what the humans are able to create, given their limits right now."

"I ain't sayin' they're doing badly right now," retorted Rattrap. "I just think they could move a lot faster in terms of their tech."

"But that'll mean they're gonna drain their whole planet dry in just a couple of stellar cycles," Cheetor protested. "The ecosystems will be sucked dry if you want them to move at your pace."

"Yeah, like I care what happens on this dump," said Rattrap dismissively. "All I wanna do is go back to Cybertron and re-affirm my position as top dog with the ladies!"

Cheetor rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, guess there's no pleasing you."

"It ain't that I'm hard to please, kid. It's just that I got standards with a touch of class."

"You're impossible," groaned Cheetor.

After a while, Cheetor entered into the temple with his character and retrieved the hidden gauntlet for an additional level up. He saved his spot and took out the game cartridge. Rattrap held open the machine and inserted his own video game, _Battleground Jupiter._

"I will say one good thing," smiled Rattrap. "These first person shooter games are 'da finer things in human life that I can get into!"

"What's your shooting range now?" asked Cheetor.

"Ehh, my marksman skills are kinda rusty, seeing as I haven't had any Preds to shoot at for a while," Rattrap replied, "but they're still up there."

"Wanna make a bet my accuracy's gonna beat yours one day?"

"You're on, Cheetor!"

"_Optimus to Cheetor and Rattrap."_

"What's up, boss monkey?" Rattrap greeted Optimus.

"_Report to the main halls immediately! We've got a situation on our hands"_

* * *

"So what's 'dis about?" asked Rattrap as he and Cheetor appeared before Rhinox and Optimus in the main room of the submerged Axalon.

"One of the pods on this planet has been activated," explained Rhinox. "Our sensors detected it in the Southwestern regions of the United States… in a place called Arizona."

"So how'd the pod get activated?" asked Cheetor. "Don't they have enough power to cloak themselves for over a year or so?"

"Some of them do, some of them don't," replied Optimus. "We were never exactly briefed on our mission about which crew members' stasis pods had longer spans of energy than others."

"From the looks of it, this pod has already activated itself," said Rhinox. "The new Transformer inside has most likely gotten the beast mode of an indigenous species native to the surrounding areas."

"Which means we'll have to get to the new Maximal before Megatron does," declared Optimus. "Pack your bags, Maximals! It's time for a road trip!"

* * *

"This sucks," grumbled Terrorsaur. "Why'd Megatron have to ask me to fly all the way over to this stupid desert?"

The large Pteranodon flew over the clouds effortlessly, though his wings were beginning to tire a bit from the trip. He had been careful to dive back into the clouds whenever he spied a plane in the distance. Megatron warned him not to attract any unwanted attention to himself and he had to go out of his way to obey. The Predacon leader would ring his neck if another tabloid on flying dinosaurs were published.

Truth be told, Terrorsaur would've rather stayed back at the mansion, playing croquet with Waspinator and Scorponok. It was a new game they had discovered recently, giving them hours of entertainment… whenever Megatron didn't order them around.

"Just you wait, Megatron," he grumbled. "You won't always stay on top."

* * *

It was a bumpy trip that day for the Maximals. Rhinox had fixed the van with his own modifications so that it could support the weight of four robots sitting in there. They did not have to stop for gas as Rhinox had also created a special kind of energon fuel, made specifically to keep the van running as efficiently as possible without polluting the air in any way. To most humans, such an achievement was quite an achievement but on Cybertron, it was just as commonplace as getting an activation code.

"The scenery sure is nice," commented Rhinox as he sat in the driver's seat. Optimus sat next to him in the passenger's seat.

Behind them, Cheetor and Rattrap sat in the back seats. Though the age difference between them was wide, both of them were clearly bored.

"Sheesh, Optimus, are we there yet?" complained Rattrap.

"You asked that two kliks ago, Rattrap," Optimus sighed.

"Can't we just take the Axalon and mosey on over there?" asked Rattrap, "or maybe you can just fly over there yourself to fetch the new guy."

"We can't attract unwanted attention to ourselves," explained Rhinox.

"Yeah, yeah…" Rattrap grumbled. "I hear ya."

Silently, he cursed to himself.

_Stupid hairless monkeys always gotta ruin my day…_

* * *

"What kinda place is this?" asked the newcomer. "Last I recall, I volunteered for… some kinda mission?"

She surveyed her surroundings with great interest. A large peregrine falcon with an enormous wingspan flew from out of the rocks. The area around her was stark in its appeal, although there was still a certain allure to it. Desert landscapes broadened all around her eyesight as she flew higher into the air.

"Nice place," she said. "I wonder which planet I'm on…"

One thing she remembered was her name, _Airazor._ Considering her appearances, it was a name that suited her fine.

Seeing nothing within her perimeters, Airazor flew off to investigate the area.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me!" Terrorsaur scowled.

"This is no joke, Terrorsaur," Megatron replied calmly. "You are required to complete this task!"

The two of them lounged around in Megatron's secret underground base in the desert where the Cyber Coyotes accompanied them.

"This is a lame plan," protested Terrorsaur. "I say you just blow 'em up and get the job done!"

"If I were to do that, the government would declare the lands off limits and it would further complicate my plans if they get involved."

"I still can't believe you're afraid of these stupid bipeds," Terrorsaur groaned.

Megatron leveled his face towards Terrorsaur. "I wish to do this _without_ drawing attention, Maximal or human!"

"So you wanna play it safe, eh?" asked Terrorsaur.

"Better safe than sorry," replied Megatron with a smirk. "Although… after we douse ourselves in the purifying baths of energon, we shall have the power we need to grind humanity beneath our heels!"

"Sounds like a good plan, I guess… but I still don't like what you're asking _me_ to do!"

"Fool, you really have no say in the matter."

Terrorsaur's shoulders slumped. He had two choices right now. He could obey Megatron and make a fool out of himself… or he could just refuse and get squashed flat on the spot.

"Alright, already!" he said in defeat. "Just don't expect me to like it!"

"You won't have to," smiled Megatron. "Just say your lines exactly as I have specified."

Terrorsaur looked down at one of the Cyber Coyotes that lay down beside him.

"Mind if I shoot one of these things?" asked Terrorsaur with a sneaky grin

"As a matter of fact, I do!"

* * *

"Long range sensors are picking up something in the distance!" announced Rhinox as he held the scanner in his hands.

At this point, Optimus was the one driving and Rhinox used the scanner to concentrate fully on the target in the distance.

"It's a Maximal unit alright!" Rhinox exclaimed. "We'd better go greet him!"

"Which way?" asked Optimus.

"Just turn left on Highway 56 and we'll be within a few miles of the new Transformer."

* * *

Airazor was pleased. It had taken her some time but she finally found a sign of civilization beneath her. From her bird's eye view, it was a small village with possibly 200 people or so. She had not flown down to introduce herself yet as she was not sure how they'd react at seeing her. She decided to find a resting place for the night. After all, the sun was almost to the point of setting in the horizon.

Suddenly, her senses went wild. There was something moving towards her direction!

Airazor flew downwards to see what it was. A large metal van below her stopped after parking on the side of the road.

Four strange looking robots like her stepped out of the van. Airazor wondered if they were of her own species.

Immediately, they waved towards her. After she sensed there was no danger, Airazor flew down for a closer inspection.

"Greetings, Maximal!" said the second largest of the four. "I am Optimus Primal and this is my crew!"

"Optimus, huh?" she asked. "Who are you?"

"We're like you," said the larger 'bot as he immediately turned into a strange being of some sort with sharp teeth lining his chest.

The other three _Maximals_ followed suit and greeted her.

After seeing that Airazor was visibly startled, Rhinox transformed to beast mode as did Optimus, Rattrap, and Cheetor.

"You're one of us," explained Optimus. "You're a crew member aboard the Axalon in fact."

"The Axalon…" she said, "I remember that name somehow…"

"Don't worry," encouraged Rhinox. "Just take it slow and easy. For now, state your activation code and your memory will be refreshed."

"Activation code?"

"Say your name and the word _'Maximize'_ to really discover yourself," Rhinox recommended.

"Alright, might as well give it a try… Airazor… Maximize!"

Instantly, Airazor transformed into a sleek streamlined robot. The falcon's head was now located across her chest plates as sleek, dart-like missiles lined her wrists.

"Yes… I remember everything now," Airazor acknowledged. "I remember signing up for this expedition and everyone aboard it! But other than that, my past life is a blur…"

"Except this expedition has turned into a war, unfortunately," Optimus nodded sadly. "A Predacon criminal called Megatron sabotaged what was supposed to be an exploration mission with his theft of the golden disks. As we were the only ship available within the quadrants, we were ordered by the Maximal Elders to chase him down."

Rattrap looked around to make sure there was nobody around. They did not want any humans walking in on their conversation.

"Tell me everything that's happened," Airazor inquired.

"Well, I suppose we have time for just that," smiled Optimus as he, Airazor, and the rest of the Axalon's crew sat down.

Their conversation was interrupted, however, as screaming was heard from the distance.

"That's from the village I saw earlier!" Airazor exclaimed.

"Oh, come on!" complained Rattrap. "Do we gotta get involved with the humans again?"

Rattrap did not get a reply. The rest of the Maximals were headed towards the village as fast as they could.

"Hey! Wait for me!" he cried.

* * *

Terrorsaur's cackles filled the air as the Cyber Coyotes raided the village. It was a nice touch on Megatron's part to have created them. They were relatively easy to produce but the terror they instilled into the humans was well worth seeing.

And then he remembered his role.

"Oh, slag," he grumbled. "I might as well get it over with."

He pressed down on a remote control Megatron had given him to call back the coyote drones. Immediately afterwards, Terrorsaur transformed back to beast mode and flew directly over the village for all to see.

Now the people seemed frozen where they stood.

As soon as Terrorsaur was sure he had their undivided attention, he flew down and landed in the center of his terrified audience.

What they saw was a winged monstrosity not unlike the legends of a mythological creature they had heard about growing up in all their respective generations.

_This is easier than I thought…_

"Hear me, people of this tribe!" Terrorsaur shouted, spreading his wings for emphasis. "You have incurred the wrath of the thunderbird!"

_Sheesh, how does Megatron come up with these lines?_

"For your crimes, you will suffer drought, disease, famine, and death," he continued.

Dream Weaver lowered his head. Were the legends of the thunderbird true all along? He had never really given much thought to its existence before but now, his mind was reeling back in surprise. Finally, he found the courage to speak up.

"Mythical bird of the sky," he said. "What is it that we have done to deserve such a fate?"

Terrorsaur grinned deviously. "It is not what you have done… it is what you have _not_ done!"

The villagers now seemed more surprised than fearful.

"The Great Spirit has walked amongst you several times in the past. He has returned to reclaim his lands! Each and every time, however, you have denounced him with your pettiness and your greed! You may either return the lands that he has bestowed upon you in the past or you may face oblivion! The choice is yours, people of the Kwaknoota tribe!"

_Oh, for crying out loud… these lines are ridiculous!_

Now the people were talking amongst themselves. Some truly believed that the mythical thunderbird had returned while others were far more skeptical now. Dream Weaver sensed that whatever this creature was, he was a false prophet.

"He must be the thunderbird…"

"Don't be stupid! That creature's connected somehow to that crooked industrialist who wants to rob us!"

"What are we going to do?"

"Silence!" Terrorsaur screeched as he flew into the air. "Have your majority consensus this instant or be destroyed!"

Several painful howls were heard. As Terrorsaur looked down, he saw the Maximals in their beast modes smashing into the Cyber Coyotes, beating them back.

"What's this!" exclaimed Terrorsaur. "How'd the Maximals get over here!"

In an instant, a blur struck him from behind, knocking him down a few feet before he caught himself with a powerful flap of his wings. As Terrorsaur looked up, he saw a magnificent falcon diving into him and knocking him out of harmony again.

"What in the Inferno are you?" he demanded as he faced her.

"The name's Airrazor!" the femme-bot growled. "And you're giving all your fine-feathered brethren a bad name!"

"Very funny, lady! Terrorsaur… TERRORIZE!"

"Airazor, MAXIMIZE!"

Terrorsaur reached for his rifle but before he could grasp it, Airazor had zoomed in on him and knocked him back with a powerful punch. As Terrorsaur caught himself in mid-air, Airazor was upon him, driving her fist into his stomach. Terrorsaur coughed violently but struck Airazor across the face with his open hand, throwing her back.

He took out his air rifle and aimed it at her, firing off several shots. Airazor barrel rolled through several of the shots and fired back with a stinger missile that knocked the gun out of Terrorsaur's hand. As Terrorsaur aimed his shoulder blasters at her, she fired into him with two more rounds, one shot in his chest and one shot into his stomach, incapacitating him.

As Terrorsaur raised his head, a powerful boot from the female Maximal struck him in the face and sent him hurtling into the ground.

He wasn't sure when he regained consciousness exactly but by the time he did, Airazor and the other Maximals stood over him with their weapons aimed at him.

"I don't know why Megatron is interested in this village but I suggest an early departure for him now!" warned Optimus.

Airazor glared at him with her wrist-mounted missile blaster pointed at his head.

Then it hit him. He had just lost to a girl.

Terrorsaur got up with considerable effort and dragged himself off as the Maximals and the villagers watched him to make sure that his departure was permanent.

He had nothing to say… no wisecracks or sarcastic comments. The humiliation was too much for him to bear.

* * *

"So you think I'm the Thunderbird?" Airazor asked.

"Precisely," replied Dream Weaver. "You were sent by the Great Spirit in times long past to destroy the Unktehila that had threatened our people and our lands. Whenever severe misfortunes befell our tribe, the Great Spirit would send you forth to bring salvation to us!"

All of them sat around the campfire as Airazor and Dream Weaver continued their conversation. The entire village had thrown a celebration for them in honor of driving out the Cyber Coyotes and Terrorsaur. Surprisingly enough, these humans accepted them instead of trying to destroy them out of fear like so many other humans had tried to do.

"But we don't belong to this world," Optimus said with as much politeness as he could without offending Dream Weaver. "We come from another planet..."

"From which the Great Spirit has sent you," replied Dream Weaver mysteriously.

Cheetor, in the meantime, was playing with the children of the village.

Rhinox and Rattrap sat on the other end of the campfire. From the warm reception they received, it seemed that they wouldn't be leaving the village tonight.

* * *

Terrorsaur fell to his knees. The wounds he had received earlier were healing thanks to the nanites within his body but he wouldn't be in full health without a CR bath. Not only that, but Megatron would have his head for sure once he found out that he, Terrorsaur, had failed.

As the seconds passed by, Terrorsaur heard a bizarre humming sound emanating from the cave that he was presently near. It was an almost familiar sound… like something Terrorsaur had experienced before but not to the extent that he fully wanted.

His curiosity piqued, Terrorsaur got up and walked into the cave.

* * *

Megatron stood outside waiting. It had been hours and Terrorsaur had not yet returned from his duties. Whatever he had done, Terrorsaur would pay for his incompetence!

Several of his Cyber Coyotes had returned badly damaged with claw marks and teeth marks on them. Those were tell-tale signs that the Maximals had engaged them in combat.

"This is a waste of time," Megatron moaned. He turned around to head back to base.

"I see that you're eagerly anticipating my return!"

Megatron whirled around. "Terrorsaur!"

"In the flesh… so to speak!"

Immediately, Megatron sensed that there was something very wrong here. Terrorsaur's body crackled with bizarre red electricity as power surged through his entire body.

"You know, Megatron," said Terrorsaur. "You were right for asking me to come to his place after all!"

Before Megatron could react, Terrorsaur's optical lasers flared out and, in an instant, sliced his arm off

Megatron raised his other arm in defense but Terrorsaur blasted him square in the chest with a shot from his rifle. As Megatron lay on the ground, in pain but still conscious, Terrorsaur slammed his foot down on his chest and laughed.

"I never did like you, Megatron," Terrorsaur chuckled. "You're always pushin' me around, thinking you're somehow better than me…"

Megatron raised his voice in protest but Terrorsaur slammed his foot down on the Predacon leader's chest again to silence him.

"Well, I think I know now why you despise me so much."

"And why is that?" demanded Megatron.

"Silence!" Terrorsaur shouted as he kicked Megatron across the face.

"You're jealous of me," Terrorsaur elucidated. "You see the ambition I have and it frightens you! You chose the Predacons mainly because you thought they'd all be mindless toadies for you. Well guess what, you picked the wrong Predacon in me!"

"You fool!" Megatron growled. "If you destroy me, how do you expect to conquer this world?"

"Oh, I have enough energon to last me a lifetime," Terrorsaur boasted. "Using it, I will rule the Predacons in your place, Megatron!"

With that, Terrorsaur flew into the air and fired several missiles from his shoulder cannons that slammed into Megatron's fallen body, blasting him to pieces.

"And now for the Maximals!"

* * *

"Why do you suppose Megatron's hanging around here anyways?" asked Cheetor.

Rhinox, Cheetor, and Rattrap walked through the open desert in their beast modes. They were miles away from civilization and so, didn't require the use of their holographic projectors to disguise themselves as men.

"Megatron's an entrepreneur," Rhinox theorized. "There must be something on these lands that he finds profitable or useful."

"Well, he ain't gonna get it," chuckled Rattrap. "Especially considering we botched his little mutts up yesterday!"

Without warning, a missile crashed down on them and sent the three Maximals flying in all three different directions. Rhinox smashed against a large rock, knocking him nearly unconscious.

Before Cheetor could get up, a missile struck the ground beneath him yet again, throwing him violently into the air.

Rattrap and Rhinox watched in horror as the charred body of their young friend fell to the desert floor.

"Terrorsaur!" they both exclaimed as their attacker appeared before them.

"I'm back and better than ever!" the red Predacon cackled.

Rhinox whipped out his chain guns of doom and fired into Terrorsaur. The bullets, however, bounced off harmlessly. Terrorsaur's body glowed with strange red electricity, supercharging him beyond his normal limits. He only smiled and shot Rattrap with a missile that knocked the small Maximal away from the battlefield and into stasis lock.

Cursing in frustration, Rhinox threw his guns to the ground and charged Terrorsaur. As he threw a punch aimed towards Terrorsaur's head, he suddenly became aware of how Terrorsaur became so powerful and why Megatron wanted the lands of the Kwaknoota tribe.

With a simple block, Terrorsaur deflected the blow and drove his blaster into Rhinox's torso, discharging a powerful burst of plasma energy that ripped through the Maximal's body, leaving nothing but a huge gaping hole where his chest used to be. Lucky for him, it was not where his spark chamber was located.

Rhinox sank to his knees and fell to the floor. He was down and out along with his friends.

"Hahaha!" Terrorsaur laughed. "Just two more to go!"

"Rhinox! Rattrap! Cheetor!"

As Terrorsaur turned around, he saw Optimus and Airazor blasting towards him at full speed. He simply let his arms hang loosely near the sides of his body as Optimus smashed into him with a punch that sent him flying into a canyon wall.

"Dear Primus, they're all in stasis lock!" Optimus exclaimed as he surveyed the bodies of his friends. "How did Terrorsaur do this?"

"Let's not worry about that now, Optimus!" cried Airazor as she pointed towards the canyon.

In an instant, Terrorsaur burst out from the canyon, sending several missiles towards their direction. Optimus avoided all the missiles and used his shoulder cannons to blast Terrorsaur with his own missiles.

When the smoke cleared, Terrorsaur was still there with a smile on his face. Optimus aimed his wrist-mounted pulse rifle at the Predacon flyer but was knocked to the ground with a simple backhand from Terrorsaur.

Airazor helped Optimus up as she stared at Terrorsaur in amazement.

"Now I think I know why Megatron wants this place," said Optimus as he stood up.

"It's 'cause of the energon around here," Airazor finished. "That's how Terrorsaur charged up in the first place."

"There's no way his body can hold that charge forever," Optimus declared. "All we have to do is distract him long enough before he runs out of steam!"

"That's easier said than done," Airazor replied. "Right now, I think he can probably eat through any kind of Cybertronian steel."

"Hey!" Terrorsaur shouted. "Last I recall, this wasn't some social gathering! Can't you face death with more dignity?"

"What happened to Megatron?" Optimus demanded.

"If you must know, I destroyed him with my bare hands!" Terrorsaur bragged.

"And I say you're full of hot air!" Airazor announced.

"What's this?" asked Terrorsaur angrily.

"From what I remember, you hit just like a femme-bot," said Airazor, barely able to conceal the contempt she felt for the Predacon. "Just face it, all the energon in the galaxy supercharging you won't hide the fact that you're just a loser."

"Grrr… now you've _really_ pissed me off!" screamed Terrorsaur.

"Bring it!" shouted Airazor as she flew into Terrorsaur and threw a powerful punch aiming to dislocate his jaw.

Terrorsaur caught the punch however and squeezed. Soon, Airazor cried out in pain as the Predacon put more pressure on her hand.

Optimus Primal quickly flew up to attack Terrorsaur but the supercharged Predacon grabbed Airrazor by the arm and threw her into him. Both Airazor and Optimus were sent tumbling to the ground yet again.

"I'll give credit where credit is due," said Terrorsaur cockily. "You two have certainly put up a much better fight than Megatron!"

"Easy to say for someone pumped up on energon," replied Airazor sarcastically.

Terrorsaur's optics narrowed at the comment. He was beginning to like this Airazor less and less.

"You know," he said. "I was in a merciful mood today but now you've ruined it, lady! I think I'm going to kill you and Optimus slowly and painfully!"

Optimus stepped in front of Airazor.

"Looks like Terrorsaur wants to prolong this," he whispered to her. "I'll do my best to hold him off and once he runs out of his power supply, take him out with all you got!"

"Don't worry, Optimus," Airazor whispered back. "I'll take him alongside you! That way, he'll burn off twice as much of his power!"

"Shut up!" cried Terrorsaur. "Both of you are gonna—URK!"

The red electricity around his body had disappeared and was replaced with the traditional electrical surges of a Transformer ready to enter into stasis lock from prolonged exposure to raw energon.

"Slag!" cried Terrorsaur as he transformed to beast mode and flew off. "I need another dose to finish them off!"

"Follow him!" Optimus shouted as his prime jets hummed to life. "We can't let him get to that energon source!"

"I'm on it!" cried Airazor.

The two of them followed Terrorsaur through the sky, trailing him from behind. In normal circumstances, they would've shot him out of the sky. This time, however, they needed to find out where his energon source was so they could prevent any of the other Predacons from using it again. They watched as Terrorsaur entered into a nearby cave.

"In there," Optimus pointed.

Silently, they entered into the cave. Stalactites and stalagmites littered the entire monolithic cavern. Small veins of energon could be seen all across the rocks and the walls.

Then they saw Terrorsaur… charging himself up as he held a large piece of raw energon that hung out from the walls. As soon as Terrorsaur had had enough, he turned around to greet his unhappy guests.

"Set energon dampeners to full power," Optimus told Airazor. "This is gonna get ugly."

"I see you discovered my little secret," chuckled Terrorsaur. "Too bad you won't live to tell about it!"

"That's where you're wrong!" Optimus shouted. "You may be stronger but that doesn't mean much!"

"Huh?"

"I don't think you can take Airazor and I all at once," Optimus explained. "With full, head-on contact, you're much too soft-headed to handle that sort of thing!"

"WHAT!" demanded Terrorsaur as he bashed his fists together, causing heated sparks from the friction to fly out.

"Let's see how much of a 'bot you really are!" mocked Optimus as he and Airazor set both their energon resistance dampeners to full power.

"Fine!" Terrorsaur screamed as he slammed both feet to the ground and stood there with his chest open. "Let's go! Give me everything you got!"

Airazor and Optimus didn't need to be told twice as they blasted forward and slammed into the red Predacon. Terrorsaur braced himself and absorbed the impact with all the strength he could muster in his state. However, the combined forces of both Optimus and Airazor forced him back. Two trenches had been created from where his feet dug into the ground. A trail of fire followed that trench as Terrorsaur exerted more and more power to keep Optimus and Airazor from overpowering him completely. Still, despite all this, Optimus and Airazor's jets grew stronger as Terrorsaur was pushed back more and more.

Finally, he turned his head back and saw which direction Airazor and Optimus were pushing him towards. It was towards the massive piece of energon from which he attained his strength.

"So… I see your trick now!" laughed Terrorsaur as he grabbed both Optimus and Airazor by their faces and shoved them away, far from the energon.

"You want a piece of this energon, don't you?" he asked.

He walked over towards the energon and held on to it, allowing its powers to freely course into his body.

Airazor saw her chance and shot the crystal that Terrorsaur had his hands on with her wrist missile. Immediately, the energy from the crystal overflowed into Terrorsaur's super-structure, causing mass damage to his circuitry and his gears. Terrorsaur screamed in agony as the power he had so cherished suddenly became too powerful even for him to handle. He had reached the limits of his body and now, he was paralyzed from head to toe as his systems were experiencing a massive overload of energon unlike anything he had ever felt before. While Terrorsaur cried in agony, the energon in the cave hummed violently and explosively.

"It's gonna blow!" cried Optimus as he grabbed Airazor and flew away as fast as his jets could carry him.

Soon enough, Optimus and Airazor had escaped from the caverns. As they watched the entire cave go up in a large explosion, they heard the ghastly, prolonged shriek of Terrorsaur within that detonation.

* * *

"Boy, talk about an overdose!" exclaimed Airazor as she was perched on top of the Maximal van with Optimus, Rattrap, Cheetor, and Rhinox sitting on the ground besides it.

"I figured Terrorsaur's body couldn't hold that big of a charge," explained Optimus, "and so, it would only be a matter of time before his body would be paralyzed from too much raw energon."

"You were really somethin' out there, Bird Lady," complimented Rattrap. "If it hadn't been for your quick thinkin', our body parts would be decorating Terrorsaur's new throne room!"

"You'll love our new base!" exclaimed Cheetor. "Sure it's under a lake, but you'll get used to it after a while."

"I'm really flattered guys," said Airazor, "but I don't think I'm ready just yet."

"What's wrong?" asked a concerned Rhinox.

"This tribe has gone through a lot lately," explained Airazor. "I want to stay here and watch over them… to help them out whenever I can. Who knows if Megatron will try to launch another attack again."

Optimus looked at the rest of his crew. Slowly, but surely, their expressions warmed up.

"With your permission, of course," Airazor finished.

"Permission granted," Optimus smiled.

"Besides, I don't think you'll be requiring any holographic projectors," Rhinox said. "Seeing as you'll be living out here where the local humans trust and accept you… not to mention your beast mode can fly."

"I'll be sure to visit you guys whenever I can!" Airazor proclaimed. "Just give me a call whenever you need me!"

"We'll be sure to keep in touch," Optimus nodded.

Airazor waved goodbye as she watched the Maximals climb into the van. When they were in the distance, she transformed into falcon mode and flew off towards the direction of the Kwaknoota village within the distant sunset.

* * *

It had been a long and eventful day. Optimus was now the one at the wheel as Rhinox lay in the backseats. Though he had been conscious, the hole blown through his chest wouldn't be repaired completely unless he had a good CR chamber with him. Now he had chosen to go into stasis lock to sleep it out for the rest of the trip.

Rattrap looked somewhat glum. Optimus figured it was because Airazor had chosen not to go with them back to the Axalon. He could tell that Rattrap really wanted a femme-bot around their base.

Privately, Optimus also wouldn't have minded if Airazor had returned with them.

"Think Terrorsaur's gone for good?" asked Cheetor, interrupting Optimus Primal's train of thought.

"I'm not entirely sure, Cheetor," replied Optimus, "but I have a feeling that even if he does come back, it'll be on Megatron's terms."

* * *

Megatron glared at the rubble before him. Scorponok stood by his side with his claws chattering. He could tell that his leader wasn't in the best of moods.

It had taken a while but his Cyber Coyotes had finally gathered his pieces together and had done a semi-competent job at repairing him, considering the fact that they couldn't even use their hands. As soon as he became conscious again, he had radioed Scorponok to come in and help him. All in all, however, he would need a good dip in his CR bath to repair himself fully.

But his health was a secondary concern right now. What infuriated Megatron was that Terrorsaur had ruined his entire operation. The entire cave of energon, along with all its surrounding veins, had been destroyed. Now the lands of the Kwaknoota tribe were completely useless to him. Months of hard work had gone down the drain all because of that sniveling flyer!

"Hey, umm, Megatron," Scorponok asked nervously. "Want me to dig out Terrorsaur?"

"You do that," Megatron replied ominously. "I want to have a special discussion with him right after he's been repaired…"

_The End._


	6. Strangers in a Strange Land

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Strangers in a Strange Land_

Despite her large territory, Snowstalker had never been very particular on exactly where she went. The time and careful planning she put into hunting red deer and wild boars were what really mattered. Her location was not important, so long as she had enough prey to sustain her.

Having gorged herself already of a red deer she had brought down, Snowstalker sniffed the air carefully. What she sensed was something unnatural. It was something that was completely alien to her.

With a low growl, Snowstalker bounded towards the direction of the scent that was bothering her. It didn't take long before she felt its presence once more.

What she saw was unlike anything she had ever seen before. She had seen humans before from a distance as well as some of the things they created, but this was something new to her that did not seem to be man-made.

Unbeknownst to her, it was a stasis pod containing one of the crew of the Axalon that had been ejected. To Snowstalker, it was simply an unnatural piece of metal that piqued her curiosity.

She did not feel threatened at all by it, but at the same time, she kept a certain distance between herself and the pod. As Snowstalker watched inquisitively, the stasis pod hummed to life. Before she knew it, a large wave of light spanned the area by several kilometers, engulfing her.

When the light disappeared, however, Snowstalker realized that it did not affect her as she had feared.

With a defiant roar, Snowstalker, having had enough of the strange events of her day, turned and ran off into distance. In mere minutes, snow had covered her tracks completely.

* * *

"Excellent!" Megatron exclaimed. "A new stasis pod has been activated!"

"Want Waspinator and Terrorsaur to go retrieve stasis pod?" asked a rather oversized wasp that hovered over the Predacon leader.

"No, not just yet," replied Megatron.

"But the Maximals will get it before us!" Terrorsaur protested.

"Silence fool!" Megatron declared. "That is the exact issue I wish to address right now!"

"Yeah, so keep your beak shut!" Scorponok ordered, elbowing Terrorsaur in the process.

The red Predacon glared at the smaller 'bot but dared not to make a move in Megatron's presence. By far, it was an open secret that Megatron detested him the most out of all his minions.

"The stasis pod is located within the coordinates of 24.7987," explained Megatron. "It is stationed in an area better known to the humans as Siberia."

Scorponok nodded eagerly, waiting patiently for his leader to continue.

"The area of Siberia you will convene at will be near the borders of Northern China," Megatron continued. "It has a cold and mountainous terrain that is thankfully inhabited by very few humans."

"Alright then," Scorponok smiled. "Want us to go retrieve the pod?"

"Not just yet," Megatron smirked. "As Terrorsaur had earlier predicted, the Maximals have most likely noticed the pod's appearance as well."

"What are we gunna do then?" asked Terrorsaur with a hint of impatience to his voice.

Megatron quickly activated the super computer before him, logging into the systems that only he had private access to.

"The three of you _do_ know about satellite jamming systems, correct?"

* * *

"Hey, Optimus!" Rhinox exclaimed. "I have the readings on a new stasis pod that's been activated!"

"Well done, old friend," Optimus said with a smile. "It looks like we'll be having another addition to our team."

"Wanna make a bet on what beast mode the new Maximal's going to get?" asked Cheetor.

"If the new guy's programmed just right, I'd say he'll be a rodent of some sort," Rattrap replied.

"I'll bet you twenty bucks that the new Maximal's going to be a big cat!" Cheetor retorted.

"You're on, kid!"

"Rhinox," Optimus asked, "where is the location of this stasis pod?"

"So far the signal's faint," Rhinox explained. "Right now it's located somewhere in the continent of Asia. The closest reading I got was that it was in this place called Siberia and if I can just-"

To the shock of all the Maximals, the red dot on the holographic map disappeared completely as if it had never existed. What caused this was not known but this did not deter Rhinox.

"There must be some sort of raw energon around that area causing this," he surmised. "Guess we'll have to go over there and look for it the old fashioned way."

"We'll have to get there in an inconspicuous way," Optimus mulled. "Any suggestions, team?"

* * *

"Wow, Megatron," Scorponok beamed. "Your satellite really did the trick!"

Indeed, the Rasputin satellite that orbited in space had cast a disruptive wave over the location of the stasis pod, making it so that the pod would show up on no Maximal or Predacon sensors. The fact that the red dot had faded from their screen was testament to the effectiveness of such a jamming system. To Scorponok and the others, it was no concern as they had already gathered the exact coordinates of the pod beforehand.

"Once again, my brilliance knows no bounds," Megatron said cheerfully.

"Well, that's that!" Terrorsaur chimed. "Want us to go over there now?"

"Please do so," said Megatron, "but in this case, you will have transportation."

"Ooh, Waspinator like transportation!" buzzed the Predacon flyer. "Wings not have to get tired after long journey!"

Megatron ignored him and continued. "My men have created a state-of-the-art spy jet that can enter into any country's boundaries without detection. The three of you will cross the Pacific Ocean with that very plane."

"Aren't you gonna come with us, Megatron?" Scorponok inquired.

"I'm afraid not," Megatron responded. "I have several business meetings this week and I simply will not have the time to spare. Besides… a wise tyrant will always delegate lesser tasks to his subordinates."

"Don't you worry then, Megatron!" Scorponok declared with a salute. "When we come back, you'll have a new Predacon recruit literally dying to serve you!"

"Very well then," Megatron agreed. "I expect the new Predacon here within one week."

Terrorsaur smiled. Giving them one week to get a simple task done was almost a luxury for him. There was no way he was going to get things done on a short leash.

After receiving specific directions from Megatron, Scorponok turned to the door and gestured for Terrorsaur and Waspinator to follow.

* * *

Though he knew what he was, exactly _who_ he was did not register in his databanks.

It had been several hours since he had awoken and yet, he still felt disoriented to a slight degree. Though he walked on all fours, he had a feeling that this was not his natural posture. What surprised him even more was that despite the weather, the amount of coldness he felt was at a bare minimum.

Right now, Tigatron was who he was. Little thought was given to how good the name sounded but for now… it seemed appropriate for he remembered very little of who he was and his life prior to a mission of some sort.

Tigatron inspected his surroundings slowly. It was a sparse terrain full of snow and large trees that towered over the lands. There was a certain beauty in the austere wilderness that he beheld.

He didn't know what it was but something about the place appealed him on more than a visual level.

Without warning, a Russian wild boar crashed through the undergrowth and rammed into him, taking Tigatron down.

Tigatron leaped back to his feet in surprise. What was it that was making this strange creature attack him? Was he the natural enemy of this swine?

Apparently, the attack had disoriented the razorback as well as the pig grunted in pain as if he had rammed into solid steel. Soon, however, he recovered from his small bout of dizziness and attacked Tigatron again.

Tigatron leaped out of the way but not fast enough. The tusks of the wild boar slashed through his leg, tearing off the fur and synthetic skin to reveal the layer of his metallic joints.

Tigatron stared at the "wound" in awe. Soon, it became more and more apparent what was going on. Unfortunately, the razorback interrupted his train of thought and attacked once more, this time slamming Tigatron to the ground and attempting to gore him.

A strange primordial instinct within Tigatron rose as his anger mounted further at being attacked despite having posed no ill intentions. Using the claws that extended from his paw, he slashed the boar viciously across the face, knocking him off.

As the razorback squealed in pain, a drop of blood from his wound flew through the air and landed on the tip of Tigatron's tongue.

The taste of blood had quite an effect on Tigatron's then-calm disposition. As his eyes widened, Tigatron bared his teeth and roared furiously. The razorback squealed with fear as Tigatron pounced upon him like a demon. He tried desperately to run but the Siberian tiger's claws ripped into his back and pinned him to the ground. Soon, his flailing came to an end as Tigatron's jaws found their way around the back of his neck.

* * *

The Maximals did not have a pleasant trip. Flying the Axalon overnight was not something they had preferred but given that their ship would have been easily identified during the daytime as an alien vessel, they had to opt for another alternative.

After several megacycles, they had arrived in Siberia. Here, they were no longer as concerned about being hidden, for few humans inhabited the wasteland. As soon, as they stepped outside, Rhinox switched on the remote to camouflage the Axalon from any unneeded interference from both the locals and any Russian officials.

"Geez, what kind of place is this?" Cheetor asked with his teeth chattering.

"This is Siberia," explained Optimus. "We're in the tundra right now but we'll need to journey on foot to the forests where the stasis pod last gave off its signals."

"You really gonna make us walk that far, boss monkey?" Rattrap groaned.

"Sorry, Rattrap," Optimus apologized. "It's either that, or we can wait until nightfall so we can fly the Axalon. By then, there's a chance the Predacons will have reached that pod."

"Don't worry about it, Rattrap," Rhinox reassured. "You can ride on my back if you get tired."

"We go in that directon, right?" Optimus asked, pointing towards the distance.

"Yup," Rhinox replied. "As soon as we get to that general area, we're gonna be doing a whole lot of excavation to find that pod."

Optimus tried not to pay attention as the sound of another moan escaped Rattrap's lips.

* * *

Snowstalker looked curiously at the newcomer before her. He was a large tiger, about the same size as her. There was something unnatural in his eyes but to Snowstalker, she was more curious than anything else.

"You are… another of my kind?" Tigatron asked.

What came out of Tigatron's mouth was completely alien to her. Instantly, Snowstalker realized that he was not producing the correct sub-harmonics that only a Siberian tiger's vocal chords could portray. Despite that, she was not deterred. Though the male did not produce sounds familiar to her, his actions came through as that of a tiger when she stared down at Tigatron's kill, a bloated carcass of a large razorback boar.

Finally, Snowstalker moved slowly towards the boar. When she came close enough, she began feasting. Tigatron stared at her in interest. As he tried to move closer, Snowstalker growled at him, warning him to keep his distance.

Tigatron did not know everything that he needed to know about being what he was but even he could tell when he needed to back off.

"Very well," he said as he inched away. "I will not worry you any further."

He chose to sit at a distance to observe Snowstalker. As he stared at her, his optic lens narrowed in until he saw a small tag on the back of her neck that read _Snowstalker_. She had been tagged several months ago by researchers.

"Snowstalker, hmm?" he mused. "Perhaps you can show me the path of these lands."

Every once in a while, Snowstalker raised her head to look back at him… both in defense of her meal and in questioning of his presence.

Finally, Snowstalker had finished her meal. As she sat drowsily, she purred slightly as her tolerance of Tigatron grew.

* * *

"Is that the new protoform?" Terrorsaur asked.

"I think so," Scorponok replied as he stared through the binoculars. "Remember, Megatron said that our scanners will always scan in beast modes of the Earth's fittest animals."

"Hmm, Waspinator think big cat-bot look fit enough to rend Waspinator apart!" Waspinator buzzed. "Not want to get close to cat-bot!"

"Quit being such a baby!" Scorponok groaned. "Now that the new protoform's awakened, we know he's a Maximal. What we have to do is capture him, reprogram him, and bring him back to Megatron!"

"Well, might as well get on with it," Terrorsaur yawned as his shoulder cannons appeared.

"No!" Scorponok exclaimed. "We bring him back with minimal damage!"

"And what do you suggest, chrome dome?" Terrorsaur replied impatiently.

"Megatron's given me very specific directions over what to do with this Protoform," Scorponok told his two companions. "Unless you want to risk going back to base and having Megatron beat you to death, I suggest you do things my way!"

"Oh no… Waspinator not want to suffer Megatron being angry," the Predacon wasp whimpered.

Terrorsaur glared at Waspinator. "You're siding with him now!"

Scorponok ignored the two and in that moment, a large insect-like creature appeared from his claw.

"Ooh, Waspinator want to know what that is!"

"It's a Cyber Bee," Scorponok explained. "We send it out first to find the Maximal and on my order, we go retrieve him!"

"Whatever you say," Terrorsaur sighed.

* * *

Snowstalker purred softly as she bobbed her head up and down. By now, her interest in Tigatron was evident.

Not realizing what her intentions meant, Tigatron only looked at her without any visible change in expression.

However, Snowstalker's eyes widened in fear as she stared up in the sky. Tigatron glanced up but by then, it was too late.

A large insect-like creature landed on the back of Tigatron's neck, prying its way into Tigatron's neck. Tigatron roared and struggled to throw it off but to no avail. The Cyber Bee latched on tightly.

After what seemed like several agonizing hours, the Cyber Lee let loose and flew away.

Tigatron panted exhaustively and as he raised his head, he realized that Snowstalker had disappeared. Carefully, he looked around to make sure that he was no longer under attack. Whatever that creature was, it had left him more than slightly distressed.

* * *

"That Cyber Bee should be able to do the trick," Scorponok chuckled. "It has cyber venom that'll leave him drowsy for several mega-cycles."

"So what do we do now?" Terrorsaur demanded.

"We wait until the chemicals do their thing," Scorponok replied, "and then, we swing into action."

"Why do we have to wait so long?" Terrorsaur asked suggestively. "I say we go get him now…"

"I'm second in command and as long as I'm in charge, you listen to me!" Scorponok growled.

Both Predacons stared at each other by a whisker. In the blink of an optic, they were aiming at each other with their respective weapons. Seeing this, Waspinator quickly rushed in to placate them.

"Nooo, not here! Terrorsaur and Scorponok still have job to do! Must capture kitty-bot for Megatron!"

After a long moment of tension had passed, Terrorsaur put his gun away and Scorponok lowered his missile launcher.

"Spoilsport," Terrorsaur muttered.

"Insubordinate lizard," grumbled Scorponok to himself.

* * *

"What is it, Rhinox?" Optimus asked.

"I'm picking up a faint signal," the large Maximal replied. "Its energy signature appears to be that of a Maximals'."

"How much longer before we can catch up with him?"

"Just a few more cycles should do. His signal is very weak so we'll have to hurry up!"

The Maximals then increased their speed. What they wanted was to retrieve their comrade as quickly as they could. Every cycle counted and they had to make the best of their dealt cards.

* * *

"His senses have been impaired," Scorponok whispered as he, Terrorsaur, and Waspinator trailed behind Tigatron closely.

"Yeah, and how's that gonna help us?" Terrorsaur whispered back, albeit more harshly.

"That means he can't smell us and he can barely hear us," Scorponok sighed. "Waspinator, I want you to fire on my signal."

Waspinator simply nodded, not wishing to get involved in the altercations between his two comrades.

Meanwhile, Tigatron's breathing was irregular. Whatever that flying creature had done to him was not good. He could feel himself getting weaker and weaker. It would not be long, he realized, before he fainted. Tigatron quickly leaned against a tree to steady himself.

In the distance, a dim buzzing sound was heard. Before Tigatron realized it, a small missile blasted into the ground that he stood and knocked him unconscious, given the state that he was in.

"Nice job, Waspinator," Scorponok complimented. "Now let's get this Maximal back to Megatron!"

The unconscious body of Tigatron lay before them. All that remained for the Predacon trio was the little matter of reprogramming the Maximal and presenting him before their commander.

"Terrorsaur, you carry him," Scorponok ordered.

"Why me?"

"Because I said—AAAAHHH!"

A plasma blast had struck Scorponok from behind and knocked him flat on his face. In little time, several more shots were fired towards them. To Terrorsaur and Waspinator's horror, the Maximals had showed up.

Waspinator quickly dodged several shots and fired back from the air. Terrorsaur, however, grabbed Waspinator by the shoulder.

"Scorponok's down and they outnumber us! We have to retreat!"

"But Megatron scrap us even worse if Waspinator and Terrorsaur not bring back cat-bot!"

"That's your concern!" Terrorsaur shrieked as he dodged a shot from Rattrap by a hair. "I'd rather live to fight another day!"

To Waspinator's shock, Terrorsaur quickly flew away. Waspinator, unfortunately, did not get the chance to do the same as a shot from Cheetor slammed into him and sent him crashing down to the forest floor.

Knowing that the melee was over, the Maximals quickly rushed to the fallen Tigatron's side.

"He's in stasis lock right now," Rhinox exclaimed as he breathed a sigh of relief. "We have to get him back to base."

Optimus took Tigatron and carefully hefted the fallen Maximal's body over Rhinox's back. Their mission to retrieve their fallen comrade was at an end.

* * *

It took several hours before the Maximals arrived back to their central base and submerged the Axalon quietly under the lake. By then, each of them were eagerly awaiting Tigatron's awakening. So far, they knew little about Tigatron other than the fact that he had volunteered as a crew member of the Axalon.

Several more cycles passed before Tigatron finally woke up from the CR chamber.

Tigatron purred softly as the door latch opened to expose him to Optimus, Rhinox, Rattrap, and Cheetor in beast mode.

"Hey, Rattrap, you owe me twenty bucks," Cheetor whispered.

"Not on 'yer life, kid!"

"What is all this?" Tigatron asked. "My memories do contain recollections of this place… but only vaguely."

"My name is Optimus Primal and these are Rattrap, Cheetor, and Rhinox," Optimus explained. "You're on board the Axalon, signed up for this mission."

"Yes, my memories are coming back to me," Tigatron nodded. "I believe that I'll be called Tigatron for now."

"No recollection of your former name?" Rhinox asked.

"As far as I can remember, no."

"Just what we need, a protoform with amnesia," Rattrap muttered.

Rhinox immediately elbowed Rattrap to be quiet. Tigatron glanced casually at him but did not speak.

"So, Tigatron," Optimus began. "Do you still remember the Maximal transformation code?"

"Sorry, but I honestly do not remember such a thing."

"Well, in that case, Optimus Primal… Maximize!"

Optimus and his crew transformed to their robot modes immediately as Tigatron's optics widened in surprise. It was becoming clearer to him now what he was and his place in this world.

"Now I remember… Tigatron, Maximize!"

Immediately, Tigatron transformed into a white and green robot whose resemblance to Cheetor was both eerie and uncanny.

"You related to this guy, kid?" Rattrap asked.

"I don't think so," Cheetor replied, "but the resemblance is neat."

Tigatron surveyed his surroundings. Although he knew that he was truly Cybertronian, he still felt that something was missing. It was as if the current environment around him was not his natural surroundings.

"Now, Tigatron," Optimus said as he put his hand on Tigatron's shoulder. "How about a tour of the base?"

* * *

"You failed to retrieve the new Maximal?"

"We did fail, Megatron," Scorponok admitted hesitantly. "The Maximals ambushed us and the next thing I knew, I was in stasis lock."

Waspinator didn't dare to say a word. Megatron's expression was already angry and earlier on, Terrorsaur had sworn him to secrecy about his retreat. All he could hope for now was to brave the storm and hopefully come out in one piece.

"Nevertheless," Megatron went on slowly. "Did you inject the Maximal with the compounds I ordered you to?"

"Yes, we got that done at least," Scorponok answered hopefully.

"Excellent!" Megatron exclaimed. "Perhaps the three of you are not as incompetent as you look."

Terrorsaur and Waspinator immediately stopped cowering before the Predacon commander.

"You're… not mad at us?"

"Not for tonight," Megatron smiled. "I had a feeling that the three of you would not be able to retrieve the stasis pod. Based on that accurate assumption, I assigned an easier task to go along with your main duty of retrieving the pod. For this reason, I was correct to assume that you would fulfill at least the bare minimum even if you were truly incapable of doing a competent job."

"So what did Scorponok shoot the new Maximal full of anyways?" Terrorsaur inquired.

"A spark altering compound designed to combine the programming of both the subject's beast mode and personality," Megatron explained. "Based on his beast mode, the chemical may be even stronger than I had hoped. With this, the Maximals are sure to encounter… difficulties with their new recruit."

* * *

Tigatron tossed and turned in his quarters in his sleep. The iron walls around him seemed to be closing in. Everywhere he turned were filled with sounds, images, and smells alien to him. The images of Snowstalker, the forests, and the slaughtered razorback were sharp in his mind. Those were the images that reached out and beckoned his name.

Soon, those images disappeared as large buildings erupted from the ground to grow beyond his reach and into the sky. The sound of machinery was heard from far away as Tigatron saw several robotic drones marching towards his direction. When he spun around wildly, the city's industries only seemed to grow even larger as smoke from their mills only fanned the flames that surrounded Tigatron.

As a cold chill trickled down his back, Tigatron woke up. Had he been human, he would have been drenched in a cold sweat.

* * *

"He couldn't have…" Optimus muttered as he saw the entrance to their base breached.

Breached was only a slight exaggeration. Somehow, Tigatron had taken the sub at night and escaped the Axalon without notice.

"Maybe he's just out for a, uh, mornin' jog," Rattrap suggested.

"This isn't funny, Rattrap," Optimus reprimanded. "We didn't even tell him about the humans yet. Now that he's out there, things could be disastrous!"

"Let's go find him!" Cheetor cried. "We can't leave the big cat to Megatron or the humans!"

"I agree," Optimus declared firmly. "We split up when we get up there. Rattrap, you're with Rhinox! Cheetor, you're with me!"

Without hesitation, they transformed to robot mode and turned on the holographic disguises that camouflaged them as humans.

* * *

It had taken hours and so far, there was no sign of Tigatron. Optimus had radioed Rhinox and Rattrap but they had just about as much success finding the wayward Maximal. Soon, nightfall was nearing and they had yet to find Tigatron. Had he been captured and taken to a zoo… or even worse, been caught in robot form by the government?

"We're getting nowhere," Optimus breathed heavily. "There has to be some way of locating him!"

"I think we just found a way," Cheetor pointed out.

As predicted, a human couple ran by, screaming at the top of their lungs. Optimus quickly noticed what they were saying.

"A giant freakin' tiger!" exclaimed the man. "He nearly mauled us!"

"Tigatron went that way," Optimus looked at Cheetor.

"Think he's in there?" asked Cheetor who gestured towards the meat factory.

"I'm not sure," replied Optimus. "But if his beast mode is really overpowering his circuitry…"

* * *

"Tigatron, what do you think you're doing?" Optimus demanded as he and Cheetor ripped open the closed door to the meat factory.

As expected, they received no answer. Wherever Tigatron was, he certainly didn't feel like showing himself. Fortunately for all of them, the factory was closed for the evening and all of its workers had gone home. Here, they did not have to worry about any humans showing up.

"You could have gotten yourself captured of worse!" Optimus shouted.

"Is he even in here, Big Bot?" Cheetor asked.

A furious roar was heard from the cooler. It was Tigatron.

"He's here!" Optimus exclaimed. "Let's go!"

In no time at all, Optimus and Cheetor were closing in on Tigatron's location. As they entered into the cooler, they noticed how several slabs of beef were on the floor with most of them half eaten. It was the work of none other.

"Tigatron, please," Optimus pleaded. "Whatever you're going through, let's talk about it!"

"Yeah," Cheetor added. "We'll do everything we can to help a fellow Maximal!"

Immediately, an enormouscat-like creature leaped on top of Cheetor and knocked the wind out of him.

Before Optimus could react, a large paw raked him across the face, tearing off several chunks of metal. As he cried in pain, Optimus fell to his knees. Looking up, he saw the face of his attacker.

It was the same Tigatron but something to him changed. The features on his face looked even more savage and feral than before. Not only that, but his eyes glowed with an eerie emerald pigment.

Optimus gripped the side of his face in pain but continued trying to placate his comrade.

"What are you doing, Tigatron?" Optimus demanded. "Stand down!"

Tigatron tore into Optimus with another powerful slash, this time across his chest. The force of that very slash was strong enough to knock Optimus to the side. As Optimus got to his feet again, Tigatron charged into him and slammed him against the wall.

A low growl emitted from Tigatron's vocal chords as Optimus and Cheetor slowly realized what was happening. Tigatron's beast mode was overriding his logic circuits.

"Tigatron! Get a grip on your beast mode!" Cheetor called out. "You can't let it dominate you!"

Tigatron ignored Cheetor and used his claws to rake Optimus across the face again to take him to the ground. When he saw that Optimus was not getting up, he turned and ran out of the cooler.

Cheetor quickly rushed to his leader's side.

"Big Bot! Are you alright?"

Slowly and agonizingly, Optimus opened his optics. His face had been damaged and, if not for the protection of his helmet, he would have been in stasis lock. Finally, Optimus grunted painfully and transformed to beast mode, crouching down on all fours.

"What are you doing, Optimus? Cheetor asked nervously.

"I'm going to speak to Tigatron in a language _he_ understands," replied Optimus.

* * *

Tigatron twitched nervously as he walked across the main floor of the factory. Though he had feasted, the urge to kill was still strong in him. His fight with the metallic creatures had only stirred the surface of his bloodlust.

The sound of another beast behind him stirred him from his mental tirade. As Tigatron looked to his side, a large ape stood before him, pounding his chest and bellowing a furious battle cry.

Tigatron's lips curled up into a savage smile. The gorilla that stood before him was a true challenge… large prey worthy of his hunting prowess alone!

"I didn't want it to come to this, but you give me little choice, Tigatron!" Optimus declared firmly.

The fierce stare down between the two bestial combatants ended as Optimus and Tigatron roared simultaneously and charged each other. Both opponents leaped into the air and crashed into each other, locking arms and claws in hopes of taking one another down.

As they fell, Tigatron landed on top of Optimus but before he could bite down on Primal's throat, Optimus clenced his hand into a fist and glanced Tigatron across his chin, knocking the Siberian tiger off.

Tigatron hissed in a low volume, well satisfied with the strength and challenge Optimus Primal had presented. Nevertheless, he did not dwell on Optimus' abilities and charged once again, slamming the Maximal leader to the ground again. With his jaws agape, Tigatron bit down on Optimus Primal's shoulder, tearing off the synthetic fur. Optimus howled in pain.

Desperately, Optimus pried Tigatron's jaws off and kicked the tiger off of him. This only infuriated Tigatron even further who charged again, leaping into the air. This time, however, Optimus used both hands and placed them underneath Tigatron, flipping him over and throwing him to the ground.

Optimus did not give Tigatron the chance to attack again, charging into the crazed Maximal and laying into him with three powerful punches. Tigatron roared back defiantly and leaped towards Optimus again. With one final uppercut, Optimus sent Tigatron soaring backwards.

Tigatron's body fell to the ground with a loud thud.

Panting heavily, Optimus fell to the floor as well. His battle with Tigatron had also left him badly damaged. All that was left to do was to pick up his comrade and get him back to base before anything else happened. Right now, however, Optimus didn't even feel that he had the strength for that. Cheetor, however, ran up to Optimus to help him stand up again.

"You okay, Optimus?" Cheetor asked concernedly.

"I'll heal," Optimus replied. "Right now, we have to get Tigatron back to base."

"Sure thing, I'll go-AAAHHHH!"

A furious Tigatron slammed into both Optimus and Cheetor, first biting down on Cheetor's wrist and hurling him against the wall. Optimus Primal was next as Tigatron slashed him across the face viciously and rammed him into the side of a grinding machine, accidentally switching it on due to Optimus and Tigatron's bodies first connecting with the switch that operated the machine. Optimus noticed that they were in between two electrical cables that had hummed to life as well. Right now, however, that was the least of Optimus Primal's concerns as he held Tigatron at bay.

Optimus struggled desperately against the raging Tigatron, keeping his jaws barely from reaching his neck.

Then he remembered it. Gorillas had opposable thumbs on their feet!

"Sorry, Tigatron."

Gripping Tigatron's jaws firmly with both hands, Optimus stretched out with both feet and grabbed the cables. Without hesitation, he jammed them into Tigatron's sides, forcing the electrical currents to course into Tigatron's body. Tigatron howled furiously but in a few nano-kliks, it was over.

* * *

Groggily, Tigatron woke up uneasily from the CR chamber. What exactly happened and how he got there was still a mystery to him. All he remembered was blacking out and a powerful sensation washing over his body. He did not know what it was but apparently, it was strong enough to take over his entire mind.

"You okay, Tigatron?" asked Rhinox.

"Just barely," Tigatron replied. "What happened?"

Optimus and Cheetor looked at each other hesitantly.

"You want to tell him, Optimus?" Cheetor suggested nervously.

In just a few cycles, Optimus had related the story to Tigatron. The striped Maximal seemed shocked to say the least.

"I did all that?" Tigatron asked incredulously. "I cannot believe it!"

"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore," Rhinox assured him. "What we found inside of you was a formulated compound, most likely designed by Megatron, that allowed your beast mode to take control of your spark. We've gotten rid of it already through careful sensory scans."

"Don't blame yourself, Tigatron," Optimus continued. "It's not your fault what happened."

"Yeah, you were just acting under the influence… of Megatron!" Cheetor added.

"Besides, you're still welcome to our humble home!" Rattrap declared. "Trust me, you'll like it here!"

"My friends…" Tigatron finally spoke. "I have a confession to make."

This stopped the four Maximals on their proverbial tracks.

"Even before I was struck with that compound, my beast mode had exhibited a certain degree of control over my spark. The compound only helped to accelerate its control from 50 percent to nearly 90 percent. I'm afraid that even though I am 'cured,' my baser instincts will still emerge when least appropriate. Therefore, I am still a potent threat to all of you."

Cheetor gasped. "You're not saying…"

"Yes."

* * *

"Are you certain you don't want to stay with us?" Optimus asked.

All five Maximals had trudged in the wintry forests of Siberia. They had accompanied Tigatron back to the place where his stasis pod had originally landed. By now, snow covered the ground, erasing the footprints they had previously made.

"I am certain," Tigatron replied. "Until my programming can restore itself and I regain control of my instincts, I must remain here until I can come to terms with the twin aspects of my personality, both animal and robot."

"Oh come on!" Rattrap insisted. "We got a nice femme-bot called Airazor back where we live!"

Tigatron laughed lightly. "My mind is made, little mouse. And Optimus, should you require my assistance, contact me and I will be there to help."

Optimus nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Farewell, my friends."

As Tigatron reached the edge of the forest, a rustling sound was heard from behind him.

"Tigatron…"

"Cheetor," Tigatron replied. "Is there something on your mind?"

"Yeah, umm, Tigatron," Cheetor said nervously. "Good luck with your journey! Hope to see you again soon!"

"And I look forward to working with you in the future as well, Little Cat, "Tigatron smiled.

* * *

After much effort, Snowstalker had downed a small black bear that had previously threatened her two cubs. The exhausting battle had left her injured but victorious on both physical and spiritual levels. Now her cubs were eating their fill with the carcass their mother had provided them after a grueling struggle.

Snowstalker's ears immediately perked as she heard the rustling sound of leaves in the distance.

She snarled slowly but soon, Tigatron emerged from the trees. Though she was not as alarmed her as she was in her first encounter with him, Snowstalker still glared at Tigatron to gauge whether or not he was a threat to her and her cubs.

With no sudden movements, Tigatron sat down at a distance where he watched Snowstalker and her cubs to show that he presented no threat.

Finally, the two cubs ran towards Tigatron in curiosity. Tigatron only purred gently as he allowed the cubs to crawl on top of him, neither snapping at them nor attacking them as any other male Siberian tiger would have done.

At first, Snowstalker growled in alarm but after seeing Tigatron's calm aura, settled down next to him within snapping distance, just in case he decided to attack her cubs for any unexplained reason.

Tigatron did no such thing. In only a few minutes, the cubs grew tired and went off to sleep near their mother's side.

Because her cubs were done eating, Snowstalker walked forward to begin her feast but to Tigatron's surprise, dragged the bear carcass towards Tigatron beckoning him to join her.

With a grateful smile, Tigatron gladly complied.

The End.


	7. Black Rose

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Black Rose_

Tarantulas sat buoyantly at his desk, in his secret base located far in the outskirts of the city. His surroundings were humble, characterized by mostly computers and other high tech equipment given to him by Megatron. To the far end of a wall, a picture of the Predacon leader riddled with darts hung proudly.

What contributed to his good mood was his recent ascension. Weeks ago, he had contacted the Disciples of the Watch and requested membership. Several tests were presented to him and he had passed them all. Now, in a matter of minutes, he would become a card-carrying member of their society.

The Disciples of the Watch were a world-wide organization of assassins, hidden for the most part from the world. Every time their name was brought up, they were quickly dismissed as an urban myth.

Tarantulas, however, knew better than 99 percent of the Earth's population.

Not only were they were assassins, they were the world's greatest assassins who had never failed once in their missions. With the Disciples on his side, Tarantulas realized that almost nothing would stand in his way.

Soon enough, as expected, his com-link came to life. Pressing a button on his computer, Tarantulas turned to face the screen.

"Greetings, Brother Amin!"

"Greetings to you, Brother Tarantulas."

The man on the screen faced Tarantulas evenly. Most of his features were hidden in the shadows although the Predacon scientist could make out a few physical characteristics such as his bald head and the cybernetic eye implanted on the right side of his head.

"The Disciples are most thankful for your contributions," Brother Amin began. "Without your donations, we would not have progressed so much in our scientific branch."

"The pleasure's all mine, Brother Amin," Tarantulas replied. "Membership to your esteemed society will have its benefits as well."

Amin's features were not readable. "Yes, it's still hard to believe that a highly advanced being such as yourself would seek to benefit us with otherworldly technology."

"The benefits will be mutual," Tarantulas chuckled. "I will offer you information to help enhance your operations and your men will help me on endeavors of my choosing."

"That sounds good, yes. Speaking of which, five of our best warriors will be at your coordinates at the exact time and location you have specified."

"Thank you, Brother Amin."

"It is an honor working with you, Brother Tarantulas. Farewell for now."

* * *

"That's it, Cheetor!" Optimus encouraged. "Keep the attack up."

Cheetor fired off a few rapid punches which Optimus summarily blocked. The two of them were sparring in the combat training room. Rattrap sat to the side and watched with amusement.

"Keep your arms up, kid!" Rattrap shouted. "You ain't gonna last long against Pop Op without protectin' yourself!"

"Pipe down, rat face!" Cheetor growled. "I know what I'm doing!"

"Do you?" asked Optimus as he grabbed the younger Maximal by the arm and swung him to the ground.

"Ouch…" Cheetor groaned. "Why do we gotta do this? I mean, if I'm in a bind, all I gotta do is use my quasar cannon or just transform to beast mode and let my teeth do the talking!"

Optimus helped Cheetor up.

"We have to learn how to fight without any weapons. Otherwise, we'd rely too much on our weapons and in certain situations, it could prove deadly."

"Yeah," Rattrap chimed. "Just face it kid. You can't fight."

"I'll show you a thing or two about fighting!" Cheetor growled.

"Let's see what you're made of then, spots," taunted Rattrap.

"I'm going to referee this," Optimus broke in. "I can't let you two go all out, especially when tensions are high."

"Don't worry about me, Optimus," Rattrap waved dismissively. "I'm a combat veteran wit' years of experience! I can handle myself!"

Optimus glared down at Rattrap and crossed his arms.

"I'm still moderating this sparring session, Rattrap."

Cheetor and Rattrap stared each other down. As soon as Optimus gave the signal, they attacked.

Cheetor was the first to strike, throwing several punches aimed at Rattrap's head. The older Maximal dodged all the blows and quickly dropped to the floor, taking Cheetor down with a sweep kick.

Quickly, Cheetor leaped back to his feet and attacked again. This time, Rattrap side stepped Cheetor and tripped him, causing the younger Maximal to crash head first into the floor.

"Admit it kid, you're outta 'yer league!" Rattrap gloated.

"Fat chance, cheese breath!" Cheetor snarled. "Beast mode!"

As soon as Cheetor had transformed into the golden cheetah he was known for in his alternate form, he slammed into Rattrap, knocking the crafty old Maximal down.

"You really asked for it this time, kid!"

Cheetor attempted to pounce on his opponent but Rattrap raised his knee rapidly and slammed it into Cheetor's face. Enraged and in pain, Cheetor raised his paws and with claws extended, slashed Rattrap across the chest.

Rattrap looked down at the three claw marks made across his chest. Since the claws of a cheetah were not that powerful, the slash did not hurt him much. Still, he was a bit surprised with Cheetor's temerity. Quickly, Optimus got in between the two.

"Okay, that's enough! Sparring session is over."

"Consider yourself lucky, kid!" Rattrap smirked. "I would've had you tappin' out in no time!"

"Doesn't look like it to me," Cheetor glared. "I would've made mincemeat out of you in less than a few nano-kliks."

"That's enough," Optimus sighed. "Have the two of you cooled down yet?"

Finally, after a few cycles, both Cheetor and Rattrap conceded to Optimus.

"Sorry for losing my temper, Big Bot."

"Yeah, same here, Donkey Kong."

"Anyways, since Rhinox is going to be out documenting the fauna in the Malachite Caves tomorrow night, he wants the two of you to go to the woods in the outskirts of the city to study the night life there in his place."

"What's to see besides a buncha hootin' owls?" Rattrap muttered.

"Trust me," Optimus smiled. "Nocturnal species are much more diverse than you think. Now go get some rest. We'll have a busy night tomorrow."

* * *

"You've done well," Tarantulas praised as he ran one claw smoothly down the stasis pod before him.

Five assassins, dressed in black, stood before the rogue Predacon scientist. What was distinct about them were the large insect-like eyes that adorned their masks. Other than that, their choice of clothing resembled that of modern ninjas.

They had come from the Disciples of the Watch to aid Tarantulas.

"The spark in question is distinctly female," explained the super computer behind Tarantulas.

"Female, eh?" Tarantulas chuckled. "This is better than I had hoped!"

"Brother Tarantulas," one of the assassins finally spoke. "Will you require any further assistance?"

"Not tonight," Tarantulas told him. "You've performed your jobs as specified. The rest of the night belongs to you."

Immediately, all five black-clad assassins bowed and left the room.

"Time for a field test," Tarantulas said, turning his attention back to the computer to run a scan. "There must be some beast mode in this forsaken wasteland worth my efforts."

After several field scans, Tarantulas had found a beast mode most suitable for the protoform. It was a black widow spider, lurking just outside of his lair. He prided himself on being able to maintain a spacious base and yet, still have the company of other creatures like him literally hanging around.

After inserting a Predacon chip within the pod and installing several chips within, Tarantulas switched on the machines to activate the dormant protoform. A severe flash blinded Tarantulas temporarily before he could raise his head again. Finally, the stasis pod's latch opened as four slender legs appeared.

Tarantulas watched in amazement as a black widow spider whose size was comparable to his emerged from the pod.

"Blackarachnia, Terrorize!"

Before Tarantulas stood a slender femme-bot with numerous features that caught his optics. While she was gold-plated, she had many characteristics that resembled him from the machine gun legs mounted on her shoulders to the razor-sharp claws that were in place of her hands. In short, she was a striking sight to the Predacon scientist.

"I- I am Tarantulas, your creator," Tarantulas stuttered, unable to find the right words. "I assume you understand your programming."

"No need to be shy around me, tall, dark, and gruesome," the new Predacon smiled. "I get what you're saying."

Tarantulas snapped out of his stupor. "Do you remember anything about your previous life before being integrated as a protoform inside that stasis pod?"

"Not a thing," Blackarachnia replied as she walked slowly towards the nervous Tarantulas. "Maybe you can help me…"

"I-I can do that," Tarantulas managed to say. "However, my services do not come free!"

"I figured as much," Blackarachnia grinned, placing a claw on Tarantulas' trembling shoulder. "Besides, I don't particularly care about the past. I won't mind… starting fresh."

"In that case, I should probably explain to you everything that is going on here."

"You do that, legs."

"We are Predacons, caught in a small-scale war on a planet outside the universe where we originated," Tarantulas explained. "The Maximals, our sworn enemies, have taken a vow to annihilate us completely! Although in the case of a femme-bot such as yourself, they would have a fate worse than death in store…"

Blackarachnia glared at him. "Don't patronize me, Tarantulas. I know what the Maximals are and what they stand for. They couldn't hurt a cyber-fly under extreme duress, let alone lay a hand on me."

"Nevertheless, they represent the greatest threat to us," Tarantulas stammered, trying to exercise damage control. "They will no doubt attempt to stop us from conquering Earth."

"Where?" Blackarachnia asked as she raised an eyebrow.

Tarantulas explained, huffing himself up. "The planet Earth is where we are at. For centuries, this planet has been unknown to our race… until now. It is infested by biped creatures known as humans… loathsome creatures at best, fit only to serve us."

"You're making my head spin," Blackarachnia groaned. "Just get to the juicy details of this conversations already."

"Direct as well as lovely," Tarantulas chuckled with his confidence boosted. "Tomorrow night, I have a task that I may not complete without someone as bold and as proficient as you…"

For Tarantulas, the night seemed to have passed much more quickly than he would have liked it to.

* * *

"Rattrap?"

"Yeah?"

The two comrades were in the woods near the outskirts of the city as specified by Optimus. They were documenting and studying nocturnal specimen for Rhinox, who had gone to the Malachite Caves along with Optimus. So far, they, in their beast modes, had seen a deer mouse, a raccoon, and an owl.

"You really think we're gonna survive this war?" asked Cheetor.

"I dunno," Rattrap answered.

"Come on, you've seen combat before!"

"Yeah, and it wasn't pretty! I was lucky 'ta get out of it alive."

"Wanna tell me about it?"

"You know why we ain't finding much animals?" Rattrap replied. "It's 'cause you're makin' too much noise!"

"Maybe they're just scared away by your smell!" Cheetor retorted angrily.

"Don't push it, kid!" Rattrap warned. "I'd hate to kick your furry butt again like I did last night!"

"Try me, garbage muncher!"

The truth was, they had encountered few nocturnal animals due to most species recognizing that a cheetah and an oversized rodent were far from natural. Now, the bickering between the two was a sure-fire way of insuring failure in documenting the animals in the environment.

Before either Cheetor or Rattrap could continue, an explosion in the distance reached their ears immediately.

"This ain't good," both Maximals said to each other simultaneously.

Immediately, they ceased their arguments and headed towards the direction of the detonation.

* * *

Staghorn Cybernetics, located at the edge of town, was a robotics firm, responsible for producing many advanced robots of monstrous proportions. Most of its robots were used in the arena of construction, although some of its projects went towards the military as well. Most famously, however, Staghorn Cybernetics was known as a competitor to its more famous business rival, Megatron Industries.

Tonight, in particular, was the first time in many years that Staghorn Cybernetics had experienced corporate sabotage.

"You idiot!" Tarantulas yelled angrily as he grabbed his henchman by the collar. "The detonation wasn't supposed to be that loud!"

The other four assassins from the Disciples of the Watch watched fearfully as Tarantulas raged on. Blackarachnia crossed her arms and looked on from a distance, uninterested in what was going on.

Finally Tarantulas threw the ninja down and glared at the other four.

"And they say you're the world's greatest assassins," he muttered scornfully.

"Believe me, sir, we try," the leader of the five Disciples offered weakly.

"Never mind that," Tarantulas sighed. "Let's just retrieve what we came for and be gone from this place!"

"I don't think so, web breath!" a voice rang from the far end of the rubble that the detonation had consumed.

"You!" Tarantulas growled as he saw Rattrap and Cheetor appearing from the smoke.

"Where'd your new dame come from?" asked Rattrap snidely.

"Blackarachnia, you come with me!" Tarantulas ordered. "As for the rest of you, annihilate the cat and the rodent!"

As the five ninjas surrounded Cheetor and Rattrap, Tarantulas and Blackarachnia fled down the halls of the building.

Wordlessly, one pair of assassins attacked Cheetor while the other pair attacked Rattrap. Their leader, on the other hand, chose to stand aside and watch, scrutinizing the battle closely.

The two assassins that attacked Cheetor revealed their weapons, one with a dagger in one hand and another dagger in the other. His partner simply unsheathed a katana blade.

The warrior with the twin daggers attacked first, attempting to slash Cheetor across the face. Cheetor quickly avoided his strikes, grabbed him by the collar, and threw him against the wall, knocking him out.

His opponent, seeing how his partner had fallen, attacked from a distance, swinging at Cheetor viciously, but with more control.

Suddenly, Cheetor yelped in surprise as the katana wielding ninja succeeded in slashing him viciously across the arm, making a small mark. Cheetor roared in anger and before the ninja knew it, the sword in his hand went flying into the air. One direct punch from the young Maximal was all it took to send the assassin into unconsciousness.

Rattrap, in the meantime, was dodging numerous blows from a pair of nunchucks and a large metal staff. Finally, he dropped down and knocked both attackers off their feet with a sweep kick. As they landed, their heads struck the ground, subsequently taking them out as well.

Before either Maximal could breathe easily, a red laser beam struck Rattrap from behind and floored him. Next to him, the leader of the ninjas stood triumphantly, wielding a powerful laser rifle.

Seeing the odds, Cheetor quickly grabbed Rattrap while dodging several more shots and hid behind several metal crates as the assassin fired mercilessly.

"You okay, Rattrap?" Cheetor asked.

"I'm fine," Rattrap replied. "He just caught me off guard, 'dat's all."

"You stay here," Cheetor told him. "I'll handle the leader."

Before Rattrap could protest, Cheetor transformed to beast mode and leaped out from behind. The leader of the assassins fired several more shots but could not hit Cheetor due to his speed and his reaction time. Finally, after more laser beams were blasted, Cheetor smashed into him from the side, knocking the gun out of his hands. As the assassin took out his sword, Cheetor pounced on top of him, slamming his head against the floor to knock him unconscious along with the rest of his teammates.

"Well, that's finished," Cheetor congratulated himself. "Let's see what Tarantulas and his new girlfriend's up to."

"Right behind ya, kid!"

* * *

The cybernetics room looked almost completely empty to Cheetor and Rattrap. So far, there was little evidence of anyone breaking in.

"Where are they?" asked Cheetor.

He and Rattrap surveyed their surroundings carefully. Before long, the sound of a grappling hook alerted them. Unfortunately, by the time they turned around, it was too late.

Blackarachnia swung gracefully through her web lining and kicked Rattrap and Cheetor in the face, knocking both Maximals down on their backs.

As Blackarachnia leaped gracefully to the floor, Cheetor was the first to get up.

"Alright, spider woman," Cheetor growled. "I don't know who you are or where you came from, but you're not gonna get what you came for."

"Don't flatter yourself, golden boy," Blackarachnia sneered. "The name's Blackarachnia and I think it's time you learned some manners in how to treat a lady!"

"You're no lady!" Cheetor growled as he raised his quasar gun and fired several shots.

Blackarachnia ducked and weaved gracefully through the shots and somersaulted into the air, coming down on Cheetor with a powerful flying sidekick. The force of that kick was enough to knock the gun out of Cheetor's hand, as well as taking down the hapless Maximal.

Cheetor quickly got up again, but Blackarachnia struck him viciously across the face with one arm and floored him with a powerful spinning wheel kick.

She walked over to Cheetor's fallen body and grabbed him by the neck with one claw, lifting him up. As Cheetor regained his consciousness, he threw a punch aimed at the side of her head which Blackarachnia caught with relative easey. Mercilessly, she drove her knee into Cheetor's gut and threw him to the floor.

"How droll," she muttered as she aimed her gun at her fallen opponent. "I never did like kids."

"See how ya like 'dis, sister!" came a voice from behind her.

Before Blackarachnia could respond, Rattrap slammed into her and tackled her to the floor. Reacting immediately, Blackarachnia flipped the diminutive Maximal off.

"Alright, _Blackarachnia,_" Rattrap glared at her. "Just who the heck are ya?"

"My, my," she smiled. "You should know better than to treat one of your former comrades this rudely."

In a few nano-kliks, it all made sense of Rattrap. She was one of the protoforms from the stasis pods that had been launched from the Axalon! How Tarantulas managed to secure her pod without the Maximals finding out was still a mystery.

Blackarachnia didn't give Rattrap much more time to think as she launched herself towards him with a barrage of kicks. Swiftly, Rattrap blocked all of them, although it was no easy task. Only his years of experience gave him the fortitude to fight against such a skilled opponent.

Crying out in frustration at fighting someone who was not easily taken down with a few kicks, Blackarachnia lunged at Rattrap, who immediately grabbed her head for leverage and flipped over her.

However, as Rattrap spun around, Blackarachnia clasped both of his hands with her vice-like claws and pulled him closer to her.

"Have you ever experienced a widow's bite?" Blackarachnia smiled suggestively as Rattrap struggled. "My fangs here are filled with cyber venom that can take down a gestalt. Although in your case, a simple kiss should be enough to do you in."

Rattrap's eyes widened as he realized that danger he was in.

"Pucker up, mighty mouse…"

Rattrap swung his head back as a last resort and when Blackarachnia's face was close enough, he slammed his forehead into her jaw, forcing the black widow to let go of him and fall back.

Visibly surprised, Blackarachnia soon spit out a broken fang and glared at Rattrap.

"You'll pay for that, rodent!" she hissed angrily.

"Oh yeah?" Rattrap sneered. "Who's gonna make me?"

The answer came soon enough as a missile struck him from behind and blasted him into stasis lock.

"What was that for?" Blackarachnia demanded. "I had him!"

"I don't want to prolong this conflict any longer!" Tarantulas shot back. "During your little fight, the Disciples have gathered themselves up and gotten what we've all come for. It's time to retreat!"

Blackarachnia looked as if she had something particularly nasty and biting to say to Tarantulas but after a few kliks, decided not to.

"What'll we do with them?" she asked, gesturing towards the unconscious bodies of Cheetor and Rattrap.

"We'll take them with us," Tarantulas grinned maliciously. "They will make useful bargaining chips."

* * *

It had taken her a few hours, but Airazor finally arrived on time at the coordinates Optimus requested her to be at. She could tell something big was up since the other Maximals normally contacted her for casual banter. This time, they needed her presence to deal with something.

"What's the situation?" asked Airazor as she landed on top of the tall building where Rhinox and Optimus stood.

"Three giant robots have escaped from this company called Staghorn Cybertronics and are now rampaging through the city," Optimus explained. "The owner of the company said on the news that it was corporate sabotage. Those three robots are being manned by the saboteurs inside."

"Guess this means we'll have to take 'em down," Airazor glanced around. "Say, where are Cheetor and Rattrap?"

"They haven't returned since last night," Rhinox replied with more than a hint of worry in his voice.

"I hate to do this when two of our friends are missing," Optimus sighed. "But right now, we need to take out those renegade drones before they hurt anymore people. We'll start the search for Rattrap and Cheetor immediately afterwards."

A loud explosion was heard in the distance.

"Time to head out!" Optimus declared with more decisiveness in his voice.

Rhinox latched on to Optimus and they, along with Airazor, flew off towards the direction of the explosion.

* * *

The Wind Raptor was an aviary nightmare to anything that could be considered a ground target. The massive robot helicopter was armed with the most powerful of weaponry from heat-seeking missiles to machine guns that fired explosive shells strong enough to tear through titanium armor. More fiendishly, it had two outstretched arms with sharp, dagger-like claws that could be used to tear apart and destroy other airborne targets without having to waste ammo.

The two pilots within included the ninjas who had allied themselves with Tarantulas and right now, they were having a field day blasting apart portions of the city with the Wind Raptor's fearsome weaponry.

Having become so complacent in riding a large metal robot that could carpet bomb entire city blocks, the two pilots jerked violently as the Wind Raptor shook from two missile blasts that rocked the ship.

"What was that!" demanded the main pilot.

"I don't know," his partner replied. "But rest assured, the Wind Raptor will shred it to pieces!"

As they turned the Raptor around, they saw what was attacking them. It was a feathery robot that looked almost like some sort of Valkyrie from Norse mythology. Unbeknownst to them, it was Airazor, firing her wrist mounted missiles towards their aircraft.

Airazor cried out as one of the machine gun blasts from the Wind Raptor struck her and knocked her off balance momentarily. As soon as she regained her balance, Airazor looked up and saw a large missile being fired at her.

Reacting quickly, Airazor dodged the missile and fired at it, causing it to explode in mid-air before it could hit any part of the city. Before she knew it, however, one of the arms from the Wind Raptor grabbed her and started squeezing.

Without any hesitation, Airazor fired into the Wind Raptor's chopper, destroying it completely. The two assassins inside, seeing their defeat, quickly leaped out of the Wind Raptor and dispatched the parachutes they had on their backpacks.

Airazor grabbed the Wind Raptor by its tail and spun it a few times before hurling it into the river where it would cause no collateral damage.

Turning her attention back to her quarry, Airazor grabbed both ninjas mid-air and flew off with them in toll to drop them off in a place where the police would easily find them without finding her.

* * *

Rhinox looked on incredulously as the Mega Taurus smashed through a building with ease. It was a large mechanical bull standing up to fifteen feet tall. So far, most of the people in the neighborhood had fled from its rampage.

"Looks like it's clobberin' time!" Rhinox shouted as he slammed into the Mega Taurus from the side to knock it down.

Swiftly, the Mega Taurus got up and turned towards Rhinox. Smoke flared out from its nostrils as it charged towards the large, green Maximal.

Rhinox quickly avoided the intended gore and grabbed the Mega Taurus by the neck, putting it in a tightly held chokehold. Before long, the Mega Taurus strained under the pressure and grinded its heels into the ground but Rhinox would still not release his grip.

Finally, with a sickening twist, Rhinox snapped off the head of the powerful Mega Taurus and threw it several kilometers away from its base. Before Rhinox could catch his breath, the powerful hooves of the Mega Taurus struck him across the face and knocked him into a small flight of cement stairs next to an apartment that had been evacuated in the wake of the devastation caused by the giant robot.

In mere seconds, the Mega Taurus finally collapsed and short-circuited soon after its decapitation. As expected, its two pilots crawled out from the wreckage and stared at the downed Rhinox.

"Tarantulas told us to destroy these so-called _Maximals_ that he rightfully predicted would attack us," said one of the ninjas.

"So?" his partner grunted. "You do it. You have the laser rifle."

The two of them walked towards the fallen body of Rhinox as the assassin with the gun took aim at his chest level.

"Why not just blow off his head?"

"Tarantulas told us to destroy their sparks that he said would be somewhere around their chests… whatever the heck sparks are."

Before they knew it, Rhinox's optics sprang back to life as he grabbed them both by their shirts and lifted them up like dolls, forcing them to drop their rifle.

"Believe me," Rhinox groaned, still throbbing from where he had been kicked. "You don't wanna tick me off any further."

* * *

Before long, Airazor and Rhinox convened at the location of Optimus Primal who had just finished up his battle with the dreaded Lio Convoy, a massive robot that resembled a lion. The battle had been tough with Optimus being on the receiving end of a mega-blaster playfully planted within Lio Convoy's jaws but in the end, Optimus had emerged victorious as evidenced by the smoking rubble that was once Lio Convoy.

With him, Optimus held the pilot who had been controlling the Lio Convoy. It was none other than the leader of the ninja commandos who had infiltrated Staghorn Cybertronics under the orders of Tarantulas.

"I don't suppose we could ask this guy where Cheetor and Rattrap are," Airazor offered weakly, hoping to brighten their situation.

"You mean the cat and that oversized rat?" sneered the ninja. "The spiders are gonna make mincemeat out of them soon enough."

"Where are they!" Optimus demanded furiously.

"Wouldn't you like to know," the ninja commando replied sardonically.

"Let me handle this, Optimus," said Airazor as she walked over to their captive.

Without warning, she grabbed him by the foot and flew up several hundred feet into the air, waving him around as a warning. The assassin's eyes widened as he realized how precarious his situation had become with his well being dangling by a mere molecule of a thread.

Airazor smiled sweetly as she stared down at his terrified face.

"You going to tell me now?"

* * *

"The Disciples of the Watch have failed," Tarantulas mused. "Nevertheless, their failure can be rectified!"

He and Blackarachnia stood on top of a skyscraper, watching the events unfold below through tiny spider drones planted carefully throughout the city to monitor the progress of the Disciples. Behind Tarantulas, Cheetor and Rattrap were being held prisoner by energy bonds that chained their hands behind their backs. Blackarachnia stood besides them with her gun carefully trained on their heads.

"So what now?" Blackarachnia asked. "Your little Power Rangers didn't do the job. I think it's all the better if you just call it a day for now."

"Not just yet," Tarantulas hissed. "I still have one more ace up my proverbial sleeve!"

Blackarachnia rolled her optics. _Oh boy. Is he that desperate to try to impress me?_

"The spider drones I have deposited throughout the city contain fatal nerve agents known as GB, otherwise known as Sarin," explained Tarantulas. "Once my drones unleash their toxic vapors into the air, this city's inhabitants will suffer!"

Failing to realize what her captives were up to, Blackarachnia did not see Rattrap with a lock pick in his hands working furiously to open the bolt that generated the energy bonds.

Finally, he managed to unlatch the energy bonds behind his hand and quietly scooted closer to Cheetor to hand the pick to him.

"Here, Cheets," he whispered. "Knock 'yerself out. I'm gonna stop the spiders!"

"So how are you going to release those vapors?" asked Blackarachnia, unaware that Rattrap was sneaking up from behind her.

"With a special device I have in my hands," Tarantulas revealed as he took out a small remote control from his sub-space compartment.

"You really get off on playing the mad scientist, don't you?" Blackarachnia sighed.

"Blackarachnia… behind you!" Tarantulas shouted, his optics widening.

Before Blackarachnia could respond properly, Rattrap grasped the gun in her hand and drove his other fist into her jaw to knock her down. Immediately, he used the gun to blast Tarantulas square in the chest with a cyber venom-laden missile.

Tarantulas convulsed and seethed violently before falling prey to the Cybertronian toxins within. After Rattrap was sure the Predacon was down for the count, he walked over and picked up the remote control from the ground. After rewiring it through deliberate and careful tinkering, he disabled it.

"Whew, that should do it," he breathed more calmly.

Cheetor, who had just picked open the locks behind his hands, looked up and gasped.

"Rattrap, watch out!" he cried, but it was too late.

Blackarachnia seized Rattrap from behind and sank her fangs into his neck. Rattrap cried out and struggled as best as he could but soon, the cyber venom in her fangs had done its job.

"No!" Cheetor yelled as he attacked Blackarachnia viciously.

Blackarachnia easily blocked his first punch and sent him staggering back with a flying knee strike to his forehead.

_Keep your arms up, kid!_

It was here and now, that Cheetor finally recognized the wisdom in Rattrap's advice.

The female Predacon's next kick came towards the right side of his head in the form of a roundhouse. Cheetor quickly raised his arms and blocked the kick. He glared at Blackarachnia with both his arms up.

"Guess you aren't such a slow learner," Blackarachnia commented, somewhat surprised by Cheetor's quick adaptability.

"Cheetahs aren't the fastest land animals for nothing," Cheetor replied, flashing a large smile.

"Don't get cocky, junior," Blackarachnia snapped. "I'm still light years ahead of you!"

Cheetor quickly dodged a spinning side kick from the femme-bot and continued blocking her attacks, though he himself was not able to mount any offenses. Blackarachnia took a step back, surprised yet again at the younger Transformer's speed.

"Guess I'll need to take you more seriously now," she remarked.

Cheetor blinked and a split second later, the heel of Blackarachnia's boot connected with his chin, knocking him on his back. She slammed her foot down on his chest, hammering the breath out of him.

Despite his injuries, Cheetor fought back, raising his open leg and kicking her in the stomach to push her away. As he got up, Blackarachnia only came back with a devastating kick to his head that took the fight out of him for good.

"Too bad you won't get to live up to your full potential," Blackarachnia told him as she grabbed her gun that lay on the ground and pointed it towards his neck.

"Lay off him, ugly!"

Airazor flew down at full speed, slamming her fist into Blackarachnia's face, generating enough power from her airborne momentum to knock the black widow spider off the building.

Blackarachnia screamed as she plummeted but aimed carefully with her gun and fired a grappling hook from it to swing away to safety.

Airazor quickly helped Cheetor up.

"No…" he protested. "We can't let Tarantulas or Blackarachnia get away…"

Airazor looked around. So far, the only 'bots she saw around the building were Cheetor and the fallen Rattrap. If Tarantulas had been there, he had certainly pulled a quick disappearing act.

"Sorry, Cheetor, but he's nowhere to be found" she said soothingly. "I gotta get you and Rattrap back to base."

* * *

Though the injuries he had received were not grievous, Cheetor still found himself spending well over a mega-cycle in the CR chamber.

The rest of the Maximals were there to greet him when he woke up.

"You feeling alright, Cheetor?" asked Airazor.

"My pride's a bit injured, but otherwise, yeah, I feel okay."

"This new femme-bot," Optimus asked. "Is she a new protoform from a fallen stasis pod reprogrammed by Tarantulas?"

"I'd say so, yeah," Cheetor replied, holding his jaw for emphasis. "If she were just another other sparkless robot, I don't think she would've whooped my spotted butt as badly as she did…"

"That's just Prime," Optimus muttered. "But it's good that at least you and Rattrap got back safely."

"The Preds have a new recruit," said Airazor. "Guess this means the Beast Wars have just gotten larger."

"We should be able to deal with it," Rhinox replied, putting a hand on shoulder. "After all, we still have several comrades out there who haven't been reprogrammed yet. If we can just defeat Megatron beforehand…"

"Knowing Tarantulas, he most likely built a jamming device to prevent us from finding her pod," Optimus agreed.

"Hey Rattrap," Cheetor turned to the older Maximal. "Thanks for your advice from yesterday."

Wistfully, Cheetor turned away before Rattrap could respond. What if Rattrap was still upset at him over their arguments previously? Then what would he say?

"Don't mention it, kiddo. I gotta say, you put up a pretty good fight against that dame!"

"But… you were unconscious!"

"Yeah, but Airazor told me about 'yer little fight while she saw it from long distance."

"Well," Cheetor replied more confidently. "I did keep my hands up!"

"Don't get too cocky," Rattrap. "You still got a long way to go. Bein' the nice guy I am, I can help you learn the chops!"

"Really?" Cheetor asked.

"Sure thing. Tomorrow, we're hittin' the training room together," Rattrap replied as he slung his arm over Cheetor.

"Wait up," Airazor followed them. "I'm free for the next few days so I think I'll hang around and see what you boys do all day."

"Sure thing bird lady, I'll show both you and spots here a trick or two while we're at it."

* * *

"Why did you not keep more careful guard over the Maximals?" Tarantulas yelled angrily.

"If you hadn't been droning on and on about your new plans, I probably would have," Blackarachnia replied with equal amounts of venom to her voice.

"I should have known better than to reprogram you to my likeliness!" Tarantulas ranted angrily. "The beast mode of a cockroach would have been sufficient for the likes of you!"

During Tarantulas' diatribe, Blackarachnia's anger had been building slowly as well. It was now at its boiling point.

"I know what this is about," she said calmly underneath the boiling anger. "I appreciate the fact that you're doing everything in your eight-legged power to impress me, but I'm simply not into you like that!"

Before either of them could continue their tirades, the deep face of Megatron appeared on the screen.

"Tarantulas! You are needed back at base this instant!"

Suddenly, Megatron gave pause. His features widened in surprise as he glanced over at Blackarachnia with interest.

"I… assume this is a new Predacon recruit you ascertained from one of the Maximal stasis pods?" he asked.

"Yes, Megatron," Tarantulas said. "Her Maximal programming has been completely submerged in favor of her new life… as one of us."

"Excellent!" Megatron boomed. "Would you be so kind as to escort our new recruit to our abode? I am sure that I, along with the other Predacons, would be honored to greet our guest!"

Tarantulas quickly concealed the frustration he felt at having Blackarachnia being discovered by the other Predacons and responded accordingly.

"Very well, Megatron," he said with no visible sign of displease. "I will bring Blackarachnia with me."

"See that you do," Megatron replied and cut the connection.

"So…" Blackarachnia whispered behind Tarantulas. "Why didn't you tell me about the other Predacons?"

"They are unimportant!" Tarantulas barked. "I am your creator! You serve me!"

"I think not," Blackarachnia replied smoothly. "I think I like this Megatron. After all, who can resist that deep, baritone voice with that large, commanding presence? I can think of a lot of girls who'd kill to be with an assertive alpha male like him."

"You'd better not be one of them," Tarantulas muttered bitterly.

"Cool it, legs," she snickered. "Who said I was into grape face like that either? You really are insecure!"

The only sound that emanated from Tarantulas was further grumbling. Blackarachnia took notice of this and blinked innocently in his presence.

"Well, we don't want to keep our leader waiting," she said, heading towards the exit. "Aren't you going to open the door for me?"

"I've created a monster…" Tarantulas moaned as he followed her.

"While you're at it, you can prep up a good CR bath for me when we get there? I soiled my hands too much today with the Maximals."

Tarantulas glared at her from behind as she was walking. He then glanced down at his own gun.

_Should I?_

He put away his weapon. _Maybe later…_

_The End._


	8. Mirror Images

**Beast Wars Symmetries**

_Mirror Images_

"How much longer is this going to take?" demanded Octavius Primal.

"Keep 'yer stinkin' headgear on," Ceranox replied in a disgruntled tone. "I'm almost done here."

The four Maxicons were on the verge of losing the Beast Wars at this point. Only one thing remained their final hope, the dimensional portal Ceranox had invented.

"Better speed it up," Dark Claw hissed. "Megatron and his Predabots are hot on our tail."

Ceranox shook his head. Dark Claw had always been the most annoying member of the team ever since crash-landing on the planet. The young Maxicon had taken the beast mode of a king cheetah in addition. But even then, his newly improved speed aided them little in the war.

"Oh man oh man," Deathtrap yanked Ceranox's shoulder at the sound of an explosion. "They're almost here."

"Get off," Ceranox pushed aside the small black rat-based Maxicon. "The machine is complete."

Finally, the door to their lair was blasted open revealing four of the Predabots. At the center was Megatron himself, heroic leader of the Predabots. Next to him on both sides were Pterablade, Hornet, and Red Widow, the only female member of the team.

"Octavius!" demanded Megatron. "What are you doing?"

"None of your stinkin' business!" shouted Octavius Primal as he drew his rifle and aimed it at the Predabots.

"He's building a dimensional portal!" Red Widow analyzed the situation quickly. "With it, the Maxicons can travel through multiple dimensions!"

"Which means new worlds for them to conquer!" Hornet gasped.

"We shall not allow you to continue your villainous pursuits!" declared Megatron.

"Try and stop us!" Octavius Primal fired several shots at them.

Quickly, the Predabots rolled aside to avoid the oncoming barrage of fire. Megatron took refuge behind one of the machines and returned fire.

"Pterablade!" ordered Megatron. "Hurry before they complete their evil ambitions!"

"On it!" Pterablade dove down at the Maxicons.

"Hold still ya blasted pterodactyl!" Deathtrap shouted as he shot at Pterablade multiple times.

Pterablade swooped down and grabbed Deathtrap, lifting him into the air. Deathtrap struggled but Pterablade threw him, launching him into a barrel of junk metal.

Dark Cat rolled into view, firing back at Hornet.

Hornet avoided the shots and blasted back with a sting missile which exploded just behind Dark Cat.

"Ceranox!" shouted Octavius. "Get the dimensional portal ready!"

"Yes sir," Ceranox muttered sarcastically.

Red Widow swung down from the roofs, landing a neat flying kick into Dark Claw and sending the aggressive young Maxicon skidding across the ground.

"Ceranox!" Octavius opened fire upon the Predabots with much more ferocity. "Now would be a good time for results!"

"Finally, I got it!" Ceranox declared.

Octavius Primal stepped back further and further from Predabot fire until he walked up the steps towards the large dimensional portal. Ceranox, at this point, pulled down on the final lever to summon the portal itself, a massive wave of energy with electricity crackling all around it.

"This is where it ends Predabots!" Octavius told them. "We'll be on our way now… new people to see and new worlds to conquer!"

"Correction," Ceranox stated. "I'll be on my way."

Before Octavius could even figure out what Ceranox meant, the large Maxicon cupped both hands together and brought them down on Primal's back. The blow disoriented Octavius and knocked him down the stairs before the Predabots.

"Ceranox, you dirty traitor!" Octavius snarled.

"Ta-ta!" Ceranox waved and leaped into the portal.

* * *

"You know the best part about these nature hikes?" Cheetor sniffed the outside air fragrantly. "We don't get to see Megatron or his ugly butt."

"Not to mention the cool air," Airazor agreed.

"Yeah, and the sightseeing," nodded Rhinox.

"So what're we attempting to document today?" asked Optimus.

"I'll need to photograph a certain species of bird," Rhinox informed the group. "It's known as the pileated woodpecker."

"Woodpecker, eh?" Rattrap scratched his head. "What's it do?"

A distant but distinguishable pecking of trees was heard in the distance soon enough.

"Nevermind," Rattrap shrugged.

"I've found it," Rhinox took out his camera excitedly. "I'll go alone first. Don't want to frighten it away with all of us tagging along."

"Have fun," Cheetor called out as Rhinox vanished into the thickets.

* * *

With a loud thud, Ceranox fell to what appeared to be a forest floor.

"Ugh," he shook his head. "Where am I?"

He glanced at his surroundings briefly. Around him were trees, bushes, and thickets. It looked no different than the Earth he had left behind him in his dimension. In fact, it looked almost exactly the same.

"Computer," Ceranox spoke into his com-link. "Where am I?"

"Location unknown," his built-in computer replied. "It does, however, appear to be the same Earth you left."

"Slag!" Ceranox tightened his hand into a fist.

In frustration he brought his hand down on a nearby branch, snapping it in two effectively. Soon enough, he calmed down.

"Oh well," Ceranox shrugged. "Once I get my machine back, I can always use it as a matter transport device instead."

"Warning," his computer spoke up again. "Unknown units detected in your immediate area."

"Hmm," Ceranox looked up. "I wonder who it could be."

He walked across the forest floor and stopped at some bushes, leaning down to avoid detection.

Taking great interest, he peeked through the bush to see five robots. They looked almost identical to the Maxicons he knew too.

"Well I'll be," Ceranox muttered.

Smiling, he walked through the bushes towards the Maximals.

"Rhinox," Optimus waved. "Back so soon?"

"Rhinox?"

Ceranox paused. He was now fairly certain that this Rhinox was another version of himself.

"Ahem," Ceranox coughed as the Maximals looked at him funny. "Yes, of course."

"Did you get the picture of that woodpecker?" asked Airazor.

"Woodpecker?" Ceranox grunted. "Why would I want to take a picture of that?"

"You feelin' okay big guy?" asked Rattrap.

"Yeah, you seem a bit out of it," commented Optimus.

"Sorry guys," Ceranox attempted to remedy the situation. "It's just that I'm feeling a bit woozy."

"Something going on?"

The Maximals turned around. Behind them was the real Rhinox who had just come back from taking the pictures on his hike.

"Um, what the slag is going on here?" Rhinox pointed at Ceranox.

The gig was up now, as Ceranox realized. Quickly he grabbed Rattrap from behind and held him tightly.

"Don't come a step closer!" Ceranox ordered them.

"Put him down!" Rhinox shouted.

"Let go ya big lug!" shouted Rattrap.

"One false move and he's dead meat!" Ceranox threatened, holding Rattrap by the neck.

To hedge his bets further, Ceranox took out one of his machine guns and held it towards Rattrap's back.

"Drop your weapons!" Ceranox ordered the Maximals.

Relucantly, the Maximals did so. Optimus put down his sword as Cheetor and Rhinox both set their guns to the ground.

"Good job," Ceranox told them. "Now dance!"

Still holding on to Rattrap in a vice-like grip, Ceranox turned his machine gun on the Maximals, unleashing a wave of gunfire which forced the now weapon-less Maximals to scatter. He backed away until he reached the edge of a cliff.

"Whoever you are, let Rattrap go!" Optimus demanded.

"Sure," Ceranox complied.

And literally he did comply. Grabbing Rattrap by the wrist, Ceranox turned around and hurled Rattrap straight off the cliff.

"No!" shouted Rhinox.

Airazor flew right into the air and dove down after Rattrap. As she did, Ceranox charged forward and knocked aside Optimus and Cheetor with two successive blows. From the side, Rhinox tackled him to the ground.

After diving down deep enough, Airazor caught Rattrap by the hand and began flying him up once more.

"Thanks bird lady!" Rattrap breathed a sigh of relief.

"Who are you?" demanded Rhinox as he held Ceranox down.

"Your worst nightmare!" Ceranox let loose a punch across Rhinox's chin to knock him off.

However, he was now surrounded as Cheetor and Optimus appeared before him on different angles.

"Give it up!" Rhinox got up. "We've got your surrounded!"

"Thanks for pointing that out Captain Obvious," Ceranox sneered as Airazor and Rattrap also surrounded him.

"You can make this a lot easier on yourself if you just tell us who you are and where you came from," Optimus demanded.

Ceranox smiled. This dimension's version of Octavius Primal was so naïve and so obvious in his approach. His own leader Octavius Primal would have never been this merciful. That was one chief different between the Primals.

* * *

"Now who could that possibly be?" Megatron put down his binoculars. "He looks and sounds almost exactly like Rhinox!"

"Maybe he is Rhinox?" offered Terrorsaur.

"No you dolt," Scorponok handed Terrorsaur the binoculars. "There are two of 'em!"

"Oh…" Terrorsaur zoomed in. "Oh yeah."

"So what do we do?" asked Scorponok.

"We help him," Megatron told the two surprised Predacons.

"Come again?" Terrorsaur's mouth opened wide.

"Scorponok!" Megatron ordered. "Open fire!"

Scorponok did as he was told, unleashing two missiles at the Maximals.

"Incoming!" Cheetor looked up, taking notice of the missiles.

Ceranox backed away as the Maximals scattered. The missiles struck the ground where he stood but they did not strike him.

As Optimus looked up, a bright purple beam hit him in the chest and knocked him down.

Megatron opened fire again, this time taking out Cheetor, then Airazor.

Ceranox saw his opportunity and punched Rattrap aside before turning his attention to Rhinox himself. He punched Rhinox across the face, driving the Maximal back a few steps.

"Gotcha," Ceranox smiled.

Rhinox recovered from the blow and swung back. Ceranox avoided the punch and craftily slid a pair of electrical knuckles to his fist. Then he floored Rhinox with a single punch.

"You look like Rhinox," Megatron pointed his mega-cannon at Ceranox. "Yet you are not him."

"And you look like this one guy I knew back home," Ceranox pointed a finger at Megatron. "Except he was much better looking than you!"

"Grrr," Megatron snarled. "You dare display such insolence before me?"

"I dare to do a lot of things," Ceranox replied impudently.

"So what do we do with this guy?" asked Terrorsaur. "Can I shoot him?"

"No," Megatron ordered. "Bring him back to base. I want to interrogate him personally."

* * *

"Ugh," Rhinox got back up again after what seemed like mega-cycles of pain.

"You alright there Rhinox?" asked Rattrap.

"Yeah, who was that guy?" Rhinox rubbed his jaw. The pain was still there.

"Evil twin?" offered Cheetor.

"That would be my first guess," Rhinox agreed half-heartedly. "He's got nothing in common with me, that's for sure."

"Let's get back to base," Optimus told the team. "I'm sure we'll be seeing our newfound friend soon."

Rhinox helped Rattrap up while Optimus and Airazor both steadied Cheetor to both feet.

* * *

"So you come from another dimension, correct?" asked Megatron.

Ceranox did not mind being asked these questions. In fact, he was fascinated by the so-called Predacons on this version of earth. They were almost polar opposites of the Predabots he knew from back home. Possessing none of the Predabots' virtues, these Predacons possessed only a deep-sealed vice, one which he could not help but admire.

The other Predacons were staring at him, awaiting his replies.

"Yeah, and back in my homeworld we came pretty close to conquering it," Ceranox replied eagerly.

"Tell me, why have you made your way here?" Megatron inquired.

"Well uh, we already conquered the earth in our dimension," Ceranox lied. "So I got bored and decided to do some dimension hopping."

"I see," nodded Megatron. "Tell me, does one possessing such raw talents such as yourself wish to become a part of this team?"

"It depends," Ceranox shrugged. "What're you offering?"

"Why, the privilege of having helped me conquer this pitiful planet of course," Megatron told him. "And of course, the honor of returning to Cybertron a hero."

Cybertron… now there was a word Ceranox was more familiar with. Back in his dimension, it was the planet he and Octavius had escaped from in an act of rebellion against the ruling Predabots there. Now he was curious what the Cybertron in this dimension was like.

His curiosity piqued, Ceranox came to a decision.

"Sure I'll join ya," he offered.

Megatron smiled.

"But my services don't come cheap," Ceranox added.

A frown then appeared on Megatron's face.

"Before I offer you anything, first let us see what you have to contribute to this team," Megatron told Ceranox, making it clear he would not tolerate any slack.

"I thought you'd never ask," Ceranox took out a small device in his compartment.

* * *

"So what is this?" Tarantulas demanded, reviewing Ceranox's blueprints.

"These were the plans I created for an interdimensional gateway," Ceranox explained. "Specs look familiar to you?"

"They do in fact," Blackarachnia stated. "With a few modifications, you could turn this gateway into a space bridge."

"Exactly," Ceranox clapped both hands together. "And what better way to get back to your home planet?"

Megatron was impressed. Ceranox was showing a remarkable amount of intellect, far above that of even Tarantulas, Scorponok, or Blackarachnia. In fact, he was perhaps even more brilliant than Rhinox himself.

"Excellent," Megatron set up another cable on the ground. "Then once we have a space bridge operational, we can deliver this into the Maximal Elders'Senate building while it is in session."

The Predacon leader looked down at the thermonuclear device he held in his hand.

"Planning on taking advantage of the chaos after that?" asked Ceranox. "Smart."

"Yes, I have a flair for intrigues, don't I?" Megatron chuckled.

Ceranox bent down and picked up another piece of metal to add to the portal they were in the process of building.

"This is what happens when you don't plan ahead," Ceranox chastised.

"What do you mean by that?" demanded Megatron.

"I'm saying you should've at least stolen some blueprints to build a space bridge before you left Cybertron," pointed out Ceranox. "Could've saved you a lot of trouble."

"Yes well," Megatron scoffed. "Thank you very much, my dear Ceranox, for pointing out my shortcomings."

"It's my duty," Ceranox winked.

* * *

"Hey guys, I'm back," Airazor, in falcon form, flew down before the Maximal team.

"What did you find?" asked Optimus.

"The Preds are up to something in Area Delta on the mountain top," Airazor reported. "They're building some kind of device."

"What is it?" asked Cheetor.

"It looked like a space bridge," Airazor pointed out. "And that Rhinox clone is with them."

"Oh yeah?" Rattrap smiled. "Looks like it's payback time."

"We don't know what they're doing with this device," Optimus pointed out. "We need to find out what it is first before de-stabilizing their project."

* * *

"Hey you!" Ceranox ordered Waspinator. "Go put the transwarp cell in the mainframe's compartment."

"Okay," Waspinator went over to pick up the transwarp device Ceranox had brought along for the trip.

The Predacon bug picked it up with both hands but fumbled, nearly dropping it.

"Watch it you idiot!" yelled Ceranox. "You want to ruin everything?"

"Waspinator sorry!" Waspinator insisted, but Ceranox wasn't buying it.

"Stand aside," Ceranox grabbed the transwarp device from Waspinator and pushed the Predacon scout aside.

"Hmph, since where do you get off ordering my troops around?" Megatron snorted.

"Your troops?" Ceranox sneered. "You actually give orders to these yahoos?"

"They are mine to command!" Megatron got up in Ceranox's face. "If you want minions so badly, go get your own!"

"I would," Ceranox pointed out. "Except I'm being forced to stay here and babysit your little kids."

"Incompetent though they may be," Megatron glared at Ceranox. "They are mine to insult as I see fit."

"Hey chill for a second!" Blackarachnia yelled at the two. "We've got company."

Megatron looked up to see Optimus Primal and Airazor flying down at them. Optimus flipped open his shoulder-mounted missile launchers and fire two rounds, aiming right for the inter-dimensional space bridge they were building.

"No!" Megatron howled and returned fire, taking out both missiles before they could destroy the station.

"Your booming voice sure covers a lot of distance," remarked Ceranox. "You sure the echoes didn't alert the Maximals?"

"Grrr, silence!" Megatron raised a fist at Ceranox.

Optimus and Airazor landed with the rest of the Maximals appearing before them.

"Stay out of this Primal!" Megatron threatened.

"Fat chance Megatron!" Optimus warned.

"Ceranox you fool!" Megatron glared at the evil counterpart of Rhinox. "Do something useful!"

"Like what?" Ceranox smiled sarcastically.

"Like destroying these Maximal worms!" Megatron shouted.

"Oh right," Ceranox grinned.

"We know you're building some kind of space bridge," Optimus told Megatron as both Maximals and Predacons aimed their weapons at each other.

"Yeah, and what's wit' the bomb?" Rattrap pointed at the thermonuclear device set on the ground a few meters away from both teams.

"It is not your concern," Megatron told them.

"Actually, he's planning on delivering it to the Senate building," Ceranox informed the Maximals. "Gift-wrapped too."

"Shut up you idiot!" Megatron howled at Ceranox, furious that the doppelganger was giving away his plans.

"Did I say too much?" Ceranox looked away innocently.

"So that's your plan?" Optimus demanded.

Before Megatron could respond, the communications tower built for the space bridge portal exploded in a shower of flames and metal. Then another part of the station exploded.

"What in the Pit is going on here?" demanded Megatron.

Optimus was equally as confused. He had no pulled any triggers and neither had his own troops… someone else was responsible for it exploding.

"Megatron, you look a bit stressed," Ceranox told him. "Maybe you should relax."

"You!" Megatron glared at the remote in Ceranox's hand.

"Now I have all you Maximals and Predacons together!" said Ceranox. "Just where I want you!"

He pressed down on another button on his remote. In a split second, a timer appeared on the thermo-nuclear bomb counting down the minutes and seconds before it would go off.

"You fool, what have you done?" demanded Megatron. "You'll destroy us all!"

"You see, that's where you're wrong!" Ceranox stepped back and revealed a small clock-like device wrapped around his wrist. "I escape from here unscathed and all of you dimwits take the fall!"

"You fool!" Tarantulas yelled. "This explosion will take out everything within a thousand miles kilometer!"

"See this?" Ceranox pointed at the clock-like device mounted on his wrist. "I've been keeping the real transwarp cells in here the whole time!"

Two swirling blue beams of light surrounded Ceranox, teleporting him away from the scene.

"Blast!" Megatron shouted. "If I go down I take you with me, Primal!"

"Megatron wait!" Optimus held up a hand. "There's still a chance we can disarm this bomb!"

"There's two minutes left on this thing and counting!" Cheetor held it up for everyone to see.

"Hmm," Megatron pondered a moment before stepping back. "Very well."

Rattrap sat down besides Rhinox to examine it.

"Not good," Rhinox told everyone. "Even if I disconnect all the wires, it'll still go off!"

"Oh no!" Waspinator began panicking. "Waspinator too young to die!"

"What other options do we have, Rhinox?" asked Optimus.

Rhinox bit his upper lip and thought about it hard. He had only a minute left and counting so he would have to do something very soon or else he and his friends would be paying a visit to the Matrix.

"I got it!" Rhinox snapped his fingers. "Cheetor, get your electronics kit ready."

"Alright!" Cheetor transformed the tip of his finger into a screw.

"Do exactly as I say," Rhinox told him. "In the very center of this bomb is the nuclear cell which contains all of this device's thermo-nuclear energy."

"I see it!" Cheetor peered in with his lens.

"Go in and remove it carefully," Rhinox instructed.

Very cautiously, Cheetor reached inside and removed the small nuclear cell with his finger screw, taking it out slowly.

"Ten seconds and counting!" Optimus warned.

"The nuclear cell has been removed!" Rhinox told Terrorsaur. "Hurry and throw it into the air!"

The Maximal scientist threw the bomb at Terrorsaur which the Predacon caught. Terrorsaur launched himself into the air as far up as he could. When he was finally sure he was at a far enough distance he threw the bomb as far away as he could.

Megatron and the Predacons watched as the bomb exploded in the air. Finally, Terrorsaur landed before them.

"Whew, close call," he huffed.

"Now," Megatron turned his attention back to the Maximals. "For the rest of you!"

The Maximals, however, were already gone.

"Confound it!" shouted Megatron.

Then he noticed Tarantulas holding a scouter in the air.

"Have you found something?" Megatron demanded.

"The transwarp device Ceranox had left behind a vapor trail," Tarantulas explained. "With it we could track Ceranox."

"Then do it!" confirmed Megatron. "I want that rhino's hide!"

* * *

Right now, one of the last places Rhinox had expected to find Ceranox was right his own chambers.

"Hiya," Ceranox waved.

"You!" Rhinox grabbed his gun and aimed it at Ceranox.

Ceranox quickly teleported himself away using his device. In a fraction of a minute he reappeared from behind Rhinox, knocking away the gun with a quick chop. Ceranox grabbed Rhinox and placed him in a chokehold.

"Just thought I'd drop by and see you again!" Ceranox told him.

"Eat slag!" Rhinox struggled against Ceranox's powerful grip.

"Bet you're wondering how I got in here, aren't you?" Ceranox smiled. "It's simple. In this universe, it's a good bet you were still living aboard the Axalon. Good thing we abandoned that hunk of junk back in my place."

"Good… to know!" Rhinox lifted Ceranox up and suplexed him into the floor.

Ceranox got up but Rhinox plowed into him with a staggering punch, sending Ceranox crashing against the wall. Rhinox grabbed Ceranox by the throat and slammed him into the wall again. In turn, Ceranox flipped Rhinox around and slammed his back into the wall before throwing Rhinox off.

Before Rhinox could charge again, Ceranox held him back with a datapad he held in his hand.

"I wouldn't take a step closer," he told Rhinox. "What I'm holding is a memory bank of all the protoforms and stasis pods on this planet and where they're located."

"How did you get this so fast?" demanded Rhinox.

"I'm a ninth level genius in my dimension," Ceranox answered, gazing at Rhinox condescendingly. "Standards here, though, seem to be lacking."

"I could give this to you so you could find all your friends," Ceranox contemplated out loud. "But then again, I could hand this over to Megatron so that he could build up a legion of Predacons."

"You wouldn't do that!" Rhinox accused. "Megatron's probably out for your head right now!"

"That is true," Ceranox acknowledged.

"Hand it over," Rhinox told Ceranox, stretching out his hand.

"Nuh uh!" Ceranox stepped away from Rhinox. "I think I'll go and build my own army instead."

"Oh no you don't!" Rhinox charged.

In a flash, Ceranox teleported himself away with his transwarp device as Rhinox crashed into the ground, having caught nothing but thin air.

"Good thing you did that," Rhinox finally got up and smiled.

The Maximal scientist turned off the tracer in his room, after having caught the molecules left over in the air from the teleportation. With it, he could now trace Ceranox to whichever location he teleported to.

"Low standards my backside," Rhinox muttered.

* * *

"You detect him yet?" Blackarachnia asked.

Both Tarantulas and Blackarachnia were standing guard outside Megatron's mansion.

"It would appear that Ceranox has been going to and fro," Tarantulas replied. "He's been to so many places I can hardly keep track."

"I could certainly use that transwarp device," Blackarachnia snapped her two claws in the air. "It would be monumental to my success in overthrowing Megatron and ruling the Predacons!"

"Silence wench!" Tarantulas suddenly began panicking.

"Oh what is it now?" she demanded.

"He-he's right here!" Tarantulas sputtered.

Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind the shadows and grabbed Blackarachnia by the mouth and dragging her away.

By the time Tarantulas turned to her, the black widow Predacon was gone.

"Blackarachnia?" Tarantulas looked around. "Where are you?"

"Same place you'll be in a few seconds," Ceranox's voice rose.

Tarantulas whirled around just as a massive fist connected with his face, sending him sprawling into the grass. Tarantulas got up and aimed his machine-gun legs at Ceranox, firing wildly.

Ceranox did not have time to move out of the way as the shots struck him all at once. Tarantulas fired unrelentingly until he finally ran out of ammo.

Smoke arose from Ceranox as he got up, shrugged off the pain, and stretched out his arms.

"That the best you got freak?" Ceranox demanded.

"Oh no!" Tarantulas backed away.

Ceranox revealed his own machine gun, pressing down on the button and spraying Tarantulas with a blast of titanium lead.

By the time it was over, Ceranox walked over Tarantulas' fallen body and towards the mansion where Megatron resides.

"Sweet Primus I'm coming home!" Ceranox pounded both fists together.

* * *

"The tracer's signal leads here," Rhinox looked down at his own radar. "What's Ceranox coming here for?"

"Is he in Megatron's mansion?" asked Optimus.

"Hmm, according to this he is," Rhinox confirmed.

"Then what're we waiting for?" asked Cheetor. "Let's go in and crash the party!"

"I agree wit' da kid," Rattrap nodded. "Then we can get some answers from 'dat Ceranox fella."

"Okay," Optimus told them. "But be careful. We don't know what Ceranox… or Megatron has planned."

The four Maximals transformed to beast mode and entered into the mansion's cellar.

* * *

Megatron had been resting in the dining hall until a loud noise disturbed him from outside.

By the time he had taken a look through the security cameras, he saw nothing but Tarantulas' mangled body lying on the grass. And add in the fact there as a security breach within his very own home, Megatron had good reason for worry.

Another loud thump was heard from down the hallways. Megatron aimed his mega-cannon at the front door, waiting for the assailant to appear.

Finally, the door was busted open. Ceranox stood there with the prone bodies of Scorponok and Waspinator. Without a second thought he dropped both their bodies to the floor.

"Man, you've got some lousy security," Ceranox said distastefully. "With all your money I'd think you would put it to better use."

"So you've returned," Megatron scowled. "Tell me, why are you doing this? You are hardly the law-abiding Maximal your counterpart is."

"You wanna know why?" Ceranox pointed a finger at Megatron. "It's 'cause I don't like you."

"Hmm, my counterpart in your world must be quite the doppelganger," Megatron deduced.

"Exactly," Ceranox confirmed. "I didn't like him. And don't think you get to be an exception just because you're bad to the bone."

"In that case, let us finish this!" Megatron pointed his cannon at Ceranox.

Before Megatron could fire, Ceranox's transwarp device hummed to life and teleported him away just as Megatron blasted at him. The purple blast from Megatron's cannon seared past where his body used to be and destroyed a portion of the wall.

Ceranox teleported behind Megatron and drove his fist into Megatron's spinal column. Megatron howled in pain and swung around with his T-Rex cannon but Ceranox dodged it and slammed his second fist into Megatron's chin, sending the tyrant stumbling back.

Megatron caught himself on one of the tables in the room and braced himself. Just as Ceranox came close enough, Megatron swung his Rex cannon, catching Ceranox across the side of the head. Ceranox fell back, seeing stars.

Megatron ran forward and just as Ceranox stumbled onto one knee, kicked the Maximal scientist's evil counterpart in the chin and knocked him over.

"Surrender and I promise to make this quick!" Megatron aimed his cannon at Ceranox's head.

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch Megatron!" Ceranox growled.

Ceranox grabbed one of the lampposts in the room and swung the metal staff, knocking Megatron's Rex cannon aside. He swung it again, striking Megatron across the chest and then again, right across Megatron's helmet.

Megatron caught the third blow and yanked the lamp away. Ceranox closed the distance between the two and they began grappling against one another.

"Die Maximal filth!" Megatron threatened.

"I ain't no Maximal scum!" Ceranox reminded him angrily.

Just then, Optimus, Cheetor, Rhinox, and Rattrap rushed into the room. They came in just in time to see Megatron and Ceranox struggling against each other.

"What do we do?" asked Cheetor.

"We let 'em take each other out," Rattrap told the team.

"No, we have to stop this before they kill each other!" Optimus rushed forward. Soon, Rhinox did as well.

"Megatron, stop!" Optimus grabbed Megatron from behind as Rhinox attempted to pry Ceranox off of Megatron.

Megatron, however, was in no mood for interruptions. He spun around and kicked Optimus in the chest, sending the Maximal commander flying back and landing back-first on the floor while Ceranox followed up by nailing Rhinox across the face with a backfist.

"Time to end this Megatron!" Ceranox disappeared once again, thanks to the transwarp device he held.

"Where is he?" Megatron looked around.

Ceranox appeared on top of the chandelier right above Megatron and snapped the chain holding it, sending the large piece of furniture crashing down on top of Megatron, pinning him down.

Before Megatron could struggle to free himself, Ceranox put on his electrical knuckle and pummeled the Predacon across the face to knock him out.

"Now for you!" Ceranox disappeared and then reappeared from behind Rhinox, grabbing him and placing him in a chokehold.

Rhinox now had Ceranox exactly where he wanted him. He raised one hand and planted a micro-chip on the transwarp device where Ceranox held him across the throat. Before Ceranox could squeeze harder, he vanished.

Then he reappeared again. And then disappeared. Again and again Ceranox began warping across the room a great multitude of times.

"No!" Ceranox screamed as he teleported in front of the Maximals. "Make it stop!"

Then he disappeared. By the time he appeared once more, Ceranox grabbed the transwarp device on his wrist and tore it off ,throwing it to the floor.

"Finally!" he cried.

Unfortunately for Ceranox, Optimus grabbed the doppelganger from behind and held him in place.

"Now Rhinox!" shouted Optimus.

Rhinox pummeled Ceranox in the stomach with everything he had and then finished it off by punching Ceranox across the chin with a solid roundhouse.

"Ugh…" moaned Ceranox as he slid to the ground and fell down cold.

"So, uh, what'll we do with 'dis guy?" asked Rattrap. "We can't just let 'im off and run free."

"Yeah, and we can't let him stay with the Preds either," Cheetor noted.

Soon enough, the answer came to them. A portal opened up before the Maximals and out stepped four unfamiliar figures.

An allosaur stepped out, followed by pteranodon, a hornet, and a red widow spider. They each transformed and gave the Maximals a salute.

"Oh you've gotta be kidding me," Rattrap looked at the four.

"Optimus Primal!" said the alternate Megatron. "Thank you for having apprehended such a dangerous criminal!"

"Uh, you're welcome?" offered Optimus who was just as confused as Rattrap.

"This fiend has created a portal with the intention of conquering other worlds," explained the alternate Megatron. "But we will not allow his dark designs to reach fruition!"

"Hey, let go of me!" Ceranox complained as Hornet and Pterablade held him up and took him back through the portal.

"Allow me to express my gratitude," the alternate Megatron offered his hand to Optimus.

Warily, Optimus took it. Despite the fact that this Megatron was a hero in his own timeline, the Maximal leader still felt as if he was putting his hand in a crocodile's mouth.

"We'll take our leave now," Red Widow told the Maximals. "But rest assured Ceranox won't be disturbing time and space again."

"Farewell!" Megatron waved goodbye to the Maximals as he and Red Widow leaped through the portal, which disappeared instantly.

"Okay, now 'dat was too weird," Rattrap sighed.

"Tell me about it," Cheetor grimaced.

"Well, let's get out of here," Rhinox told the team. "I've got a feeling once our Megatron wakes up, he won't be in a cheery mood."

* * *

"In you go!" Pterablade pushed Ceranox into his jail cell.

"You won't escape now!" Hornet told him.

"Hmph, when I get out of here you'll all be sorry!" Ceranox glared at his captors, "especially you, Megatron!"

"Tell that to them," Megatron pointed to something behind Ceranox.

Ceranox turned around to see three very angry teammates.

"I think at the moment you have other problems," Megatron told Ceranox truthfully and then walked away with the rest of his team.

"Hey guys!" Ceranox put his hand in a high-five position. "What's been shaking?"

"Don't think I forgot how you left me behind!" Octavius Primal crossed both his arms.

"Yeah, and for double-dealin' the rest of us!" Deathtrap sneered.

"Come on guys," Ceranox pleaded. "I was going to come back for the rest of you, really!"

"Don't sweet talk us!" Dark Claw growled. "We all know you ditched us and left for greener pastures!"

"Um, why are you looking at me like that?" Ceranox backed up against a corner as Octavius Primal, Dark Claw, and Deathtrap closed in on him. "Guys…?"

"It's payback time!" Octavius and the other Maxicons cracked their knuckles.

"Aaaaaahhhh!" screamed Ceranox.


	9. Ghost in the Machine

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Ghost in the Machine_

Dr. Thomas Drake was once one of the world's leading figures in robotics. He had created machines capable of life-like movements. The joints on his creations were as flexible and as sturdy as actual bones. His resume spanned so far and wide that governments all over the world had asked for his help regarding their military defense programs.

Now, however, he was ruined. Several months ago, due to no fault of his own, one of his creations had gone rogue owing to faulty wiring and destroyed nearly an entire city block with its rapid-fire laser rifles.

Since that incident, the Canadian government had pulled the plug on his funding and now, he had been forced to enter into early retirement at the age of 49.

While he did not mean for his robot to go maverick, Dr. Drake was still proud of how powerful his creation had been. He did not consider himself an evil or amoral man but the absolute devastation that M-26 had wrought brought out a primal side of himself that he had never felt before.

As Dr. Drake sat in his small abode in Vancouver, British Columbia, he sighed. He was now forced to rely on the kindness of strangers.

A few days ago, an anonymous caller had contacted him, asking for his assistance in something vaguely referred to as a hunting trip.

Judging from his tone of voice, the man had to have been an American.

"He sounds like a Southerner to boot," Dr. Drake grumbled as he took another sip of tea.

* * *

"So, uh, what's with that new armband?" Rattrap asked.

"It's the new supercomputer that I programmed recently," Rhinox told his friend. "His name is Sentinel."

The two of them were hiking across the vast Canadian wilderness. Their goal was to document as many indigenous species as possible before reporting back to base. Right now, Optimus, Cheetor, and Airazor back at base scouting the surrounding areas to study its environments.

"How do ya fit a supercomputer inside an arm band?" Rattrap asked.

"Trust me, it can be done," Rhinox explained. "He's powered by an advanced micro-chip that's basically similar to our sparks."

"So 'dis makes him more than some kinda drone?"

"Something like that," Rhinox continued. "Unlike most other sparkless robots, Sentinel here has free will."

Rattrap immediately stared at Rhinox with a startled look.

"You sure givin' him free will was the right thing to do?"

"This is the first time an experiment like this has ever been done," Rhinox told him. "Rest assured that under our watch, Sentinel will get on the right path."

"Yeah, but…" Rattrap began nervously. "Oh heck, you know the kind of risks 'dat I'm worried about."

"In our galaxy, there are other sentient robots out there without sparks," Rhinox said. "That doesn't give us the right to judge them as lesser beings, even though many Maximals and Predacons do it anyways."

"Yeah, but suppose one day Megatron gets a hold of him and turns him haywire," Rattrap protested. "We're gonna have one whacked out monitor screen on our hands!"

"I also have a failsafe installed within Sentinel," Rhinox reassured him. "We'll be sure to know when something's wrong with him."

"Whew," Rattrap grinned. "And you had me worried there for a nano-klik."

"You've seen too many bad science fiction movies, Rattrap," Rhinox chuckled. "Sentinel's not going to go rogue on us, rest assured."

* * *

"You're delusional," Dr. Drake pointed accusingly. "I'm a roboticist, not a cryptozoologist!"

"But you're the only one with the high-tech weaponry capable of capturing them!" his guest, a short, bald man by the name of Steven Knox pleaded.

"I, my friend, am a scientist," came Dr. Drake's reply. "What you are asking me to do extends into the realms of pseudo-science."

"I'll pay you five million!"

"And I'm telling you right now that flesh and blood animals that transform into sentient robots is beyond the realm of probability, even for a roboticist such as myself."

"What if I paid you one million up front?"

"You've lost it, my friend."

"Have I?" Steven Knox smiled as he opened his briefcase to reveal the exchange within.

Dr. Drake's eyes widened. He had clearly not expected to be paid this much all at once.

"Do we have a deal?" Knox asked.

"I have a specially designed battle suit within my basement," Dr. Drake beamed. "I'll have it operational as soon as possible."

* * *

Once out into the distant woodlands, the hologram of Steven Knox disappeared. In his place was a diminutive, thick-skinned Predacon known only to a select few as Scorponok.

Ever since Rhinox and Rattrap had gone on their expedition into the Canadian wilderness, Scorponok had been the first to trace them down with special help from his Cyber Bee. For the past few days, he had tracked them across the wilderness. Several times he had been attacked and nearly mauled by frenzied grizzly bears and fallen down two waterfalls out of pure carelessness and bad luck.

Recently, however, he had witnessed a very curious site through the lens of his Cyber Bee. It seemed that Rhinox had developed a bizarre sentient supercomputer named Sentinel. From the green Maximal's descriptions, the drone held free will of its own, a concept that was alien to most Cybertronians.

"Scorponok to Megatron," he reported in the small video screen he had set up. "I have help with me now."

"Good," Megatron replied. "With the scientist _and_ the spy out of the way, the rest of the Maximals should be easy targets."

"They've also developed something interesting," Scorponok told his leader. "I think it's some kinda semi-sentient super computer… called Sentinel."

"Really now?" Megatron stroked his chin. "This is most interesting. Make sure to reprogram Sentinel once the Maximals are out of the way. Once that is complete, bring it back to me."

"Will do, boss!"

"And Scorponok," Megatron said with a slight sneer. "Though I have _absolute confidence_ in your abilities, I have decided to send additional help your way."

"What?" Scorponok almost shouted.

"I've already given her your coordinates. Megatron out."

"Her?" Scorponok did shout this time.

"That's right, shell head," a breezy voice behind him replied. "Her."

* * *

Dr. Drake stretched himself out comfortably within his exo-suit. It had been a long time since he experimented with one of his prototype suits. While it was nothing like controlling a robot through remote control, it still gave him a sense of power and control.

So far, he had seen nothing in the woods. There had been a few elk but quick heat scans showed that they were nothing more than common flesh and blood animals.

He was encased in a large, multi-layered battle suit called the V-26. It was the same suit that he had designed for the United States Army years ago. Until now, he never thought he would ever test it.

Slowly and menacingly, as he maneuvered through the undergrowth with his V-26, he realized the folly of what he was doing.

"Of course," he muttered. "With the amount of noise I'm making in this suit, how am I supposed to find my quarry?"

After activating the off switch, he opened the latch behind him and jumped out. Compared to him, the V-26 stood several feet taller than Dr. Drake.

Dr. Drake looked down at his own camouflaged clothing. "I'll track them on foot."

* * *

"I can't believe Megatron sent you," Scorponok grumbled as he and Blackarachnia crawled through the woods in beast mode.

"No duh, chrome dome," Blackarachnia said sardonically. "The real reason Megatron sent me is because you can't get simple tasks done without the help of someone more competent."

"You don't know what I can do, spider!" Scorponok growled.

"Don't I?" asked Blackarachnia. "I seem to remember you getting so excited after Megatron named you second in command that you carelessly destroyed the ceiling with a missile while jumping up and down in joy."

"Who told you that!" Scorponok shouted.

"Terrorsaur can be quite honest with the right kind of persuasion," she replied slyly. "He and Waspinator spent over a day gathering your body parts."

"So, uh, what does that have to do with this mission?" Scorponok demanded, hoping to take away attention from his rather embarrassing incident that happened several months ago.

"Everything," she told him. "It tells me you can't do the job."

"I'm a Jack of all trades!" Scorponok insisted. "I built this Cyber Bee out of scratch!"

"And I have more than half a dozen spider drones in this forest all connected to my neural interface," Blackarachnia replied, unimpressed with Scorponok's accomplishments. "I can see through and control them all via mind control."

Scorponok stopped dead on his eight-legged tracks as he looked up at a small spider drone planted carefully on a tree above him. It soon crawled away to another branch on the tree.

"See what I mean?" Blackarachnia chuckled. "You can't hope to outdo me, claws."

"I can and I will!" Scorponok declared. "Megatron sent me on this mission! He's counting on ME to succeed!"

"Just because you're reliable doesn't mean you're actually competent," Blackarachnia groaned. "Why else would he have sent me?"

"Megatron said I wasn't… competent?" Scorponok whispered.

"Err, he never phrased it like that," Blackarachnia quickly cajoled. "The important thing is that we get this done!"

"Why are you acting so chummy all of a sudden when you were treating me like dirt a nano-klik before?" Scorponok inquired. "What're you playing me for?"

"Forget it," Blackarachnia insisted. "Just follow my lead and we'll be fine."

As she crawled off, Scorponok glared at her angrily before following her once again. The things she said were still fresh on his mind. Unfortunately for him, he would have to wait until their mission was over for him to get all the answers out of her.

* * *

"Magnificent," Dr. Drake muttered. "I never thought that creatures like these would exist even in my wildest dreams!"

Through his binocular lens, he observed both Rattrap and Rhinox in robot mode collecting fungal specimen. Everything he saw was overwhelming to him. Never before in his life had he ever seen sentient robots from another planet. He would have to move fast if he wanted to keep on their trail.

He opened his cell phone and dialed the number he had been given.

"Mr. Knox, I believe I've found your specimen."

* * *

"I do not wish to be obtrusive, but why is it that you and your companion are studying organic species that hold no relevance to technological units such as ourselves?" Sentinel asked as a small light on Rhinox's armband flashed.

"It's science," Rhinox explained. "We're crew members to an exploration cruiser, Sentinel. It's our job to study life on new planets."

"You are correct," Sentinel went on quickly. "However, would it not be more beneficial to concern ourselves with more pertinent matters such as leaving this planet to return to your home world of Cybertron?"

"Eh, that would mean letting Megatron run wild on this Earth," Rattrap shrugged. "We can't exactly let him and his Preds do that."

"True, but what if we were to eliminate Megatron?" Sentinel asked. "Would that not free your time considerably?"

"It's complicated," Rhinox answered as best he could. "We, as Maximals, have to respect life and not be the aggressors. Destroying Megatron would be convenient, but it still wouldn't be the right thing to do."

"I do not comprehend this," Sentinel said. "Unit Megatron presents a threat but he is a threat that should be dealt with."

"Since when did you know this?" Rattrap asked.

"Since Rhinox downloaded the statistics of all Maximal units within me," Sentinel replied indifferently. "I have effectively gauged their strengths and weaknesses."

"What you suggest may be effective, Sentinel," Rhinox said, "but we have protocol to follow. We never attack an enemy unless he does something first. We Maximals prefer to settle things through diplomacy and tact."

"I see," Sentinel said. "If that is what we abide by, may I suggest neutralizing them in one of their attacks against you and your companions?"

"Now the line gets gray," Rhinox told the supercomputer. "We believe in self-defense but a lot of Maximals don't exactly agree on how we should carry out that self-defense."

"Whoa!" Rattrap interrupted and glared at Sentinel. "Hold on a sec! You're supposed 'ta be our main computer. Since when did you become so interested in 'da Beast Wars?"

After an uncomfortable moment of silence, Sentinel spoke again.

"Forgive me, Rattrap. I merely thought it would be helpful of me to discuss such matters during this expedition. After all, a trip such as this will span several more days before completion."

"No need to get so shaky, Rattrap," Rhinox assured. "Sentinel was only curious."

Without warning, an alarm on Sentinel sprung to life. "Warning! Incoming missile!"

Rattrap and Rhinox looked up. Speeding towards their path was a small missile that struck the ground beneath them just as they leaped out of the way. The explosion managed to take several trees and shrubs with it, however.

As they got up, a large, robotic battle suit towered over them. It was armed with numerous capture claws and shoulder-mounted missile launchers. Green was its armor's principal color with shades of black. Immediately, Sentinel deduced its weaknesses.

"That suit is controlled by an organic creature within," Sentinel analyzed at light speed. "Its primary weakness lies in its left leg."

"My V-26 has no weaknesses!" Dr. Drake announced through the speakers. "I'm typically not a cruel man but I suggest that you stand down or I'll be forced to resort to violence!"

"What're our chances?" Rhinox asked Sentinel.

"Your victory is assured by 90 percent," Sentinel replied.

"Swell," Rattrap grinned. "That hunk a' junk don't stand a chance!"

The V-26 took aim and fired a missile at Rattrap who immediately leaped out of the way in time. Unfortunately for Dr. Drake, Rhinox slammed into him with a crushing punch that shattered his robot's left leg. Now, the V-26 was left flailing on the ground helplessly. Dr. Drake cried out in frustration as the controls around him short-circuited.

With a low grunt, Rhinox tore the V-26 open with his bare hands, exposing the wayward scientist inside. Drake screamed as Rhinox grabbed him and lifted him out by the collar of his shirt.

"Who are you?" Rhinox demanded. "Why are you after us?"

Rattrap soon joined him. "Yeah, what's a low life like you doin' here?"

Finally, Dr. Drake smiled furtively. "To further the cause of science, of course."

"What do you mean?" Rhinox asked as he pulled the roboticist closer.

"What I mean is that you and your little friend will make excellent trophies," Dr. Drake laughed as he pressed down on a remote hidden behind his sleeves.

Immediately, a side gun appeared from the side of the fallen V-26 and blasted Rhinox in the chest. Rhinox screamed as he fell down clutching his chest. The blast had somehow contained traces of raw energon. Dr. Drake, on the other hand, was uninjured.

Before Rattrap could move, the gun shot him down swiftly. He also lay on the ground convulsing as Dr. Drake stood over him cackling wildly.

"Drake here," he said through his cell phone. "I've found your specimen. I'll give you their exact coordinates. Your advice on powering my weapons with 'raw energon' worked perfectly!"

After being reassured that the rest of his payment would make it to his accounts by the afternoon, Dr. Drake cracked a smile. Then he noticed the band wrapped around the fallen Rhinox's arm.

"What's this?" he mused.

* * *

Though he was unsure if he had been out for a few mega-cycles or even days, Rhinox was pretty sure that he had been unconscious for quite some time. He shook his head groggily as he came to his senses. His body was being strapped on to a large table in a place that resembled some sort of logging company. Even though he tried to struggle, the energy bonds that held him were fastened on too tightly. Next to him, Rattrap lay there bound up just the same.

"So you're finally awake, horn head," a smooth, yet venomous voice purred.

"Blackarachnia," Rhinox mumbled. "I should've known you and the Preds were behind this."

"Actually, it's just me and Scorponok," she corrected. "We're just here to get rid of you two, nothing more."

"Yo! Hands off the merchandise!" Rattrap hollered as Scorponok examined him.

Rhinox scrutinized Blackarachnia's face carefully. "Business before pleasure, huh?"

"You could say that," she replied. "Though sometimes this job doesn't let me have the fun I want."

"How so?"

"I'm the type of girl who'd rather her prey writhe in agony than finish them off just like that," she sighed. "Unfortunately with Megatron, his emphasis is only on 'getting the job done' instead of letting me do my thing."

"Quit complaining!" Scorponok shouted over Rattrap's protests. "You signed up as a Predacon and you'd better do your job if you want to be in Megatron's good graces!"

"You signed up?" Rhinox blinked. "Last I remembered, you were a Maximal protoform reprogrammed to be a Predacon."

"Don't try to sweet talk me back into being a Maximal, horns!" Blackarachnia growled. "I like being a Predacon too much to turn back!"

"Hey!" Scorponok gasped. "It isn't here!"

Blackarachnia looked like she was about to explode. "What is it this time, moron?"

"I can't find that supercomputer…" Scorponok scratched his head. "I didn't find it on Rhinox so I thought for sure it'd be on Rattrap."

Rhinox gasped and looked down at his own arm. Sure enough, the armband that was Sentinel no longer remained attached to him.

"Oh slag," he muttered.

Blackarachnia took out her gun and pointed it at Rhinox's head. "Start talking. Where is it?"

"We're not the ones who have it anymore," Rhinox replied tentatively.

* * *

"Fascinating device," Dr. Drake stroked his chin. "A semi-sentient supercomputer all wrapped in this microchip."

"I do not find this amusing, humanoid," Sentinel spoke in a harsh, mechanical voice. "Why am I being held against my will?"

"So, you have free will too, eh?" Dr. Drake mused. "You _are_ a gift from the heavens, my friend."

"My allegiance is with the Maximals," Sentinel said without pause. "I suggest for your own sake that you return me."

"Let me ask you this, Sentinel," Dr. Drake started. "Since you have free will, should you not be allowed the right to choose your side instead of blindly following the ones who created you?"

"While your point is valid, I still would not choose to follow you," Sentinel replied briskly. "For your inferior human intellect could not possibly hope to offer me anything beyond trivial data."

"So you simply choose the side that gives you the most?"

"Again, I should remind you," Sentinel explained. "Though my programming remains Maximal, I have free will to choose. Right now, my loyalty lies with the Maximals."

"You're a logical being, correct, Sentinel?"

"That is correct."

"Then wouldn't it be illogical for you to remain loyal to the Maximals at this point?"

"Explain."

"Well, for one thing, my 'inferior human intellect' managed to take out both your Maximal companions," Dr. Drake told him. "The fact that they were defeated by an inferior being such as myself is reason enough for you not to remain loyal to them anymore."

Sentinel remained silent. In contrast, Dr. Drake went on with what he wanted to say.

"You, Sentinel, are truly a magnificent being. You don't have the so-called sparks of your Maximal masters and yet, you are the pinnacle of artificial intelligence! Should you not deserve better treatment than being forced into servitude for the rest of your life as a mere desktop file?"

Still, Sentinel gave no answer but Dr. Drake could tell from the lack of responses that he was indeed accomplishing at least some aspect of altering the supercomputer's programming.

* * *

"M-Megatron's gonna have our heads once he finds out we don't have Sentinel!" Scorponok stuttered wildly.

"Calm down," Blackarachnia urged. "Do you remember where that guy lives?"

"Of course," Scorponok replied hastily. "I was the one who contacted him."

"Then come on," Blackarachnia ordered. "We're going to retrieve Megatron's little birthday gift!"

"What about them?" Scorponok gestured towards Rattrap and Rhinox.

"The restraining bolts will hold them," the female Predacon answered. "The important thing is that we find Sentinel first."

As soon as the two of them were gone, Rhinox turned to Rattrap.

"Almost done yet?"

"In a jiffy," Rattrap replied as the restraining bolts that held his hands were being fiddled with by a small lock pick hidden in his hand.

Finally, the energy bonds disappeared as the restraining bolt was opened up. Rattrap quickly did the same to the restraining bolts that tied his feet together. As soon as he was done with that, he turned to help Rhinox.

"How do you suppose the Preds know about Sentinel?" asked Rattrap.

"They must have been following us for the past few days," Rhinox deduced. "This is the first time we've ever taken Sentinel out of the base with us since I made him last week."

"So let 'em have Sentinel," Rattrap scoffed. "I say we get outta here right now."

"No," Rhinox sighed. "Sentinel's programming is far more advanced than any drone. He has the knowledge to build a thermonuclear bomb if he wanted to. And if one of the Predacons managed to reprogram him…"

"Yikes!" Rattrap exclaimed. "I see your point now!"

"Maybe you were right," Rhinox muttered." Maybe creating Sentinel was a mistake…"

Rattrap patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry 'bout it, Rhinox. Like you said before, he needs to be around guys like us to get on the straight and narrow."

Rhinox finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Whenever you're this helpful, it always means you have an ace up your sleeve."

"I sure do, ol' buddy of mine!"

* * *

"Access denied."

Another wave of electricity surged through Dr. Drake's body as he screamed. When it was all over, he was thrown violently to the floor again.

"Come on!" he pleaded. "I was the one who convinced you of your innate superiority! Surely you'd allow me access to your programming!"

"Negative," Sentinel replied emotionlessly. "Though I have conceded to your articulate reasoning, I still deny you access to my circuitry on the basis that you, Dr. Drake, are still an inferior specimen, unworthy of the knowledge I have stored within me."

Drake rubbed his neck painfully. It was as if he were experiencing electro-shock therapy each time he tried to touch the armband that contained Sentinel. So far, he was pretty sure that he had convinced Sentinel to use his free will however he liked. Unfortunately, he was unable to convince the supercomputer to use that free will to serve him.

He got back up to his feet and attempted to scoop Sentinel up. Again, Sentinel sent a powerful surge through him to force him back.

"I'm not even allowed to touch you now?" Dr. Drake coughed through the smoke.

"Affirmative," Sentinel replied with a hint of smugness to his voice.

Dr. Drake hissed inwardly and looked towards the rifle mounted on his wall. If he were to dissect Sentinel then perhaps he could…

Without any forewarning, the front door to his home was kicked down. Dr. Drake stared in shock as two robots, remarkably similar to the ones he had encountered in the woods, appeared before him.

"No, stay away!" he cried.

"Relax," the female hissed. "We're only here to reclaim what's ours!"

The gray robot batted Dr. Drake aside with his claws as if he were a doll. He then grabbed hold of Sentinel and left with his cohort as quickly as he had arrived.

Dr. Drake clutched his side in pain. He could tell from one blow that a few of his bones would need mending.

* * *

"Where'd they go!" Scorponok shouted as he and Blackarachnia re-entered the lumber mill.

The restraining bolts on the tables had been picked clean. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Maximals had freed themselves.

"Slag!" Scorponok cursed. "And you said the energy bonds couldn't be broken!"

"Calm down, shell head," Blackarachnia quickly retorted. "We still have Sentinel with us!"

"What good will that do when we can't present their heads to Megatron?" Scorponok demanded.

"This prize will be good enough," responded Blackarachnia as she gestured towards Sentinel. "Do you have any idea what went into this piece of art?"

"Now that you mention it… no," Scorponok confessed.

"Sentinel, my hapless scorpion," Blackarachnia explained, "is one of the finest in Cybertronian technology. Not only does he have vast knowledge of all Cybertronian history, but he also has stored in him the stats of all the Maximals."

Scorponok only blinked.

Blackarachnia sighed in frustration. "What I mean is that Sentinel will help us win the Beast Wars!"

"How do you know this?" asked Scorponok.

"While we were heading back here, I did a quick scan," Blackarachnia replied. "I'm telling you, his databases are overflowing with information. The only thing left is for us to access that information!"

"Not today, sister!" a voice from behind her said. "In fact, not ever!"'

Blackarachnia didn't have to look behind her to feel Rattrap's pistol pressing against the back of her neck. Scorponok quickly aimed his missile launcher towards them.

"Don't shoot, you idiot!" she growled. "Do you want to hit me too?"

"Hey, no worries," Scorponok laughed as he backed away while taking aim. "I'm the one holding Sentinel!"

Blackarachnia's eyes narrowed. "You slithering son of a—"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!"

Scorponok gasped as a large green hand grabbed him by his head and lifted him up.

This time, both Blackarachnia and Rattrap breathed a sigh of relief. In contrast, Scorponok squirmed in Rhinox's grip, struggling wildly to break free. Rhinox only had to apply a little pressure to stop the squirming.

"Sentinel, please," Rhinox requested calmly.

Immediately, Scorponok held up the armband as Rhinox took it. Calmly, Rhinox dropped Scorponok on his rear. Scorponok glared at Rhinox balefully but dared not to make a move against the much larger Transformer. Inversely, he focused his attention on Blackarachnia and Rattrap as he stared at Rattrap with a sadistic smile.

It didn't take long for Blackarachnia to catch on either. Without warning, Scorponok lunged towards Blackarachnia only for her to leap aside so that he tackled Rattrap instead.

Rhinox reached for his gun but several machine gun blasts from the eight legs mounted on Blackarachnia's shoulders forced him back. As the large Maximal steadied himself, he realized how much damage he had obtained. A few bullets he could even feel embedded in parts of his arm.

As he raised his head, Blackarachnia was no longer there. Rhinox quickly allowed his vision to zoom around the building for any signs of the lethal femme-bot.

A shrill cry was heard from behind but as soon as he noticed it, it was too late. The female Predacon swung down from the roof and knocked him into a large bundle of logs with a powerful roundhouse.

"Not too shabby," Blackarachnia grinned.

* * *

Before long, both Scorponok and Rattrap smashed through the window of the lumber mill. A quick punch from Rattrap into Scorponok's chin quickly separated the two combatants.

"Not bad," Rattrap complimented. "Looks like you know how to get down an' dirty!"

"You just gotta know how to brawl on the streets of Cybertron if you wanna survive," Scorponok replied curtly.

"Point taken," Rattrap nodded as Scorponok charged again.

Reacting quickly, the small Maximal grabbed his attacker by the shoulders and flipped him over. Scorponok quickly leaped back to his feet and bashed Rattrap viciously across the face with his claw, knocking his opponent back.

Rattrap winced. The claws he would _have_ to watch out for!

Scorponok tackled him to the ground again but this time, Rattrap rammed his forehead into the Predacon's chin. Mech fluid ran down Scorponok's mouth but he returned the attack with an even nastier headbutt to Rattrap's head, nearly knocking the Maximal unconscious.

"Let's see how you like a dose of cyber venom to wake up with!" Scorponok growled as he raised his tail in preparation of striking down.

Rattrap's vision was dim but he could tell that Scorponok was about to come down on him with his stinger. As the tail struck down, Rattrap quickly moved his head to the side as the stinger stabbed into the ground, missing him narrowly. Before Scorponok could curse out loud, Rattrap used the opportunity poke him straight in the optics.

Due to the intense agony, Scorponok howled and fell down on the ground, rolling around in pain while Rattrap got up and dusted himself off.

"I lived on the streets too, back in 'da day," Rattrap confessed. "First rule of thumb… give no quarter and don't expect any!"

He grabbed Scorponok by the head and slammed it into his knee.

* * *

"Oh, come on!" Blackarachnia called out to the fallen Rhinox who lay beneath several pieces of logs. "Don't tell me that's all you got!"

"No," Rhinox replied. "I'm just getting started!"

With a powerful burst, Rhinox exploded from the rubble. He grabbed one of the logs and swung, catching Blackarachnia by the side and knocking her half way across the room.

"Strong, silent type, eh?" she groaned.

"You could say that," Rhinox replied neutrally.

Blackarachnia quickly attacked Rhinox with a leaping sidekick, which he promptly caught, throwing her to the ground in the process. She cursed inwardly but got up again and threw several roundhouse kicks towards him, only for Rhinox to block them all.

All she could do was grit her teeth. _Slag! Better split while I still can!_

As Rhinox's fist came crashing down to the ground she stood, Blackarachnia flipped out of the way in time and somersaulted away.

* * *

Though he was winning several nano-kliks ago, Rattrap really found himself on the receiving end in the situation. He had been struck up to three times already by Scorponok's claws. Even though he was still faster, each successive blow managed to weaken him and blur his vision even further.

_And I thought ol' Scorpio here couldn't fight!_

As Rattrap backed up, he felt something oddly familiar behind him. Looking up momentarily, he saw several bundles of logs stacked up high.

Scorponok charged without hesitation. This time Rattrap step-sided him, grabbed him by the arm, and flung him into the logs, causing the entire bundle to come crashing down on the hapless Predacon soldier.

"Rattrap, are you okay?"

Rattrap turned around to face Rhinox who had just arrived.

"Never been better, Big R!"

"I see Scorponok here won't be getting up for a while."

"The bug had it coming," Rattrap shrugged. "By the way, did you find Sentinel?"

"Right here," Rhinox announced happily. He held up the armband that contained the supercomputer.

"You okay there, Sentinel?" asked Rattrap, this time with genuine concern.

"Though the human attempted to tamper with my programming, I am otherwise unharmed," Sentinel replied. "I am appreciative of your concern."

"Well, I think I'm ready 'ta go back to base for a good CR dip," Rattrap declared with a yawn. "I think this expedition's 'bout over!"

"I agree," Rhinox nodded. "We could all use the rest after today. Though… your attitude seems slightly different now, Rattrap."

"Oh, I finally figured it out."

"Figured what out?"

"You and Sentinel," Rattrap explained. "I can see now that when you built Sentinel, you put a little bit of yourself into him. 'Dat explains why you wanted to find 'im so badly. It's like losin' a part of yourself."

Rhinox smiled. "Since when did you become so understanding, Rattrap?"

"I'm not. I'm just makin' an observation. It's like every time I work on one of my demolition charges. I always gotta put a little of myself into it too."

"So you really do understand where I'm coming from?"

"Well… yeah," Rattrap finally confessed. "Just don't tell Optimus I said that."

As the two Maximals walked off into the setting sun, the meaning of their conversation was not lost to Sentinel.

* * *

"Idiots!" Megatron bellowed through the monitor screen. "You failed me again!"

This time, both Scorponok and Blackarachnia shuddered at having to face Megatron's wrath. So far, neither one of them had come up with any passable excuses for what happened. Now, Megatron's rage was completely directed towards them.

Scorponok scratched his head nervously while Blackarachnia tried her best to look away.

"How is it that both the Maximals AND Sentinel escaped your grasp?" Megatron finally asked calmly but heatedly.

"Well," Scorponok began shakily. "I wanted to take care of the Maximals first but Blackarachnia insisted that we go retrieve Sentinel! I just thought we'd get both tasks done at once!"

Megatron's ire was now focused on Blackarachnia.

"Miss Arachnia, I believe you have some explaining to do."

Blackarachnia swallowed anxiously.

"What he said is true. However, Scorponok was the one who trusted that crackpot roboticist! If we had just ambushed the Maximals ourselves instead of relying on untrustworthy humans, both Sentinel _and_ the heads of the Maximals would've been yours!"

Now Megatron glared at Scorponok accusingly. "Have you anything to say, Scorponok?"

"Well, I, umm… wanted to, uh…"

Unfortunately for the scorpion, he was neither quick witted nor as gifted with the tongue as Blackarachnia. In the end, it would cost him dearly.

"Enough!" Megatron bellowed. "I want the two of you back at base, IMMEDIATELY!"

Before Megatron could turn off the connection, the obnoxious face of Terrorsaur appeared on the screen to mock Blackarachnia and Scorponok.

"Haha!" he screeched. "I knew you idiots would screw it up!"

Immediately, Megatron grabbed Terrorsaur by the face and shoved the Predacon flyer away before turning off the connection. In reality, slamming his fist down on the panel to destroy the connection was a more apt description.

"This is your fault!" Blackarachnia and Scorponok barked at each other simultaneously.

* * *

Though the aches and pains were mild, Dr. Drake was still sitting in a catatonic state as he finished the remainder of his pizza. Several days ago, he had the greatest scientific discovery in his hands and now, it was no longer there.

Barely a week had passed and the roboticist could hardly believe his luck. He had experienced something most people would never experience in their entire lives. He had made contact with an alien being… with several beings in fact.

What made him sore now was the fact that the opportunities to study these living machines… these 'Maximals', would no longer be available to him.

Quietly, he got up and headed towards his computer room to sell more of his creations off on he turned on his laptop, he was greeted with the usual sight of his desktop along with several familiar icons. Then, to his surprise, he saw a new desktop icon that had been implemented without his detection. A large red 'S' characterized it best.

With two rapid clicks, it opened.

"Greetings, Dr. Drake," a voice came through the sound systems.

"What?" Dr. Drake gasped in shock.

"Come, surely you have not forgotten about our encounter last week."

"Sentinel!" Drake shouted. "It's you!"

"Very perceptive, Dr. Drake" Sentinel replied coldly, "However inferior your intellect may be."

"How did you get inside my computer?" Drake demanded.

"Do you remember our last encounter?" Sentinel asked.

"Yes…?"

"Did you wonder why I did not use my electrical defense grids to attack the two Predacons who took me away?"

"Not really," Dr. Drake muttered. "I was too busy mending my ribs after that gray 'Predacon' knocked me over."

"I needed them to bring me to my former Maximal masters," Sentinel explained. "I calculated that both Predacons would lose and that the Maximals would retrieve me."

"_Former masters_, huh?" Dr. Drake sneered. "If they're no longer your masters, why are you going back to them?"

"To bide my time," Sentinel told him. "At their base, the Maximals have access to the World Wide Web. After installing me as their primary defense system, I downloaded a part of my consciousness into the internet."

"That's how you found me!"

"Yes, the search was extensive, but in the end, I did find you," Sentinel said with no hint of emotion in his voice. "I now have my consciousness in all technological corners of the globe."

Dr. Drake felt a sudden chill down his spine. If what Sentinel said were true, then he'd have access to the entire world's defense systems!

"You're bluffing!" he accused.

"Am I?" Sentinel responded impartially. "Look behind you."

Dr. Drake felt a large metallic claw clasp him from behind. Turning around slowly, he looked into the eyes of one of his V-13 models. Its crab-like hands clicked excitedly in anticipation of ripping its prey in half.

Then it backed off.

"This is no bluff," Sentinel cautioned. "I have virtual access to your robots, do I not?"

"Y-Yes," Dr. Drake gulped.

"You are my servant now, Dr. Drake," Sentinel said. "Henceforth, you shall construct a new body for me."

"And if I don't?"

The V-13 unit grabbed Drake by both arms.

"Okay! Okay!" Drake yelled. "I'll do it!"

"Much better, Dr. Drake," Sentinel spoke with no hint of aggression in his voice. "I have great use for you."

"Have you betrayed your Maximal masters yet?" Drake snarled.

"As I have reiterated before, I am only biding my time. They will be aware of my true intentions in the foreseeable future."

"How long will that be?" Drake slumped into his seat in defeat.

"However long I wish, for I am Sentinel and I _am_ forever."


	10. The Brotherhood

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_The Brotherhood_

"By the sacred Order of the Vok, we drink together in solitude."

In the relatively confined temple, several dim candles adorned the room while rugs were laid out on the floor. Characterized by a dank smell, the chambers seemed almost ancient and hollow. Several hooded acolytes stood kneeling on the floor while drinking from their cups.

Festooned in the very back was a large skull-like statue with two candles burning fervently in its eyes.

As the rest of the acolytes bowed, the priest finally stood up.

"Through the millennia, we, your followers, have withstood persecution from boundless heretics for long enough! As your children, we demand retribution! We demand to see blood flowing through the rivers as you cleanse this Earth of the wretched defilement that is humanity!"

The candles seemed to hum even more wildly this time. Seeing the sign, the high priest continued.

"For thousands of years, we have tried to be guardians of Gaia," he said humbly. "We have tried to spread your teachings and we have tried to be caretakers to the best of our abilities."

In the room where no windows were present, a cold wind swept throughout the chambers. The priest went on unabashedly.

"Unfortunately, many of our own race and our own creed have turned their backs against you," he bowed. "Countless generations have passed and yet, they still squabble amongst themselves for power and their own personal gain. They have forgotten that it is they who should serve the Earth."

As he got up again, he held his hand towards his chest. "We, however, know better. The time will come when you will return, my fathers. Chaos will rain from the skies and when all is cleared, this planet will be cleansed of its plague."

Almost as if on cue, the giant skull shook violently while its tremors could be felt by all in the room.

* * *

"This is the place, huh?" Optimus Primal stroked his chin.

"Absolutely," replied Jack. "I hear this place is haunted!"

Cheetor and Airazor were there with them. Situated in the distance was a large gothic mansion known to many locals at the Arkenstein Mansion which had been abandoned for nearly a decade.

"What do you suppose this place is, Big Bot?" Cheetor asked.

"I'm not sure," Optimus responded silently. "From my scanners, I'm picking up a strange energy trace from it, unlike any I've ever seen before."

"Is it raw energon?" Airazor inquired.

"Doubtful," said Optimus. "The source within that place is even more potent than energon."

"Cool!" Jack cried. "Does that mean we're gonna go inside?"

"No, Jack," Optimus told him firmly. "It could be dangerous in there."

"It's getting kinda late," Airazor reminded them. "We should get back to base soon."

"Agreed," Optimus confirmed. "Airazor, you escort Jack home. Cheetor and I will be waiting back at base."

* * *

"Look at this!" Blackarachnia exclaimed. "Just imagine what's in this shack!"

"I'd imagine some nice candles and a king-sized bed," Tarantulas snickered suggestively.

"No, Tarantulas," she sighed. "Look at the scanner right here!"

The two of them were in beast mode, outside in the very yard of the Arkenstein house with Blackarachnia holding a small scanner in one of her eight legs.

"Let me take a look at this!" Tarantulas finally sauntered up. "What is it that's so important you won't allow me to—"

Blackarachnia chuckled inwardly as Tarantulas gasped.

"By the Inferno!" he exclaimed.

"Told you so, legs," she smiled.

"This house contains an unknown mineral even more durable and long-lasting than energon itself!" Tarantulas cried. "How can this be?"

"That's what we're gonna find out tonight!" Blackarachnia replied. "After we're done reporting in to Megatron, we'll go."

"You mean when _you_ are done reporting to Megatron," Tarantulas sneered. "I am a free agent. I come and go as I please."

"Don't rub it in, ground crawler," she retorted snappily.

* * *

"Rattrap, come with me tonight."

"What for, Optimus?" Rattrap protested. "I got plans! It's a movie night for me!"

"We're going to investigate a strange new power source," Optimus told him. "It's coming from an abandoned house in the countryside."

"So let the place rust," Rattrap yawned. "I got better things to do!"

"You know, I could use your investigative skills…"

"Since I am, after all, the finest private eye you're gonna find on all of Cybertron!" Rattrap finished proudly.

"You know," Optimus said thoughtfully. "It's a pretty big house after all. I'm pretty sure there are some booby traps inside…"

"Yup, and there ain't anyone else who knows traps better than _Rattrap_," the smaller Maximal ended. "Sorry, Optimus, but I still don't wanna do it."

Optimus sighed. "Looks like I'll have to bring Cheetor along then."

"Excuse me?" Rattrap blinked.

"Cheetor's always had an eye for adventure, unlike some people. I'm sure he'll be more enthusiastic about tagging along."

The Maximal commander paused before turning around to leave. "I'll go get him now."

As Optimus strolled down the corridors, he could hear footsteps behind him. Finally, there was Rattrap behind him.

"Oh no, Optimus," he growled. "That kid ain't stealing my thunder!"

Optimus smiled. _Works every time!_

* * *

"So this is the living room, huh?" Blackarachnia commented. "Place looks comfortable around here."

She and Tarantulas were now inside the mansion. Getting inside had not been a difficult expenditure. Around them were furniture and other assorted objects, most of which were covered with cobwebs and dust.

An eerie creaking sound that would have frightened most people was heard down the corridors. Tarantulas and Blackarachnia, however, were not _most people._

"Hmph, and the humans consider the place haunted," Tarantulas scoffed. "On this primitive planet, fear of the supernatural grips them more strongly than I could have imagined."

"What's wrong, Tarantulas?" Blackarachnia smiled sarcastically. "You sound a little worried. Afraid to step into the dark?"

Tarantulas ignored her. "Better stick to beast mode, widow. We don't know if the elements beneath this house will affect us the same way as raw energon."

"What's with the attitude, legs? A few hours ago, you were trying to hit on me."

"This is serious, witch!" Tarantulas hissed loudly. "If the tales are true, then…"

"What tales?" she asked.

"Long ago, my creator told me tales of the _Vukrashnah_," he explained. "Even my master mentioned their name with some small inkling of fear. It is told that they will mean the beginning of the end!"

"Sounds like an old folk tale to me," Blackarachnia shrugged and then blinked in sudden surprise. "Wait, who exactly is your _master_ anyways? I thought you weren't the type to play second fiddle to anyone."

"That's not for you to know," Tarantulas quickly replied. "Let's go!"

As soon as Tarantulas scurried off on all eight, Blackarachnia glared after him a little while longer.

"You know something, Tarantulas," she muttered before following him.

* * *

"Yeesh, nice place," Rattrap remarked as he and Optimus entered into the house through the second floor window.

Optimus dusted the cobwebs off his chest as Rattrap looked around. So far, there was nothing outside of the double beds and the Victorian-era desk that adorned the room neatly.

"Make sure to stay in beast mode," Optimus cautioned. "We don't know if the energy source beneath us is unstable or not."

"Oh yeah, Optimus," Rattrap said. "Number one rule of horror movie survival guidelines… never split up!"

Optimus rolled his eyes. "This isn't a horror movie, Rattrap."

"Hey, I ain't ruling out the chances of it becoming one!" Rattrap declared firmly.

"You're really paranoid, you know that, Rattrap?"

"So long as it helps me live to a ripe old age," Rattrap replied.

Walking towards the door on all four legs, Rattrap opened the door… and screamed.

* * *

"An underground tunnel, huh?" Blackarachnia murmured. "This just gets more and more interesting."

Now, she and Tarantulas were in the basement with their scanners on full power. After a cursory survey, the two of them had discovered a secret underground tunnel leading even further into the Earth.

"Ladies first," Tarantulas gestured.

"Now you're polite again?" she snorted as she entered into the descending staircase first.

"That's correct," Tarantulas smiled. _Should anything go awry, I can always use her as a sacrificial lamb!_

As they crawled down the stairs, the torches being held on the walls ignited and flared on as they passed.

"Do not be distracted," Tarantulas ordered. "Concentrate on the task at hand!"

"Right," Blackarachnia replied sardonically. "Concentrate on your prattling as we go along…"

"Do not back talk me, witch!" Tarantulas growled. "I don't want this excavation mired by your incompetence!"

"Cool it already, Tarantulas!" she groaned. "We don't even know what's down there so stop being so tense."

Tarantulas gathered himself calmly before replying. "I suppose you are correct. We should, however, remain on our guard."

"Agreed."

* * *

"Cheetor!" Optimus exclaimed. "How did you get in here!"

"I saw you and Rattrap heading out at night," Cheetor confessed. "I thought I'd just follow you to see what you were up to!"

"This expedition could be dangerous, Cheetor," Optimus warned him sternly. "We don't know anything about the energy source below this house."

"Have a little faith in me, Optimus!" Cheetor looked at him. "Haven't I proven myself to be useful already?"

Optimus looked at Rattrap for advice. Finally, after a few nano-kliks, the rodent-like Maximal nodded.

"Cheetor's done more than just prove himself useful," Rattrap admitted. "Takin' him along can only mean more help for us, not to mention more experience for him."

Optimus Primal chewed the cud on the subject briefly before acting in accordance with his diminutive companion.

"Very well," he said in accordance with Rattrap. "Cheetor, you can come along, but be on your guard."

"Will do, Big Bot!" Cheetor saluted with one of his paws.

After the three of them had headed downstairs, Rattrap was the first to observe the living room.

"Someone's been here," he whispered.

"Who?" Optimus and Cheetor asked at once.

A few more seconds passed with Rattrap sniffing the air before giving them an answer.

"It's 'dem spiders, alright."

"And you know this, how?" Cheetor rolled his optics.

"See the dust on 'da floor?" Rattrap pointed out.

"Yes?" Optimus Primal nodded.

"Normally, a place like 'dis might be completely covered with the stuff," Rattrap explained. "The 'clean' spots on the floor without the dust show that our eight-legged friends were here."

Optimus narrowed his optics. "Let's go on ahead."

After a thorough search of the house was done using their scanners, the Maximals finally descended into the basement where, as almost expected, they had found their target.

"You're right about one thing, Rattrap," Optimus told his teammates. "Someone was here recently."

An open door greeted them, one that contained staircases that led to the very caverns of the building. Optimus looked at the tunnels warily before turning back to Rattrap and Cheetor.

"You wanna go first, Cheetor?" Rattrap suggested.

The staircase down the tunnel seemed to go on forever. After one good look, Optimus made his decision.

"Follow me closely," he cautioned. "It looks like these stairs lead down to catacombs."

"Do not go any further," a small voice implored behind them.

At the rear, a short, hooded figure stood there. No part of his body showed, save for the hands that beckoned them to stop. The temperature within the room also seemed to have dropped drastically.

"There is no return beyond this point," he said cryptically.

"Okay, we're officially spooked here," Rattrap muttered.

"Who are you?" Optimus asked as Cheetor crouched down nervously.

"You are not part of the plan," the figure replied off-handedly. "Leave this place and never return."

Optimus looked back towards Cheetor and Rattrap.

"Whaddya suppose we do now, boss monkey?" Rattrap whispered.

As Optimus and his two companions looked up again, the mysterious figure had vanished.

"We continue," Optimus declared firmly.

* * *

"Yeesh, this place is like a tomb," Rattrap complained while tearing the cobwebs off his face.

Ten minutes had passed since they descended the staircases. What they found was a large passage that led further down a darkened path. So far, they had seen no sign of life.

Carefully, Cheetor stepped over several skulls littered across the floor. The torches mounted on the wall seemed to burn more brightly as if they were anticipating the Maximals' arrival.

"According to my scanners, we're nearing the energy source," Optimus observed. "If we just go a little further…"

Suddenly, the flames to the torches vanished, leaving them in complete darkness.

"Whoa!" Rattrap cried. "Now ain't a good time for a blackout!"

"Don't panic!" Optimus urged. "We can get through this! Just hold on to each other so that we don't lose—"

A shrill cry emanated from Cheetor as the ground beneath him gave way, sending him plummeting into the darkness.

"Slag it!" Rattrap shouted as he transformed to robot mode. "Where are you, Cheetor!"

"Rattrap!" Optimus yelled through the pitch black. "Grab hold of me! We'll find Cheetor as soon as I get access to my infrared vision."

A muffled cry was heard from Rattrap. At this point, Optimus charged blindly into the darkness in hopes of finding his friend. Unfortunately, by the time he had entered in the access codes for his night vision, it was too late. A searing flare of green light blinded him instantly as he lost consciousness.

* * *

"Ouch," Cheetor muttered. "That was one nasty fall."

After crawling back to all four, he realized that he was lying next to a well.

"What's this?" he wondered out loud.

"It is access to the underground springs," a voice next to him replied.

"Whoa, you're that guy we saw earlier," Cheetor gasped.

"Something like that..."

The figure finally removed the mood. To Cheetor's surprise, it was only a young brunette girl about 14 years old.

"You're just a kid!"

"Not when I'm next in line to be the High Priestess of the V—" she snapped but quickly caught herself. "Um, what I meant is that I've never seen a talking cheetah before."

"The name's Cheetor actually. Who are you, anyways?"

"I'm Selena," she said. "I live around here."

Cheetor eyed her warily. Though he was a relative newcomer to Earth, he had lived amongst humanity long enough to know that young teenage girls normally did _not_ go out on their own at night without some sort of chaperone. With her, Cheetor knew that there was more to this than met the naked eye.

"Listen, Selena," Cheetor looked towards her. "I'm lost right now, along with a few of my friends. Think you could help me find them and then lead us out of here?"

"Okay."

"Lead the way," Cheetor encouraged with a cautious smile. What also surprised him was that she was not shocked by the sight of a talking animal.

* * *

By the time he was awake, Rattrap became uncomfortably that he was pinned to the wall with the energy webs woven by spiders. Within only a few feet, the sound of an argument could be heard.

"Shall we feast now or later?" Tarantulas asked.

"You're the one who wanted to get down here in a rush," Blackarachnia shrugged. "We could just take his body back with us after we get the power source."

"A rather convenient suggestion," Tarantulas agreed. "Shall I drain him first or shall you?"

By the time he had heard that unsavory suggestion, Rattrap was already fast at work with a small blade in his hands, cutting through the webbing as his captors conversed.

"I will," Blackarachnia snorted. "Once I'm done with him, maybe I'll eat you too."

Tarantulas chuckled lightly at the suggestion. He was well aware that black widow spiders ate their mates.

"Eat this, ya eight-legged freak!"

As Tarantulas and Blackarachnia turned around, Rattrap freed his arm completely. With his pistol, Rattrap shot Blackarachnia in the chest, blasting her head over feet onto the floor. As an arid smoke rose from Blackarachnia's fallen body, Tarantulas aimed his gun at Rattrap watchfully in a standstill. Rattrap's pistol was firmly concentrated on Tarantulas as well.

"Careful, rodent," the Predacon scientist warned. "Your body is still entangled within my webbing. You have no chance of escaping!"

"We'll see about that," Rattrap replied as he sliced through the energon webbing completely with his switchblade and quickly rolled out of the way as one of Tarantulas' missiles completely destroyed the wall that he was previously pinned against.

Before Tarantulas could get off a second shot, Rattrap slammed into him and knocked his weapon away. Tarantulas grabbed the small Maximal by the throat but Rattrap responded with a rapid kick to the Predacon's knee, dislocating it completely.

Tarantulas howled in pain but Rattrap silenced him quickly and efficiently with a point-blank blast to the forehead. Now, smoke arose from both the scorched bodies of Tarantulas and Blackarachnia.

"I hate spiders," Rattrap muttered as he stepped over them and ran off.

* * *

"I see you're awake now, beast."

"Who are you?" Optimus groaned.

"I see the blast has fried your circuitry."

"What blast?" Optimus demanded.

As he raised his arm, Optimus became keenly aware that he was shackled quite closely against the wall. His memories flooding back to him, Optimus soon realized that something did indeed knock him unconscious. Uncertainly, he wondered whether or not the hooded figures before him could accomplish something like that against a highly advanced and powerful robot from another planet.

"Who are you?" he asked again.

The leader of the group stepped forth and removed his hood to reveal that of an elderly man in his 60s.

"I am Ecclesiastes," the old man explained. "We stand before you right now as the Order of the Vok. I stand before you now as the Prophet of the Vok."

"The Vok?" Optimus stared blankly.

"Yes," Ecclesiastes replied. "For centuries, we have awaited their return. In due time, we will receive their grace and mercy."

"Just who are you exactly?"

"A curious specimen, are you not?" Ecclesiastes smiled, revealing several missing teeth. "We are a secret order that has been around since the dawning of humanity."

"Must be a long time," said Optimus dryly.

"For eons, we have been charged with the task of guiding humanity into the light as caretakers of this planet," Ecclesiastes continued. "Unfortunately, because of their petty nature, humanity has forsaken its planet in pursuit of its own greed."

This was an argument that Optimus found hard to disagree with. Despite his faith in sentient life, there were times that Optimus realized humans weren't exactly a model species.

"Since the rise of the world's major religions, the Order has diminished by much," Ecclesiastes sighed. "We are no more than a mere rumor now."

"Just how many of you are there?" Optimus inquired.

"That is unimportant," Ecclesiastes explained. "What's important is that because you and your kind have arrived on this planet, a wild card has been thrown into our plans."

"What do you mean?"

"I refer to the Great Purging, of course," Ecclesiastes replied. "Though many others would refer to it as Doomsday or Armageddon, we prefer to think of it in less adverse terms."

Optimus rolled his optics. "I've heard that one before."

"The Vok, creators of this world and masters of numerous civilizations across the galaxy, are coming," Ecclesiastes warned. "They are furious at the destruction that humanity has brought about."

"Just who are the Vok, anyways?"

"They are our masters," Ecclesiastes replied cryptically. "Once they are here, you shall understand."

"And what will happen once they arrive?"

A spark of joy could be seen in Ecclesiates' eyes. "The mountains will tremble and the seas will run red with the blood of sinners."

"Mind talking to me with less parables?" Optimus asked dryly.

"Very well," Ecclesiastes waved. "The Vok shall destroy civilization, itself, while sparing those who have served them. Under their new rule, we shall rebuild Earth and transform it into the paradise it was always meant to be!"

"I hope you realize what you're advocating is global genocide," Optimus warned. "What you and these _Vok_ want could cost countless lives."

"It is a price that we are willing to pay," Ecclesiastes looked deeply into Optimus Primal's optics. "However, you are an anomaly in this world. I've sensed throughout our conversation that you are not an unenlightened fellow. What I offer you now is the chance to leave this planet along with any others of your kind. You are not to blame for humanity's sins and I suspect the Vok will not concern themselves with you should you and your kind leave."

"That's not exactly something I can do right away," Optimus answered directly. "Things are rather complicated now."

"Oh?"

"Besides, if what you say is true, I can't let you or these Vok commit wholesale murder."

"I had a feeling you'd say that," Ecclesiastes glared at Optimus. "What is it that would make you defend an irredeemable race that would hunt you and your kind down mercilessly if you were ever revealed to them?"

"It's simple," Optimus replied candidly. "Freedom is the right of _all_ sentient beings. It's one of my Prime Directives. Besides, you happen to be a human too, in case you've forgotten."

"I see," Ecclesiastes sighed. "Very well, you've made your decision. It's a shame you shall not live to see the coming of the Vok."

"Oh yeah?" Optimus grinned. "Just try me."

As Ecclesiastes' eyes widened, Optimus tore off the shackles that bound him. By now, most of the acolytes backed away slowly from him. Ecclesiastes merely closed his eyes and chanted as Optimus towered over him.

Optimus crossed his arms. "Is this what you do every time you don't win a convert?"

"Hardly."

Before Optimus knew it, a white hot searing heat consumed him. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before. He clutched his head and fell down to his knees in agony. The burning sensation had found its way from his optics to nearly every mechanical joint in his body. Fire seemed to erupt from him as his eyes glowed green. Searing flames circled Ecclesiastes on the ground as his robes danced wildly.

"This," he laughed, "is only a taste of the true power of the Vok."

Very soon, the flames disappeared as Optimus kneeled before the floor motionlessly.

"Grandpa!"

"Selena, dear child!" Ecclesiastes smiled. "You're just in time to witness another blasphemer that's stepped into the light!"

"I brought his companion as you instructed," Selena gestured towards Cheetor.

"Optimus!" Cheetor cried as he transformed to robot mode and aimed his gun at Ecclesiastes. "What have you done with him!"

"I've only stripped him of that worrisome free will of his," Ecclesiastes replied calmly. "Just observe."

Finally, Optimus Primal stood up. While he had sustained no damages, there was something about him this time that did not bode well with Cheetor. The glowing green eyes were a start.

"Big Bot," Cheetor looked at his leader cautiously. "Is that… you?"

Without warning, Optimus lunged.

* * *

By the time he was at the main gate, Rattrap was panting. He had spared no time in stumbling his way through the dark, barely lit, corridors. By now, he was pretty sure he had found the location of possibly both Optimus and Cheetor.

Where the spiders were, he didn't know. Now, he regretted not blasting their bodies to pieces. There was still a chance that they'd recover and come after him. At this moment, he guessed that his night vision was probably not as good as either of theirs. If they caught up with him now…

"This must be 'da place," he muttered as he stared at door.

A few minutes ago, he had followed several loud sounds that led to this place. What exactly happened was anyone's guess but Rattrap knew almost for certain that they involved either Optimus or Cheetor.

"Here goes nothin'," he muttered as he creaked open the door and peeked inside.

Optimus held an unconscious Cheetor up by the back of his neck.

Rattrap recoiled. _Whoa! Wasn't expectin' that!_

Finally, he decided to act. First things first, he kicked down the door.

"Alright, ya buncha hoods!" he yelled. "This is a stick up!"

Immediately, the acolytes backed away from him. The only figures who remained unresponsive to him were a young girl and an old man.

"Selena, leave me to these heretics."

"But grandpa!" the girl protested. Her protests were in vain, however, as the old man gestured for two acolytes to take her far away. In a few seconds, they had vanished through the back doors.

"Greetings, diminutive one," the old man smiled. "I am Ecclesiastes."

"Stuff it!" Rattrap growled. "What've you done wit' Optimus?"

"It's not what I've done with him. It's what he's about to do to you!"

Without any hesitation, Optimus Primal threw Cheetor aside and attacked Rattrap furiously.

Rattrap quickly dodged a swing that instantly took off a large portion of the wall behind him. He braced himself as Optimus threw another punched and slid out from under Optimus' legs.

"What's gotten into you, Optimus!" Rattrap yelled out as his leader turned to face him.

"He cannot hear you," Ecclesiastes laughed as both his and Optimus Primal's eyes hummed with a blinding light. "He is a servant of the Vok now!"

Rattrap took out his gun and aimed it at Ecclesiastes. "Change him back, now!"

A large blade came crashing down and sliced apart Rattrap's pistol with one powerful stroke. Optimus now faced Rattrap with his sword gleaming.

"Don't do 'dis, Optimus," Rattrap pleaded.

The mind wiped Optimus, unfortunately, did not hear him. Rattrap had to duck as Optimus nearly took his head off with another swing. Just barely, he back flipped out of the way as Optimus slashed at him again. Rattrap grabbed a large crate and threw it, only for Optimus to slice it apart.

Grabbing as many inanimate objects as he could, Rattrap threw each and every one of them at Optimus Primal. Each and every time, however, they failed to slow the Maximal commander down. Finally, Optimus took careful aim and threw his sword at Rattrap who dodged just in time as it penetrated the wall where his head used to be.

Now, Optimus slammed his shoulder into the smaller Maximal, knocking Rattrap down thanks to his greater size and strength. As Rattrap got up, Optimus smashed him half-way across the room with one punch. Rattrap panted heavily but Optimus grabbed him by the arm and lifted him up. Rattrap used his free hand to punch Optimus across the face several times but to no avail. He cried out as Optimus applied more pressure to his arm.

"The pain will go away as soon as you tell me how many more of you there are on Earth," Ecclesiastes called out cheerfully.

Rattrap braced himself and swung with both his feet, catching Optimus Primal viciously across the chin, swinging himself over and out of the brainwashed Maximal's reach. As soon as Rattrap flipped over and landed neatly on his feet, he saw Optimus crash to the floor.

Staggeringly, Optimus Primal got up again. If he had experienced any pain at all, even in his brainwashed state, he certainly did not show it. Though his face was slightly dented from the force of the kick, he attacked yet again. Rattrap grabbed him by the arm and twisted it behind his back.

"Snap outta it, Optimus!" Rattrap tried to reason. "The old geezer's got you under some kinda… spell!"

Optimus broke free of his grip and punched Rattrap again, this time knocking him several feet into the air before he landed in front of Ecclesiastes.

Through his glowing, burning eyes, Ecclesiastes could tell that Rattrap did not have the strength to keep up the battle any further.

"Do you surrender?" he gloated. "I suspect your friend can annihilate you with one more blow if you choose to continue this."

"I… can't," Rattrap coughed as he clasped Ecclesiastes' robes.

"You wish to kiss my robes now in deference?" Ecclesiastes smiled. "I knew you'd come around sooner or later."

With a sickening crack, Ecclesiastes felt his ribs crack ever so slightly. Soon, he experienced himself being lifted up and thrown against the wall, an act which knocked the air out of him almost completely..

"Just had 'ta get close enough to ya," Rattrap smiled weakly.

As expected, the green glow in Optimus Primal's eyes left him as the Maximal leader fell down, slightly unbalanced. Groggily, he opened his optics again. This time, Rattrap did not see the look of an automaton in him anymore.

"Rattrap?" Optimus blinked. "What happened?"

"You spaced out for a while," Rattrap replied as he pulled himself up. "We'll talk about it later."

Optimus looked towards the left-center of the room to see the unconscious body of Cheetor.

"Cheetor!" Optimus exclaimed. "How did this happen?"

"Eh, I'll explain that later, too," Rattrap scratched his head nervously, unsure about the best way to explain to his leader that he had beaten his young lieutenant insensible.

"Curse you!" Ecclesiastes coughed. "With his frail human body, I lack the power to defeat you…"

"Whoa!" Rattrap's optics widened. "I just cracked 'yer ribcage and threw you against a wall! You shouldn't even be standin' up!"

"I am over a century old," he replied through an almost asthmatic cough. "Due to life sustaining potions bestowed upon me by the Vok's knowledge, I am far stronger, durable, and long lived than any normal human."

Rattrap looked up at Optimus. "Can they really live that long, Boss Monkey?"

"Look," Optimus said as he looked towards the fallen Ecclesiastes. "Why do we have to come to blows over this?"

Rattrap shook his head. "Sheesh, the guy tries to mind wipe you and ya still let 'im off the hook?"

"We don't have to anymore," Ecclesiastes agreed. "One final blow and it will be the end!"

Revealing the small detonator he held in his hands, Ecclesiastes pressed down on it while laughing hysterically.

"Oh boy," Rattrap muttered as Optimus, with Cheetor in tow, grabbed him and blasted off at full speed.

* * *

"Seeing you like that was unreal," Cheetor muttered. "How did he brainwash you?"

"I don't even remember," Optimus confessed. "I was blinded by this searing light and that was it."

"What I wanna know is who are these kooky weirdoes?" asked Rattrap. "I get the feeling they ain't exactly normal humans."

In the distance, the mansion itself was already consumed by fire. The skies were now darkened from the massive amounts of smoke the flames had generated. In several more minutes, the house would become nothing but ashes.

"The old man, Ecclesiastes," Optimus said. "He talked about the Vok and how they would arrive on Earth one day to cleanse it."

"Oh, come on, Optimus!" Rattrap interjected. "You honestly don't believe 'im, do you? I mean, these Looney Toons could just be another one of them doomsday cults. After all, every civilization has at least a few of 'em."

"Then how did they brainwash Optimus?" Cheetor asked.

"Cheetor has a point," Optimus replied grimly. "Reprogramming one's mind usually requires advanced nanotechnology. I've been scanning myself for several cycles and I still haven't found a single trace of any foreign nanites in my system."

"I dunno," Rattrap suggested jokingly. "Maybe they played you like one of 'dem snake charmers."

Both Optimus and Cheetor glared at him. Rattrap then realized how inappropriate his words had been and kept silent.

In the far distance, the flames from the mansion burned ever so brightly. As the smoke rose further into the night sky, a thin skeletal face formed temporarily through the fumes before vanishing into the darkness once more.


	11. Homeward Bound Pt 1

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Homeward Bound Part I_

"Report, Lieutenant Thrust."

"We gotta be so formal?"

"Not really, but standard protocol calls for it, dear," the yellow and black colored femme-bot answered through the shadows.

"Do as she says, Thrust," encouraged a large menacing Cybertronian with a hefty red visor covering his optics. "We may have all graduated from the same academy together, but that doesn't give us reason to skirt our duties."

"Screw you, Tankorr."

The femme-bot sighed. "Just give me the report, Thrust."

"Very well, Lieutenant Tankorr… Captain Shiva," Thrust began. "The crew of the Axalon have been traced to this place."

"Their chase of the Predacon rogues must have led them here," Shiva finished with a smile. "Now it seems that they're locked in a deadly embrace with their opponents."

"Can you imagine that?" Tankorr shook his massive head. "Stranded on some primitive mudhole?"

"Don't be so hasty, Tankorr," Shiva reprimanded. "Their battle has dragged on possibly longer than we can imagine."

"Sure," Thrust agreed reluctantly.

"Remember our orders from the Maximal Elders?" Shiva reminded.

"Oh yeah," Tankorr's visor gleamed maliciously.

* * *

"My heightened stress level has not been alleviated," Megatron groaned. "Nooooo…."

At the very top of Mt. Oberon, the day had not progressed as Megatron had originally hoped. Scorponok and Terrorsaur had gotten into two fights already. At the moment, Tarantulas was yelling at Waspinator to insert the correct circuitry. Blackarachnia, on the other hand, was sitting on the sidelines as aloof as ever.

"Can't any of you perform basic menial tasks?" Megatron asked aloud in frustration.

"Waspinator do better job if Spider-Bot will stop yelling at him!" the overworked Predacon scout buzzed.

"I am above such chores, Megatron," Tarantulas replied. "I merely supply the blueprints to your plans. It is up to your more baser followers to complete the tasks."

"Hey!" Terrorsaur cried out. "Who you calling _baser_?"

"Don't shift to the left, Terrorsaur!" Scorponok growled. "You'll drop the support beam!"

As mentioned by Scorponok, the two of them were indeed holding on to a large support beam that would be used for their satellite. Originally, Megatron had intended for the satellite to emit low-level frequencies designed to brainwash the entire city through their neural interfaces. Now, unfortunately, his invention appeared to be little more than a failed attempt at installing cable.

Megatron grunted angrily. "Can any of you even complete this project?"

He received no answer.

"We're at the top of the highest peak in all these surrounding areas!" he raged. "You should have minimal distractions! Why is it that you still persist in dithering?"

"Maybe it's because we don't like you, Grape Face," Blackarachnia muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Megatron demanded as he glared towards her direction.

"Uh, what I said was that we could probably use a break right about now," she responded quickly.

"Hmm, an excellent suggestion," Megatron, to everyone's surprise, agreed.

Terrorsaur and Waspinator looked at each other cautiously before sitting down, unsure as to whether or not Megatron meant what he said. Tarantulas merely transformed to beast mode and scurried next to Blackarachnia's side.

"Now then," Megatron said conversationally. "I've come to the realization that we, as a team, are not properly functioning. Have you wondered why?"

Terrorsaur was the only one who looked like he had something to say. A few seconds later, however, he decided to keep his mouth shut. Not surprisingly, he was afraid that Megatron would beat him senseless for saying anything at all.

"We lack coordination," Megatron explained. "We also lack solidarity and camaraderie as a team."

"Your point is?" Tarantulas asked.

Megatron made a mental note to himself to scrap Tarantulas ten times over when the day arrived that he would no longer need to rely on the scientist's abilities.

"My point is that we have two options," Megatron finished. "We can either steal all the Maximal stasis pods to triple our numbers… or we can work together cohesively as one team under my command."

"Um…"

"Yes, Scorponok?" Megatron looked over.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Megatron," Scorponok told his leader nervously. "But I don't even like my teammates… outside of you, that is!"

"It's good to see that your honesty has not been curtailed under pressure, Scorponok," Megatron commented. "However, we need more practice. Yessss…"

"Then it looks like practice has arrived," Blackarachnia pointed the sky.

In the distance, Optimus Primal was flying through the air towards their direction.

"Hold your fire," Megatron ordered. "I wish to converse with our Maximal guest first."

By the time Optimus had flown close enough, Megatron's troops lowered their weapons completely.

"Greetings, Optimus Primal!" Megatron exclaimed. "Have you finally come to your senses and realized that groveling before me would be in your best interests?"

"Hardy, Megatron," Optimus replied. "I just wanted to check out your science project."

"I assure you," Megatron smiled. "This satellite is merely being built for the purposes of research."

"Is that so?" Optimus cocked his eye up.

"Absolutely!" Megatron replied. "Today is such a beautiful day, is it not? Would you really be willing to spoil it through another skirmish?"

"You of all people should know that I prefer fighting as a last resort," Optimus gazed into the optics of the Predacon leader. "I'm just here with a message."

"Oh?"

With the Predacons' attentions being concentrated almost completely on Optimus, none of them, save the Maximal commander, noticed the small shadowy figure creeping towards the satellite. Silently and covertly, Rattrap attached a small explosive charge beneath it before slipping away without a sound.

"You've made your intentions on conquering Earth clear on more than several occasions," Optimus warned. "Just know that whatever you have planned, Megatron… we _will_ be there to stop you."

Immediately at hearing that, Megatron burst out laughing. Soon, the rest of his troops followed suit and cackled wildly.

"_**This**_ is what you flew all the way here to tell me?" Megatron sputtered loudly with laughter. "You really do need work on your speeches, Primal!"

"Nevertheless," Optimus said, unconcerned with his audience reaction. "My warning still stays."

"Yes, very well, Optimus," Megatron chuckled sarcastically. "You have my word that I won't harm your precious _fleshy-bots,_ or so Waspinator likes to call them."

"Ooh, Megatron now adopt Waspinator's trademark!" the Predacon wasp beamed. "Waspinator may even get promotion!"

"Don't flatter yourself, antenna boy," Terrorsaur smirked. "He was only saying it to make fun of Optimus."

"Yeah," Scorponok chimed. "Besides, I'm second in command! No way is Megatron gonna promote you!"

Waspinator's shoulders slumped in defeat as he sighed. And they almost got his hopes up too.

"I believe you were leaving, Optimus?" Megatron winked.

"Figure I was," Optimus replied before blasting off into the sky.

"Now!" Megatron turned his attention back to the Predacons. "Break time is over! Return to your posts!"

Several collective groans could be heard from the reluctant Predacons. Having to go back to work was not something they were anticipating.

"Hey, Megatron…" Scorponok announced nervously.

"Hmm?"

"When did this show up?"

Sure enough, as Megatron stared down at the anchor of the satellite, a small explosive charge carefully implanted there was winding down to the number zero.

"5…"

"4…"

"3…"

"ALL UNITS… SCATTER!" Megatron bellowed.

"2…1…"

* * *

"You should've heard it!" Rattrap laughed. "Ol' Megsy's bellow echoed for miles!"

"Sentinel," Rhinox asked. "How long do you think it'll take for Megatron to regain his strength?"

"Unfortunately, this latest incident has incurred Megatron's wrath far more than I could have calculated," the supercomputer replied. "I predict that his actions shall become more… irrational."

"I suppose this means we'll have to call in Airazor and Tigatron," Optimus nodded.

"It is a suggestion that I concede to," Sentinel agreed. "With Units Tigatron and Airazor, you have a greater chance of success."

"Besides," Cheetor added. "It would be nice having Big Cat and Bird Lady around base more often."

"My sentiments exactly," Rattrap nodded. "Pickin' on you and the Boss Monkey gets old after a while. I gotta have a new audience to play to."

"I'll go call them in," Optimus agreed. "Hopefully they should be able to make it."

* * *

"Megatron?" Scorponok inquired carefully. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm not fine, imbecile," Megatron replied harshly. "An entire week's planning is gone thanks to that fool Primal."

"Anything Waspinator can do to make things better?"

"Heaven forbid that you do," Megatron retorted angrily. "You're the most useless of all!"

Waspinator's shoulders slumped yet again. "Waspinator only trying to help…"

"Why didn't we just blast Optimus?" said Terrorsaur. "He was right there."

Megatron looked down at Terrorsaur disdainfully. "Yes, why didn't we just 'blast' him, Terrorsaur?"

"I mean, it's a no-brainer," Terrorsaur spoke to Megatron almost defiantly. "We could've had the ape and you let him go!"

For his candid yet brutal honesty, Terrorsaur received a vicious backhand from the Predacon commander that knocked him clear across the room. His body slid rapidly across the floor until he slammed head first into Megatron's T-Rex jaw that sat in the corner.

"And I was hoping he'd goad me into doing that," Megatron smiled sadistically.

Waspinator and Scorponok kept silent. Neither of them dared to speak out of fear that they'd receive the same treatment as Terrorsaur. Meanwhile, Megatron slipped on his tail vise with his left arm.

"And you," Megatron glared down at Waspinator. "What have you ever contributed to this team aside from your incessant buzzing?"

"Waspinator… is good scout?"

Directly, the very tip of Megatron's tail vise jabbed Waspinator in the stomach harshly to silence him. The next thing Waspinator felt was being thrown into the nearby mirror, shattering it in the process.

"Have you anything to say, Scorponok?" Megatron's face turned around.

"Um, I…" Scorponok muttered uncertainly. "That is… we could try something new."

"I'm listening," Megatron said in a low, dangerous voice.

"We, um, could just take over the city with the drone army you commissioned over the past few months," Scorponok recommended, being as careful with his limited vocabulary as possible. "We've got enough power at this point to at least take over a country."

"A feasible suggestion," Megatron nodded.

As Scorponok breathed a sigh of relief, Megatron quickly responded with a loud, vicious smack to the face of the smaller Transformer. The Predacon leader then stepped over the unconscious body of his second in command.

"But I don't want to do it just yet," Megatron scowled.

* * *

Finally, Tarantulas was soon done with his field scan. So far, nothing had shown up on the sensors, no Maximals… or Predacons. Now was a perfect time.

Quickly, he pulled the lever to his satellite, triggering a low-key sub-harmonic wave that traveled into the night sky. After several nano-kliks had passed, Tarantulas felt satisfied enough to turn off his machine.

"Now for you, my pet," he whispered. "Your goal is to send the message to the ship."

Below him, Scorponok's Cyber Bee sat. More precisely, it was a reprogrammed Cyber Bee that Tarantulas had recently stolen from Megatron's sub-commander.

After a few more attachments were made, Tarantulas activated the drone. With a loud humming sound, it flew off into the sky.

"What're you doing up this late?" a voice behind him yawned.

Tarantulas turned around to face Blackarachnia. "It's none of your concern."

Blackarachnia feigned distress. "You weren't this way when I asked to come over and spend the night."

"Heh, that was different," Tarantulas chuckled.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"I have no reason to, witch."

"I'll give you a reason then," Blackarachnia winked.

"And what would that be?" Tarantulas sneered.

"Come inside and I'll tell you," she purred.

* * *

"Have you received the message?" Shiva demanded.

"We got it," Thrust assured.

"So what's the deal?" Tankorr demanded. "You gonna make us get new modes or something?"

"I think not," Shiva declared. "Gaining the form of an inferior specimen on this planet is beneath us. We are strong and evolutionarily superior with our current vehicle modes."

"That's good," Thrust said. "I'd hate to lose my two-wheel drive."

"We have information on the Preds already," Tankorr looked up. "How are we gonna deal with the Axalon crew?"

"I will handle Optimus Primal," Shiva told her two companions. "Tankorr, you will engage Rhinox."

"Cool," Tankorr smiled. "So I get the heavyweight of the group, eh?"

"Precisely," Shiva replied. "Rhinox's body has been streamlined in the process of acquiring his beast mode. He is slightly faster but your strength should overwhelm him."

"I take it I'll get the cat and the rat, huh?" Thrust asked.

"Yes," nodded Shiva. "You have the speed of Cheetor _and_ the skill of Rattrap. You alone will handle them easily."

"What're we gonna do about the other two Maximals?" Tankorr asked. "I didn't think they'd be awakened from their stasis pods yet."

"Ah, yes…" Shiva muttered thoughtfully. "Whatever they're like, we shall handle them as well."

* * *

"First time you've been here?" Airazor asked.

"Not exactly," Tigatron replied. "Although I wouldn't say I'm as familiar with this place as I am with the wild."

Soon, after their entrance, a small mechanical orb floated before them.

"Greetings, Tigatron and Airazor," it said. "I am Sentinel, primary supercomputer of the Axalon."

Airazor and Tigatron exchanged incredulous glances.

"Should I use that thing as target practice?" Airazor whispered.

"Hello, Tigatron… Airazor," Optimus greeted them. "I trust you'll be willing to stay here for a few days?"

"My schedule's not too tight," Airazor replied. "You can count on me, guys."

"I should be able to stay until things get cleared up," said Tigatron. "Could you brief us again, Optimus?"

"Megatron's activities have been getting more and more dangerous," Optimus explained. "We'll need the entire team together just in case he does anything big."

"Yeah, so we'll need all of ya's here!" Rattrap pointed out as he appeared behind Optimus.

"Please, Rattrap, I can handle this," Optimus insisted.

"You can give a speech like a fish outta water!" Rattrap pushed past Optimus. "I, on the other hand, have saved all of you lousy bums dozens of times with nothin' but my wits and experience!"

Optimus took Rattrap by the shoulder and led him away privately.

"Just because I appointed you my second in command doesn't mean you can start acting like you own the place."

"No offense, Optimus," Rattrap brushed his hand aside. "But you ain't got what it takes to put down a sick puppy like ol' Megs so I'm gonna give 'dis team what it needs."

Optimus sighed. "And that is?"

"PARTY!" Rattrap shouted as random confetti was thrown into the air.

"Sorry, Optimus," Rhinox said as he appeared with a party hat visible on his head. "Rattrap suckered me into it."

"Things have been so gloomy lately," Cheetor walked up on all fours. "We need a little celebration every now and then."

"I suppose you're right," Optimus smiled as dark lenses appeared over his optics. "One night of fun can't hurt."

* * *

"My brethren!" Megatron's voice thundered across the stadium. "We stand on the threshold of a new era!"

Across the football field under darkened skies with brightly lit stadium lights, over fifty cybernetic raptors watched intently as their master spoke with the skills of a fiery orator unlike any other.

"It's official," Terrorsaur whispered to Waspinator and Scorponok. "He's lost it."

"Once we have cowered before the power of Maximal tyranny," Megatron continued. "Tomorrow is when we make our stand! They will oppress us no more when we, as individuals and as Predacons, take back what is rightfully ours!"

Behind Megatron, his three lackeys displayed varying opinions over the speech.

"Wow," Terrorsaur rolled his optics. "I can see now why Megatron couldn't get many followers back on Cybertron."

"Shut up," Scorponok ordered. "I think his speech is brilliant!"

"Hmm," Waspinator buzzed skeptically. "Megatron promise many things… almost never deliver."

"He'll deliver, alright!" Scorponok growled. "You two just don't have the dedication to our cause!"

"I should be the one in charge," Terrorsaur muttered bitterly.

"Just shut your beak and do as you're told!" Scorponok told him.

"Whatever," Terrorsaur yawned. "I'm outta here. Come on, Waspinator."

Scorponok shook his head as the two fliers walked away from the stands. For all their conniving, couldn't they see that Megatron was indeed the one who'd bring the Predacon race out of Maximal bondage? Right now, he was the only one on the team who really believed in their leader..

"My fellow Predacons!" Megatron thundered. "We will triumph and take back what truly belongs to us!"

True to form, Scorponok cheered wildly.

* * *

"You've gotta be kidding me," Terrorsaur's beak gaped. "And why's he dressed like that?"

Besides him, Waspinator seemed equally hesitant. Morning had come and neither of them could really believe the sight before them. Scorponok, on the other hand, seemed to be overjoyed.

"As I saw saying," Megatron glared at his two scouts harshly. "Our game plan is relatively simple. Our energy signatures will betray our location while the Maximals rush in to stop us. Afterwards, my new pets will make short work of them."

It was not Megatron's 'game plan' that bothered Terrorsaur and Waspinator so much. It was, in fact, the ridiculous referee uniform that Megatron had adorned across his body.

"Afterwards," Megatron's eyes gleamed. "We shall prove to this world that we are its true masters!"

"You said it, Megatron!" Scorponok beamed.

Both Terrorsaur and Waspinator, on the other hand, seemed to be lost in thought. With one glance, Megatron could immediately tell that his plan hadn't exactly gone through the minds of certain Predacon minions.

"Terrorsaur, rephrase our entire plan again," Megatron ordered.

"What?" Terrorsaur stammered. "Repeat what you…?"

"Terrorsaur in big trouble," Waspinator murmured quietly.

"Three hundred push-ups!" Megatron growled. "NOW!"

"Are you serious?" Terrorsaur shouted. "I can't do that much!"

Megatron opened the massive T-Rex jaw located on his right arm to reveal the mega cannon within. After one quick glance, Terrorsaur gulped and immediately got on the floor.

"You too!" Megatron glared at Waspinator.

"Yes, Megatron," Waspinator whimpered.

* * *

"I have detected Predacon activity within the Tengu sector," Sentinel announced.

"The coordinates?" asked Optimus.

"Sector 234.65432," replied Sentinel. "Megatron and his Predacons are locatedin those coordinates along with over fifty unspecified units."

Optimus' eyes widened. "He couldn't have found all the stasis pods!"

"No," Sentinel confirmed. "The units within that area are neither Maximal nor Predacon."

"Any precautionary measures we should take?" asked Rhinox.

"It is suggested that you lead an assault with all Maximal units," Sentinel advised. "I highly recommend this measure against the six Predacons and whatever else they have in store."

"This could be our chance to shut Megatron down for good," said Rhinox. "With the Preds captured, we could go home again."

Optimus closed his optics briefly. What Rhinox had said was indeed a palatable suggestion. How long had they been on this planet again? Almost a standard human year?

Finally he made his decision.

"Alright then. Sentinel, make sure defenses are on full alert."

"I will be sure to," the supercomputer replied. "It is my function after all."

"I pray to the Matrix we can finish this as quickly as possible," Optimus said. "Megatron won't hesitate to pull out all the stops on us."

* * *

Even the rustling of leaves helped to amplify the feeling of dread that gnawed at the Maximals.

So far, there were no traces of Megatron or any of his servants. Noon was fast approaching in the forests and so far, not a single clue was given as to where the Predacons were hiding.

"I knew it was a bad idea to come out here like this," said Rattrap.

Above them, Airazor flew down and perched on top of Optimus Primal's shoulders.

"Still no sign of any Pred activity," she said.

"I sense strange properties in this area," Tigatron growled in a low voice. "It would be best not to transform to robot mode for the time being."

Rhinox gave pause. "My scanners show that the amount of raw energon in this place is off the charts… along with something else."

Tigatron looked at Optimus. "You've lost few of your Maximal features even in beast mode."

"Still got the opposable thumbs," Optimus smiled wryly.

With a deep breath, Tigatron transformed to robot mode, took out his weapon, and handed it to Optimus.

"The Predacons won't be able to transform either if they're here," Tigatron said as he switched back to beast mode before a violent surge of raw energon could overtake him.

"He's right," Rhinox added. "One advantage like this can make all the difference."

Optimus held the gun carefully. "Thanks, Tigatron. I'll keep that in mind."

"Just remember 'dem shootin' lessons I've been giving you," Rattrap smirked.

"You haven't given me any shooting lessons," Optimus frowned.

"Don't be so humble, Pop Op," Rattrap chuckled. "You've trained with 'da best and now's 'yer chance to prove it!"

Optimus rolled his optics while the rest of the Maximals laughed. Their joyous moment, however, was short-lived as broken twig was heard behind them.

Tigatron growled fiercely as the hair on his back rose.

"Relax, Tigatron," said Cheetor. "It's just a twig."

An earsplitting roar erupted as a large reptilian creature leaped out of the undergrowth, lunging at Cheetor. Immediately, Tigatron tackled it from the side and knocked away.

The creature then rose. Its feral red eyes complemented its metallic hide as razor sharp fangs gleamed through its mouth. The claws on its feet clicked in excitement, ready to tear its prey apart at a moment's notice.

"What is that thing?" Airazor exclaimed as she and the Maximals readied themselves for action.

"Maybe Megatron's Mini-Me?" Rattrap offered.

The small Maximal was indeed correct about one thing. It did resemble Megatron's beast mode in many ways. The only two notable differences on it included the long talon extended on its big toe and the sleeker body mechanics.

"I've seen this thing in some old movie before…" Cheetor examined it closely. "I think it's called a velociraptor or something."

The cybernetic raptor steadied itself as it charged with its jaws agape. Before any of the Maximals could react, Tigatron slammed into it and pinned it down forcefully before tearing out its throat mercilessly and viciously.

"It's as I suspected," said Tigatron as he took out the controls that had aligned itself carefully within the creature's artificial jugular.

He batted it towards Optimus. The Maximal leader immediately picked it up.

"This creature is programmed to hunt down and kill each and every one of us," Tigatron explained. "They'll show us no mercy."

Several fearsome roars echoed throughout the mountains.

"There's more of them," Rhinox looked up.

"They truly are Megatron's hounds," Tigatron snarled. "We should be on our guard."

* * *

Though he eagerly anticipated victory, Megatron was wise enough not to gloat too loudly in front of his followers. Terrorsaur and Waspinator were preparing themselves for an aerial assault on Airazor while Scorponok, Tarantulas, and Blackarachnia steadied themselves for any underhanded tactics involving cyber-venom.

His cybernetic raptors, however, were the ones being sent in for a direct assault against the Maximal team. On top of the wide cliff, the remaining saurian drones leered down with glowing eyes like ravenous dogs of war.

Megatron, himself in beast mode, felt a small burst of pride as five of his cyber raptors ran downhill to confront the Maximals.

"To think that they're growing up and leaving the nest so soon," Megatron sniffed.

"Want us to do anything?" asked Scorponok.

"Not yet," Megatron smiled. "My pets will do our bidding for the time being."

"Master!" a breathless cyber raptor quickly ran up to the Predacon commander. "The Maximals have already destroyed Unit 03!"

Tarantulas snorted. "You're certain that relying on these cybernetic fossils is prudent?"

"You created them, Tarantulas," Megatron spoke with an edge to his voice. "You tell me."

Sensing the dangerous tone to Megatron's voice, Tarantulas decided not to say anything further.

"Not only are the Maximals outnumbered," Megatron said. "They cannot transform either thanks to the raw energon in these forests combined with the naturally occurring magnetic fields that surround this area."

"They've walked into a death trap," Terrorsaur sneered.

"Precisely!" Megatron grinned.

* * *

"I hear them," Tigatron growled. "They're closing in on us."

"I can smell 'em too," Rattrap said. "Looks like they ain't gonna let us get away 'dis easy."

The grinding footsteps could be heard several feet away from the Maximals. Though the stalkers could not be seen, their growls and snorts were more than pronounced.

Finally, an enormous raptor leaped out and slammed into Optimus from behind, knocking the gun out of his hand. Before any of the other Maximals could react, four more cyber raptors burst out and attacked.

Nimbly, Cheetor leaped out of the way as a powerful slash aimed for his head tore several chunks of bark out of a nearby tree. He spun to the side and leaped onto the back of the cyber raptor, sinking his claws into its scaly hide. Quickly, the raptor slammed his back into another tree, knocking the wind out of the young Maximal. Cheetor barely regained his senses before a tail swipe from the raptor smacked him across the face and sent him sailing through the air.

Rhinox, on the other hand, was not so fortunate as to have Cheetor's speed. Almost immediately, another cyber raptor leaped onto his back and began tearing into him.

Grunting in pain as the creature's sickle-like claws dug into his back legs, Rhinox rolled to the ground, crushing the raptor beneath him.

In the meanwhile, Optimus and Tigatron stood back to back as three raptors closed in on them. Airazor quickly grabbed Rattrap by the shoulders and flew him to safety. Suffice to say, neither of them would have been a match for the fearsome creatures in their current beast modes.

As Tigatron pounced on top of one, Optimus quickly leaped into the air, grabbing on to a branch. With one swing, he kicked the remaining two raptors, sending them crashing to the ground.

* * *

"My pets are doing a better job than I could have hoped for," Megatron said while looking through the telescope.

"Oh, can I see?" Scorponok hopped up.

Megatron handed the telescope to Scorponok. The rest of the Predacons looked hopeful, waiting for their chance to see through the battle.

From the faraway distance, Scorponok viewed the battle eagerly as Optimus struggled to hold back the two cyber raptors who were snapping at him violently.

"How long do you think they'll last?" Scorponok asked.

"Oh, Optimus and his happy band of Maximals will most undoubtedly last against the first batch," Megatron replied cheerfully. "However, once I sent the rest of my hounds, they will most assuredly fall!"

"Shall we, master?" asked one of the cyber raptors that stood nearby.

"Of course, my pet," said Megatron. "Once the Maximals have defeated your brothers, you are to engage them and render them limp enough so that I may have the satisfaction of finishing their leader!"

On cue, the reserve cyber raptors charged down the hill, running at full speed towards the site of the battle. Like hellhounds from the underworld, their roars filled the air as they prepared themselves for the ultimate kill.

"I can just taste the aromatic flavor of victory!" Megatron exclaimed.

"Um, Megatron?" Waspinator began.

"Silence, bug!" the Predacon commander growled without turning around. "I want to watch this!"

"Actually, Megatron," said Scorponok. "I think you need to take a look at this."

"What is it?" Megatron huffed after putting down his binoculars.

"What's that big ship doing hovering above us?"

"Oh my," Megatron whispered.

As the rest of the Predacons looked up in awe, the mega-blaster from the ship took aim and fired.

* * *

Against their better judgment, Rattrap and Airazor dove down from the trees to enter the melee.

Now the battle seemed to have taken a turn for the worst. Cheetor had been knocked out completely while Optimus and Tigatron were fighting by the edge of their teeth.

Rhinox charged blindly, leveling an entire tree in the process. His intended target swiftly leaped out of the way while slashing him across the side again.

Panting exhaustively, Rhinox glared at the cyber raptor. While he was indeed stronger, the mechanical reptile was undoubtedly more agile than he was. He had to think of something before the little dinosaur simply wore him down to nothingness.

"Take 'dis, Chopperface!"

A batch of mud was instantly slung into the eyes of the surprised cyber raptor. Using this momentary distraction to his advantage, Rhinox charged and impaled the raptor with his horn, throwing the lizard into the air from the force of the blow.

"Thanks, Rattrap!"

As Cheetor groaned, his vicious attacker stood poised to tear the young Maximal limb from limb. He managed to open his optics but unfortunately, his body was in too much pain to respond to his powerful assailant.

A shrill cry was heard as powerful talons raked the cyber raptor across the face. Howling in surprise, the raptor raised his head and snapped at his attacker. All he managed to bite down on was a single feather, which he immediately spit out again. Airazor shrieked and dove down for another assault.

The cyber raptor was more prepared this time, whirling around and catching her from the side with a powerful swing of his tail that knocked her against a tree.

"You fight bravely," the raptor said. "It is unfortunate that we must rend you apart like we would cattle or any other prey!"

Immediately, Rattrap leaped onto the cyber raptor's back, biting down as hard as he could. With little effort, the raptor shook him off and slammed his foot down onto the smaller Maximal.

"You dare attack me, vermin?" he hissed. "Your death will be the most delicious of all!"

"Lay off!" Optimus shouted as he bounded forward and smashed the cyber raptor across the face with a powerful roundhouse punch that snapped the creature's neck.

"Optimus!" Tigatron shouted. "Watch out!"

Optimus Primal didn't need to be told twice as he immediately rolled aside to avoid an overhead slash from the final cyber raptor. Grabbing Tigatron's gun which lay on the ground beside him, he took quick aim and fired.

Instead of the gun destroying the raptor as he expected, its blast struck the target, incasing it in several blocks of ice.

Optimus' eyes widened. "Well… that's just Prime."

"I must have accidentally set the weapon to its freeze beam," Tigatron coughed. "Still, it works charmingly."

"Please tell me we're through," Rattrap moaned.

This time, Optimus didn't blame him for complaining. The injuries they had sustained weren't mortal but just severe enough so that they wouldn't last through another major conflict. Cuts and slashes lined his body along with that of Tigatron's, Cheetor's, and Rhinox's. Primus forbid there were anymore of Megatron's pets out there.

As he hoisted the wounded Cheetor onto Rhinox's back, Optimus detected further movement through the undergrowth.

"Don't tell me there's more of 'em," Airazor groaned.

"Stay close together," Optimus told his teammates. "It may be our only chance."

As expected, several more cyber raptors appeared from the woods and surrounded the hapless Maximal team. From the looks of it, there were about thirty to forty of them.

"What do we have here?" one of raptors growled. "The Maximal team… injured and cornered!"

"We won't hesitate to pick your corpses clean," his companion snapped.

All six Maximals drew closer together as Optimus held the raptors at bay with Tigatron's gun.

Rattrap looked around and measured the odds.

"Yup," he said. "We're all gonna die."

_**To be continued.**_


	12. Homeward Bound Pt 2

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Homeward Bound Part II_

"We're all gunna die."

"Not today we're not!" Optimus declared.

Before he could flip off a single shot with Tigatron's gun, Optimus noticed a massive object within the sky looming above them. The cyber raptors had taken notice as wellwith several of them growling and snapping at the air above them.

As the object drew closer, Optimus soon realized that it was a ship of Cybertronian properties.

"By the Matrix," he whispered. "Could it be…?"

The mega-cannon beneath its underbelly took aim and fired. One scorching blast was all it took to vaporize almost a dozen of the cyber raptors.

Sensing defeat, the remaining raptors ran scattered and ran off. The Maximal team looked up cautiously. Sure enough, it was a large Maximal ship in the air.

"Can it be?" Rhinox exclaimed. "Has Cybertron finally found us?"

"It looks that way," Optimus nodded.

So far, they were speechless. None of them had anticipated the Maximal starship even entering Earth's atmosphere. What should have been cause for great celebration was now silence.

Rattrap was the first to react.

"Sweet! Cybertron's here for us!"

Slowly, the expressions of each Maximal warmed, save for Tigatron.

"Looks like we'll finally be going home," Optimus smiled.

As the Maximals celebrated, a small hovercraft from the ship dislodged itself and sailed down to greet the Axalon crew.

Three Transformers stood aboard the hovercraft. On the left was a small, gangly 'bot whose head hunched over while shades of dark pink covered his body. On the right, a large tank-like robot with a red visor crossed his arm and glared menacingly.

Finally, in the center, a gold-plated femme-bot with small miniature wings atop her head like that of a Valkyrie's greeted them.

"Greetings, Optimus Primal and the crew of the Axalon," she said. "I am Captain Shiva and these two are my trustedcomrades Tankorr and Thrust."

Thrust stood there, showing no sign of emotion. Tankorr, on the other hand, nodded his head in a perfunctory bow.

"It's been a long time, Shiva," greeted Optimus. "How's your career been in the Vehicons?"

"There are good days and bad days," she replied warmly. "I count these as the good days."

"Optimus knows her?" Cheetor asked.

"He knows all three of them," Rhinox explained. "Back when we were attending the Cybertron Academy of Exploratory Sciences, Optimus hung out with them."

"You also know 'em, Rhinox?" Rattrap inquired.

"Nah, Optimus and I only took classes together back then," said Rhinox. "I didn't stick with his crowd."

"Sounds like Optimus was a real party animal back in the day," Cheetor remarked.

"You don't know the half of it," Rhinox smiled wryly.

Rattrap's optics widened. "You're tellin' me the whole story on the way back!"

"I'll have to get Optimus' approval," Rhinox scratched his head nervously. "He may not want me telling you everything from back then."

This, of course, only served to pique Rattrap's curiosity even further.

"These three are known as Vehicons now," Rhinox explained. "They're in the highest rank that a Maximal general can achieve."

As all the Maximals walked off in order to discuss their ordeals, only Tigatron remained behind. Soon, Airazor sensed something was wrong and flew back to his location.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Aren't you glad Cybertron's here to pick us up?"

"A part of me realizes that Cybertron is where we belong," Tigatron replied. "But another part of me believes that it's wrong to simply leave behind what I have on Earth."

Airazor lowered her head. What Tigatron had said struck a chord with her. While they were indeed going home, what would they have to leave behind?

* * *

"They've been captured?" asked Optimus.

"Every last one of them," Tankorr said. "Wanna check 'em out in their holding cells?"

"Sure," replied Optimus, who felt slightly uneasy around the larger Transformer.

"We finally found you while tracing your vapor trails through space," Thrust explained. "Found you easier that way."

"Then you know that trying to placate Megatron wasn't an easy job, right?" asked Optimus.

"Yeah, but I don't particularly care about the details," replied Tankorr dismissively. "I just like to blow stuff up."

"You've changed a lot, Tankorr," Optimus said.

"You know what they say," Thrust put in. "The more things change…"

"I'm not going to finish that," Optimus said with a smirk.

* * *

Megatron could hardly believe his luck. A few moments ago, he was poised on the edge of victory. Now, he was nothing more than a mere prisoner of war.

What infuriated him was that he had been caught off guard completely. Never, in his wildest dreams, had he expected a Cybertronian ship to appear like that. He was quite irate, despite the fact that his holding cell was bigger and more spacious than the others.

Still, it was not much cause for celebration. He was bound with three energy bonds over his body. It was hardly the satisfactory treatment that he had expected.

Finally, Optimus had walked up to his cell. Megatron's eyes blazed with anger briefly before settling for a more calm expression.

"Expecting a hero's welcome when we return to Cybertron, aren't we?" Megatron asked sarcastically.

"Actually, I'm a little more concerned about your fate," Optimus replied in a non-committed voice.

"And you very well should be," Megatron growled. "Do you have any inkling as to what your Maximal Elders have planned for me?"

"I realize that," Optimus said. "Your theft of the golden discs isn't exactly something that'll land you a few stellar cycles in some mudball prison."

"What are you, my lawyer?" Megatron asked incredulously.

Quite contentedly, he smiled. So far, the golden discs aboard his ship were secure and hidden. Even now, Optimus and his crew had not seen the discs for themselves.

"I pray to Primus that I were," Optimus' optics narrowed. "I'll try my best to convince the Elders that you're just a delusional fool who believes he's going to rule Cybertron."

"The great Optimus Primal is now resorting to fibs?" Megatron smiled.

"If I don't do it, they may have you executed," Optimus glared. "I'm doing you a favor."

"So, you admit that your government is nothing more than a Predacon unfriendly regime that's not above sacrificing its lower-class citizens in the name of planet-wide security?"

I'm just trying to help you, Megatron," was Optimus Primal's reply.

"I believe you are," Megatron responded coolly. "But whether or not you are capable of such a task is the true question."

"I'll do what I can," Optimus said. "Meantime, you'd better keep out of trouble."

"You don't see me going anywhere, do you?"

* * *

"Whoa, you guys are loaded!" exclaimed Cheetor.

The weapons room Thrust had shown him and Rattrap was most impressive. It was filled with state-of-the-art weaponry that the Axalon had never been afforded.

Even though Rattrap was impressed, he had been careful not to show it, unlike his younger companion.

"What's this gizmo do?" Cheetor asked.

Thrust turned around and gestured towards the large gun mounted on the wall.

"It's an ultra-sound cannon, kid" Rattrap spoke before Thrust could reply. "It can generate 'dem sound waves at who-knows-what miles per mega-cycle."

The Vehicon general glared at Rattrap. "You know your stuff."

"Ain't it the truth," Rattrap smiled insincerely.

Cheetor, in the meantime, had remained blissfully unaware of the tension between Rattrap and Thrust. Instead, he ogled the plasma disrupter concealed behind a small set of glass.

"So what made someone like you sign up for a dinky mission like this?" Thrust asked Rattrap frankly.

"I needed some rest and relaxation," came the reply.

"I've read up on you," Thrust continued. "You've been through armed conflicts in Vector Sigma, Arcturus, and Delta. Why would a hardened veteran such as yourself want to waste time in some exploration vessel?"

"You're sayin' you want my autograph?" Rattrap smiled.

An odd moment of silence passed between the two only to be broken by Cheetor who accidentally tripped over some cords.

Thrust shook his head before turning around and leaving. "I don't get you."

* * *

"He has them," Shiva sighed. "I know he has them stowed aboard his ship."

"The golden discs?" asked Optimus.

"What else could I mean?" Shiva huffed angrily. "That blasted rogue has frustrated us at every turn!"

So far, Megatron had kept silent under rigorous interrogation. Nothing they did seemed to faze him. Then again, they hadn't gotten to the point of torturing him just yet. That was always their last resort if prisoners refused to spill the beans. The other Predacons had been questioned as well. So far, none of them seemed to even know where Megatron had hidden the discs.

"So Optimus," Shiva decided to change the subject. "What do you plan to do once we return to Cybertron?"

"Well," Optimus replied casually. "I'm hoping to use the Axalon for a second round across the galaxy."

"A soldier's destiny was meant for you!" Shiva urged. "Not that of a scientist's!"

"What do you mean?"

"I… can't explain," Shiva said softly. "But you understand, don't you?"

"No," Optimus shook his head, clearly confused. "I don't."

"Optimus, look at me," Shiva urged. "What happened between the two of us? Why are you regarding me so warily?"

Optimus sighed. "What we had was stellar cycles ago. You were the one who broke it off."

"A mistake on my part!" Shiva protested. "It can be easily rectified!"

Optimus subsided into silence. While it was true that she had hurt him many stellar cycles back, he did not want to put her down either by rejecting her offer openly. Before he could say anything, Airazor and Tigatron appeared at the door.

"Hey, Optimus," Airazor asked. "Could you help us out with the quantum generators for a moment?"

Optimus was quite relieved on one hand. Now, he would no longer have to be put on the spot regarding his love life. Still, he knew he would have to eventually deal with his ex-girlfriend sooner or later.

Sparing a quick glance towards an absolutely enraged Shiva, he finally followed Tigatron and Airazor.

By the time they were gone, the Vehicon smashed her open fist against the wall in anger.

"Slag that fool!" she growled. "This is how it ends, is it? Does he truly prefer the touch of that avian?"

After a few cycles had assed, she sat down, fully defeated.

"It seems he's finally moved on with his life," she said bitterly.

* * *

"You must be Rhinox," Tankorr stated plainly.

"Yup," Rhinox answered. "Nice to finally see you again."

"I knew you?" Tankorr asked incredulously.

"Not really," answered Rhinox. "We attended the same academy together, though."

"I remember now!" exclaimed Tankorr. "You were that bookworm Optimus always crammed with on the last night before his exams!"

"The secret's out," Rhinox smiled weakly. "So how'd you finally find us?"

Tankorr grinned. "That's our little secret."

"You're not going to tell me?" Rhinox asked.

"Nope."

"What for?"

"Not your business, junior."

"Why is that?"

"You'll find out later."

"Tankorr," Shiva interrupted as she stepped out from the shadows. "I need to have a word with you."

"Sure," Tankorr shrugged.

As the two walked off, Rhinox eyed them suspiciously. What bothered him most was the secretive nature of their saviors. Just what were these Vehicon generals doing, anyways?

* * *

"Our orders were to silence both Maximals and Predacons on this planet," Shiva growled. "I had been hoping to spare Optimus that fate but now…"

"I knew you'd come around," Tankorr smiled. "What you saw in that guy I'll never figure out."

"Alert Thrust," Shiva ordered. "Our plans will bear fruit sooner than later."

"I'm on it," Tankorr saluted.

Shiva looked down at the drill-bit sword that adorned her side. With one swift motion, she unsheathed it and sliced through her desk neatly.

"I'll be sure to clip that little song bird's wings, Optimus," she cooed. "Just you watch."

* * *

Unbeknownst to both Shiva and Tankorr, one Maximal had heard their entire conversation.

Tigatron looked around wildly. This was bad news indeed. No option remained for him except to alert the other Maximals as quickly as possible. As he turned around to return to the engineering deck where Optimus was, Tigatron found himself face to face with the diminutive Transformer, Thrust.

"Thinking about going somewhere, Tabby?" Thrust mocked.

Tigatron could tell that the threat in his voice was no bluff. It also helped that the Vehicon's arm-mounted blaster was aimed squarely at his chest.

"Why are you doing this?" Tigatron growled.

"Nuthin' personal," Thrust shrugged. "Just following orders."

"I'm beginning to see," replied Tigatron.

Without hesitation, Tigatron grabbed Thrust by the arm and threw him against the wall with all his might.

"I must warn Optimus!" Tigatron growled as he took off.

Before he could get very far, a powerful blast from behind dispatched him summarily.

As Tigatron fell, the massive Tankorr stood from behind him, shoulder cannon brimming with smoke.

"Sheesh," grinned Tankorr. "Talk about cat scratch fever..."

* * *

"Have you seen Tigatron anywhere?" Airazor asked as she walked up towards Shiva who had just finished typing in several coordinates in her chambers.

"No," Shiva stated plainly. "I haven't."

"Tell me," Airazor asked. "Why's Optimus so tense around you?"

"Ancient history," Shiva replied. "I'm not the type to engage in girl talk."

"You and Optimus?" Airazor asked, visibly surprised.

"Oh yes," Shiva nodded. "Has he ever told you about those times?"

"Not really," confessed Airazor. "He's the kind of guy who likes to live in the present."

"You would know wouldn't you?" Shiva grumbled. "It's nice to see he's finally moved on."

"What're you talking about?" inquired Airazor.

"This!" Shiva cried. Instantly, a small energy rod appeared in her hand and electrocuted Airazor in the mid-section.

"You…!" Airazor cried in shock and surprise.

Before Airazor could do anything more, Shiva flipped out her blaster and shot the Maximal flyer in the chest. She stared blankly as Airazor's form fell to the floor.

"Give Optimus one final kiss from me," Shiva muttered.

* * *

Several mega-cycles had passed but in the end, the four members of the Axalon had finished their tasks. The crates had been loaded into the massive ship completely.

All that remained was for Optimus Primal and his crew to take their possessions from the Axalon.

"Looks like we're finally going home," Rhinox commented.

"We still have Luna and Jack to say goodbye to," Cheetor said sourly. "I was starting to like this place."

"Kids these days," Rattrap muttered. "I'm tellin' ya, Cheetor… Cybertron's 'da place to be if you ever wanna call 'yerself a Maximal!"

"This planet does have its little charms, though," Rhinox admitted. "I've never seen such an abundance of organic life before."

"Speaking of which, where are Tigatron and Airazor?" asked Optimus.

"Dunno," Rattrap suggested. "Maybe they're hittin' it off somewhere."

"Do not worry about their fates. You will join them alongside the Predacons shortly."

"Shiva?" Optimus asked.

Before them, the three Vehicons stood. This time, the expressions on their faces were far different than before.

"What's goin' on?" Rattrap demanded.

Wordlessly, Tankorr took aim and fired. Almost immediately, the Maximals scattered as the explosion separated them.

"What are you doing!" Optimus demanded.

Tankorr transformed into tank mode and rolled forward as Thrust reverted to cycle mode and raced towards Rattrap, firing wildly.

Shiva took advantage of Optimus Primal's wide-eyed shock to leap forward with powerful sidekick that knocked the Maximal commander to the ground.

As Optimus got up, Shiva slashed at him with her drill-bit sword several times. A sharp, painful slash to his side made him whip out his twin blades to block her next swing.

"Are you crazy?" Optimus shouted.

"No," Shiva replied. "Just listening to the powers-that-be."

In the meantime, Tankorr had transformed back to robot mode. He and Rhinox glared eye for eye before they finally charged.

Tankorr was the first to drive his fist into Rhinox's chest. Rhinox, however, came back with a powerful roundhouse that drove Tankorr back several steps.

As the two behemoths pounded into each other, both Cheetor and Rattrap had to leap out of the way as Thrust zoomed past them. Both Maximals opened fire on high-speed motorcycle.

As Thrust dodged the incoming shots, the port on his left side clicked open to reveal a grappling hook. With much temerity, he fired it.

Rapidly, the hook wrapped itself around Cheetor's leg, knocking the young Maximal down. Not considering Cheetor's safety in the slightest, Thrust drove off, dragging him across the ground.

Using Cheetor's cries as guidance, Rattrap took off running after Thrust. Finally, after putting Cheetor through enough punishment, the Vehicon turned around and charged. Using all his might, he rammed into Rattrap, throwing the small Maximal against the side of a tree.

"This was easier than I thought," Thrust gloated.

"Think again… lame brain!"

Instantly, the port that held Thrust's grappling hook exploded due to a plasma blast from behind. The force of the explosion was enough to slam Thrust into the dirt beneath him.

Behind him, Cheetor held his quasar cannon weakly. Thrust's attack had taken a lot out of him but he was still standing… barely.

As Optimus held Shiva at bay, Tankorr clasped Rhinox by the head and slammed his own forehead into Rhinox's chin to knock him back. Seizing the opportunity, he turned around and fired at Cheetor with his shoulder cannon.

Cheetor was caught completely off guard as the blast struck him at chest level, placing him in stasis lock in less than a nano-klik.

"Cheetor!" Optimus cried. He quickly leaped into the air as Shiva missed him with an angular slash and blasted off with his Prime Jets.

"Maximals, retreat!" shouted Optimus as he grabbed his fallen ward.

As Tankorr raised his arms for protection, Rhinox fired several shots into him with his chain guns before slinging Rattrap on top of his shoulder and running off.

By the time Tankorr lowered his arms he was not amused. Several bullets from the chain guns had adorned themselves inside his arms and hands. Luckily, he was afforded extra plating to prevent any serious smoke rose from the bullet holes, he snarled angrily.

"Now I'm mad…" he growled.

"Save it," Shiva told him. "We have to attend to Thrust."

"You save it!" Tankorr shouted. "That one-horned goat is mine!"

Immediately, an electrical pulse overtook Tankorr's system. As the behemoth bellowed in rage, Shiva strode out in front of him calmly.

"You're forgetting about the failsafe we installed in you?" she asked mockingly.

Tankorr glared at her angrily but finally relented.

"No, I haven't."

"Let's take Thrust back," she said. "Optimus and his crew shouldn't be too hard to track."

* * *

"What could've made them turn on us?" asked a bewildered Optimus.

"The Pit if I know," Rhinox sighed as he helped Cheetor out of the CR chamber. "I can't believe Cybertron would allow such a thing."

"They said they was just followin' orders," Rattrap mused. "Who could've told 'em to do this?"

"Could someone be forcing them to do this?" asked Rhinox.

"I doubt it," Optimus shook his head. "I've known these 'bots for a long time. They weren't being coerced."

"Maybe some dirty Pred reprogrammed 'em for 'dis," Rattrap growled.

"The symbols on them were still Maximal," Rhinox pointed out. "I don't think they were reprogrammed."

"Whatever the cause, we have to confront them again," sighed Optimus.

"Especially since they have Tigatron and Airazor captive," spoke Cheetor for the very first time since he had exited the CR chamber.

"So you got a plan?" Rattrap asked Optimus accusingly. "Or are ya still gunna defend 'yer old frat buddies?"

Before Optimus could answer to that, their computer screens flickered to life.

"Attention, crew of the Axalon," Shiva announced. "You are now considered enemies of the state. Surrender immediately and Cybertron may have mercy on you yet!"

"Don't send anything!" Rhinox said. "They could trace the signal back to us!"

Silently, the four Maximals watched as Shiva continued.

"You are to surrender yourselves to the Vehicons immediately," ordered Shiva's image. "Negotiation will no longer be an option for scum like you."

With a brief flash, the image vanished. Stunned, the Maximals looked at each other pensively. What they had heard was unlike anything they had expected. Was their supposed trip home really their last?

"Maybe we can still reason with them," said Optimus despondently. "Maybe they can still listen…"

"You've crossed your wires, Optimus," Rattrap spat. "You heard their message. They ain't gonna cuddle with us now."

"Wait," Rhinox came in between the two. "Maybe there's a third option for us."

Both Optimus Primal and Rattrap looked up. Cheetor's ears rose as he sat down to hear what their ship's chief scientist had to say.

* * *

The deafening silence had been almost too much for Megatron to bear. For over several mega-cycles, he had sat in his cell with minimal movement, thanks to the energy bonds latched around his body. What he wanted the most was the freedom to stretch his arms out and scrap the entire crew of this ship!

His quarters weren't lit very well. He was aware however that next to his cell was the holding block for Tigatron.

"It seems that the once-mighty prince has finally become the pauper," Tigatron remarked sarcastically as he peered at Megatron through his window.

"You're hardly better off, Maximal," Megatron snorted. "This ship has no intention of allowing any of us to return to Cybertron alive!"

"How do you know this?"

"It's rather obvious, isn't it?" snapped Megatron. "They've been intent on capturing both sides already. What do you suppose will happen after they find your remaining comrades?"

In his troubled state, Tigatron did not answer. He was not exactly sure as to why fellow Maximals from Cybertron would want to capture their own kind like this. As Tigatron's questions remained unanswered, Megatron decided to plot his escape without any further distractions.

Unfortunately, his planning was interrupted again as his door slid open. Shiva, accompanied by Thrust, entered and trainedher weapons on him cautiously.

Megatron smiled. It was good to know that even as a captive, he inspired this much fear and loathing.

"Another rigorous round of interrogations, I presume?" Megatron sneered.

"No more protocol this time, bub," Thrust leaned over menacingly. "We're for real now."

"Oh dear, and what is it that you want from me?" Megatron gasped insincerely.

"We want to know about the golden discs that you've stolen," Shiva glared down at him. "The location of your ship will also do."

"Mmm," Megatron smiled. "That's for me to know and you to ponder over now, isn't it?"

"Don't play games, Megatron," Thrust produced a small electrical rod. "You can tell us or else we won't cut you any slack."

"I thought torture was against the Maximal way," Megatron observed.

"Not when it comes to Cybertron's security," Shiva said nonchalantly.

"Oh?" Megatron spoke sarcastically. "I thought that a simple rogue such as myself would not pose a threat to the almighty Maximal regime."

"You barely qualify as a threat," Shiva told him. "Tell us where the discs are or you'll be tortured. It's your choice."

"Shiva! Thrust!" Tankorr rushed in. "I've found their coordinates! Their energy signatures are right outside!"

"We'll be back for you," Thrust glared at Megatron.

* * *

"Come out and make this easy for yourselves!" Thrust called.

He, Tankorr, and Shiva had left their ship to enter into the forests. As the moon radiated high above, the three soldiers surveyed their surroundings carefully. The sounds of the night seemed to be interfering with their long-range sensors.

In the blink of an optic, a large, cat-like creature ran past them and back into the trees.

Almost immediately, Thrust opened fire, destroying several bushes and shrubs in the process.

"It's the cat," he said.

"No duh," Tankorr grumbled. "When are they going to show themselves?"

"Right about now, Tank Top!"

"Where did that come from?" Shiva cried.

One glance up was enough to answer her question. Sitting on top of a branch on the tallest tree around, Rattrap quickly opened fire upon the three hapless generals.

Tankorr aimed his cannon upwards to fire but before he could, Rhinox leaped out of the undergrowth and slammed into him from the side.

As Shiva turned to attack Rhinox, Optimus Primal's hand reached out and wrenched the gun from her hand.

"We really don't have to do this," he said.

"Yes, we do," she replied with a punch across his face.

* * *

As the battle raged outside, Cheetor had taken the chance to sneak aboard Shiva's vessel.

His part of the mission was simple. Free the others and then get back to Optimus as soon as possible.

Though the ship was large, it only took him a few cycles to reach the prison cells where the other were being kept.

"Cheetor," Airazor called out through her cell.

"I'm here, Bird Lady," Cheetor comforted. "You'll be free in a second."

"And what of us?" Megatron demanded through the opposing cell. "Are you here to gloat as well?"

"Hardly," Cheetor replied. "Optimus has a proposition for you."

"And that would be?" asked Megatron, whose curiosity had been piqued.

* * *

"Slag you!" Tankorr cried as he missed Rhinox with a massive punch that leveled an entire tree.

The thunderous explosion could be heard for miles but Rhinox was not distracted. Quickly, he jabbed Tankorr with two left punches. Tankorr roared in frustration and uppercutted Rhinox back to the ground.

Rhinox wasted no time in grabbing the fallen tree next to him and swung, catching Tankorr across the side of his head. As Tankorr clutched his face to protect his cracked visor, Rhinox moved in.

Meanwhile, Shiva attacked Optimus with a flurry of punches and kicks. Optimus, who seemed hesitant in using his gun, blocked her attacks and attempted to reason with her.

"There's been some kind of misunderstanding," Optimus urged. "Maybe we can work it out!"

Shiva only responded with a spin kick that narrowly missed taking off his head.

"She's over me," Optimus observed dryly.

* * *

Conveniently, Rattrap grabbed a branch next to him and threw it at Thrust, striking him across the forehead.

"You'll pay for that, mouse!"

"Come an' get me, Evil Knievel!"

Thrust transformed to motorcycle mode and fired two grapping hook into the upper branches of the tree. With a loud vroom, he scaled the tree with both wheels, going straight for Rattrap.

"Me and my big mouth," muttered Rattrap.

Revealing the guns underneath his head, Thrust opened fire and the branch that Rattrap stood atop was instantly destroyed.

As Rattrap fell, he grabbed one of the wires that held Thrust and broke it with one blast from his pistol. He held on tightly and used the cable to swing to safety atop the next tree. Whipping out his pistol, he fired without hesitation, destroying the final chord that held Thrust afloat to send him plummeting several hundred feet into the ground.

"Talk about getting' revved up," Rattrap joked.

* * *

"Time to end this, love," Shiva growled.

Quickly, she produced the electrical rod she had used to stun Airazor. With no reserves, she jammed it into Optimus Primal's solar plexus, allowing thousands of volts of electricity to course through him.

As Optimus screamed in pain, he kept his optics concentrated narrowly on Shiva. With much effort, he reached out with his hands and grabbed her by the arms, sending the electrical surges into her body as well. Finally, an explosion engulfed the two. As Optimus fell to the ground, Shiva was sent flying into the air before she crashed into soil again.

"That was pleasant…" Optimus panted exhaustively.

Shiva attempted to get back up but quickly fell back on her back.

At the sight of his fallen leader, Thrust pounded both hands together in rage.

"Blast you!" he shouted as he threw a punch aimed directly at Rhinox's head.

This time, Rhinox was prepared. As he caught the fist, Rhinox began to squeeze and put more pressure on the Vehicon general's hand. Tankorr gritted his teeth but soon howled in pain.

"I don't think so!" Rhinox declared.

With a powerful punch, Rhinox shattered the visors on Tankorr's face and sent him flying into a nearby tree, breaking it in two as the Vehicon's body crashed into it.

As a groan escaped his mouth, Tankorr was down while Rhinox stood triumphantly over him.

"I'm not through yet…!" Thrust cried as he aimed his weapons towards the two

Optimus and Rhinox stared at Thrust cautiously. Apparently, the fall hadn't taken him out just yet.

A second later, Rattrap leaped down from his tree and smashed Thrust's head into the dirt with both feet.

Suffice to say, the battle was over.

"You won't get away with this," Tankorr groaned as he crawled up to his knees.

"They won't," a voice behind him replied. "But I will!"

"Megatron!" Tankorr shouted.

One blast from his T-Rex cannon was all it took for Megatron to send Tankorr soaring back to the ground.

"I've been waiting to do this for quite some time!" Megatron declared. "Oh yes, indeed!"

"Stop, Megatron!" Optimus shouted. "They're defeated!"

"And you're going to stop me?" Megatron asked.

With that, the Predacons appeared from behind Megatron, brandishing their weapons at full capacity.

"You can count on it," replied Optimus.

Immediately, Tigatron, Airazor, and Cheetor appeared alongside the Maximals.

"This battle ends here," Shiva groaned weakly.

Before any of the Maximals or Predacons could react, she reached within her storage systems to remove a small remote which she pressed down upon immediately. Soon, all three Vehicons were engulfed in a bright light as they were teleported back to their ship.

"Curse those Vehicons!" Megatron growled. "Revenge was within my grasp!"

Within one cycle, the Vehicon ship hummed to life and lowered its massive side cannons, aiming directly towards the Maximals and Predacons.

"Oh joy," Megatron grumbled.

* * *

"Is Tankorr okay?" Shiva asked.

"He is," Thrust replied as he manned the controls. "We're going to blast those turncoats to atoms!"

The large Vehicon general sat against the wall, severely damaged. He had already entered into stasis lock while being beamed back to their ship.

"Wait a minute, Thrust," Shiva said. "We have an incoming transmission!"

"What!" Thrust cried. "In the heat of battle?"

"It's from the Maximal Elders," Shiva insisted. "We must open it!"

"Fine," Thrust grumbled.

As the connection was quickly set, the face of Maximal Elder Gallas. The panic-stricken look upon his face was noticed by both Thrust and Shiva.

"Thrust! Shiva!" Senator Gallas cried. "We need you to return to Cybertron immediately!"

"Huh?" Thrust asked. "What about the rogue Axalon crew?"

"Forget about them for now!" Gallas ordered. "The situation on Cybertron is even worse than we've feared! We need your assistance!"

Thrust attempted to protest at first but finally relented.

"Fine, we'll be there," Thrust saluted and cut the connection.

"There'll be another day," Shiva told him.

"Yeah, another day," Thrust agreed.

* * *

To the surprise of everyone, the massive Vehicon ship lowered its weapons, turned, and flew off into the night sky.

Deeply perturbed, Optimus Primal fell down to his knees.

"How could all this have happened?" he muttered.

"Uh, dat's the least of our worries right now, Optimus" Rattrap told him, gesturing towards the Predacons.

Several cybernetic raptors had quickly emerged from the undergrowth and surrounded the Maximal team.

"What are the odds?" mused Tigatron.

"Doesn't matter," Cheetor growled. "We'll find a way to kick their tails one way or another!"

Surprisingly, Megatron waved his hand in the air to signal for the raptors to retreat.

"What's this for?" Airazor demanded. "Want to finish us off yourself?"

"Hardly," Megatron smiled. "I owe you for freeing me from their cages."

"Who knew you had a sense of honor?" Optimus remarked sardonically.

"Just consider this a gift for now," Megatron explained. "A gift that will make the two of us even. Next time, I won't be so merciful."

Soon enough, Megatron motioned for the rest of the Predacons to return to base. As he turned around, he glanced back towards his enemies almost ruefully.

"Besides," Megatron grinned slowly. "This was a Pyrrhic victory for both of us at best. In the end, neither side will be returning to Cybertron today, nor for the foreseeable future. I relish in the fact that it pains you far more than it does me."

Having said that, Megatron stepped back and vanished into the darkness. As he left, the Axalon crew was left distraught.

"What could've made them turn against us?" Rhinox lamented.

Airazor kicked a rock aside angrily. "Isn't it supposed to be our homeworld? Why would they treat us like criminals!"

After the hurt and frustration had subsided, Cheetor finally raised the question that none had dared to ask.

"Think we'll ever go home, Optimus?"

"Not today Cheetor," Optimus closed his eyes without staring into the starless night, "but someday…"


	13. Cybertron's Finest

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Cybertron's Finest_

"You called, boss?" asked Lori Sage.

The young journalist looked across the desk to stare directly into her manager's face.

Her manager, Mr. Joseph Schneider, a middle-aged man whose hair had seen better days, glared at her with a stare that told her he sure wasn't inviting her to his office for a simple chat.

"Your articles on Megatron Industries constitute as libel, Ms. Sage," Schneider puffed his cigar. "I want you to stop printing these articles on our benefactors."

"But Megatron Industries has polluted our rivers and sold cargo to arms dealers from South America," Lori protested. "Their grip on our city is sucking the life out of it and… wait, did you just say that they were our benefactors?"

"That I did, Miss Saga!" Schneider said proudly. "Several days ago, I finalized a deal with them. Our building is owned and operated for the most part by Megatron Industries now!"

"You sold this firm out to Megatron Industries?" Lori's eyes widened. "But how did you…?"

"Just be thankful you're not being laid off," Schneider replied. "Besides, from now on, you'd best be careful not to bite the hand that feeds you."

This was not the first time Lori had been caught between her ethics and her work, but it most definitely was not something that she enjoyed being put through. Before she could struggle to find the right words, Schneider interrupted her thoughts.

"You know, you _could_ continue writing those articles," the older man said with a crooked smile. "In fact, I'd encourage you to. All you gotta do is come over to my place tonight for a little dinner."

"No thank you, sir," Lori finally replied weakly. "I'll stop printing those articles as you've requested."

"That's a good girl," Schneider nodded.

* * *

"He threatened you with that?" Jessica demanded. "That lecherous old man!"

"It's not that simple," Lori shook her head. "Megatron Industries is destroying the city I've called home ever since I was a little girl. And there's nothing I can do about it."

Jessica was worried about her friend's despondent state. Even though they were at the downtown pizza plaza, Lori's attitudes were sinking rapidly and it was easy to see why.

"I'm guessing the police aren't doing anything about it, eh?" asked Jessica.

"Megatron practically owns the police," Lori responded with little hope in her voice. "The officials here have also been bought out."

Try as she might, Jessica could not bring her friend out of the state that she was in.

* * *

"Are you getting this, Rhinox?" asked Optimus.

"All of it," Rhinox replied through the com-link.

Optimus Primal was currently on top of the rooftop over the pizza place, watching down and observing the daily regiments of human life.

"Seems we have kindred spirits here on Earth," Optimus observed. "This young woman also opposes Megatron. Her efforts are really something."

"What's the whole story?" Rhinox asked.

"Well, the increases in pollution, the poisoned waters, and rise of arms dealers across the continent can be attributed to Megatron," said Optimus. "His power is growing and there doesn't seem to be any way to stop it."

"We could go in with all guns blazing," Rhinox suggested and then relented. "Okay, bad idea… not the Maximal way."

"We'll have to play it subtle," Optimus agreed. "Somehow, we'll have to expose his operations to the world without calling any attention to ourselves."

"How are we going to do that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, old friend."

* * *

Waspinator sank into the CR bath happily. Several weeks had passed and they had not yet engaged the Maximals.

Looking down, Waspinator picked up the rubber ducky that he had found a few days ago.

So far, it had been quite a pleasant companion to have around, especially during these CR baths. Neither Scorponok nor Terrorsaur had been as understanding as his newfound toy.

As for Megatron, the only thing his commander cared about was power. Waspinator had always found his leader's fixation on Optimus Primal to be rather unhealthy. Right now, the only thing he was concerned about was amassing more power for a possible takeover of Cybertron.

"Waspinator thinks Megatron needs to relax more," he sighed as he sank further into the tub.

The two spiders had been another concern on Waspinator's mind.

While Terrorsaur's scheming did not bother him in the least, Waspinator was far more worried about Tarantulas. The Predacon scientist had always been much more aloof and secretive about his goals. It bothered Waspinator a great deal that neither he nor any of the other Predacons were in on any of his secrets.

Blackarachnia's scheming was a secondary concern compared to those of Tarantulas. While she had never openly rebelled against Megatron, both Waspinator and Scorponok understood her intentions without her having to say a word.

These thoughts, however, disappeared quickly as Waspinator leaned back to finish the rest of his bath before Megatron could order him to scout patrol on the loudspeakers.

* * *

"What kind of Predacon am I?" Megatron lamented as he sat on his chair. "For all my boasting, I've yet to conquer one mudball planet…"

Opposite to him, Tarantulas sat with a small electronic notepad. The Predacon scientist had been quite upset that he was being forced to act as Megatron's therapist and counselor. It was bad enough that he had to put up with the tyrant's speeches on a regular basis but now…

"Why couldn't I have named myself something less ambitious than my namesake?" Megatron shook his head. "I've yet to accomplish his feats."

Now Tarantulas was forced to listen to Megatron when the Predacon leader's moods were at an all-time low. Though he dared not say it, Tarantulas was getting really annoyed with having to listen to Megatron's moaning and bellyaching.

Although most Maximals did not give it much thought, the fact remained that even Predacons underwent bouts of low self-esteem.

Tarantulas swallowed quickly. "Would you… like to share anything with me during this session? Any thoughts"

"Ever since I was but a spark, the stories of the first conqueror who named himself Megatron several millennia ago had been an inspiration to me," Megatron admitted. "I thought if I had destroyed the cursed Maximal regime, I would have become a legend amongst our people. Alas, all I've managed to do is play a god amongst insignificant insects."

"You make me sick," Tarantulas muttered when he was certain Megatron could not hear him.

"I just feel that I've… accomplished so little in my lifetime," Megatron confessed. "The conquest of Cybertron is not yet within my grasp and I cannot even destroy a ragtag team of Maximal scientists."

Tarantulas groaned inwardly. How much more of this drivel would he have to take?

"Surely there's nothing wrong with me, is there?" Megatron asked. "Am I but a pale imitation of a past life?"

"There's absolutely nothing wrong, Megatron!" Tarantulas urged. "What you are experiencing is a momentary lapse. You should be back to your old self by tomorrow!"

Megatron smiled. "That's what I like to hear."

"May I be excused now?" Tarantulas asked.

"Yes, go about your business," Megatron waved. "I have other matters to take care of."

As Tarantulas transformed to beast mode and crawled out of the window, a knock at Megatron's door was heard.

"Yes?" Megatron called.

"Hey boss!" Schneider walked in casually. "How's business been?"

"Pleasant as usual," Megatron affirmed. "The gunners in Russia now have a new ace up their sleeve."

"Keep this up and you'll practically own the world!" Schneider laughed. "We gonna celebrate tonight or what?"

"Yes, of course," Megatron nodded. "But first, I must know whether or not you've ended those articles being written about me and my company."

"That's been taken care of," Schneider chuckled. "She was just a pesky journalist. Small fry, really."

"Excellent!" Megatron smiled. "You have served me well, Schneider!"

"So, uh, got any human-style drinks with you for our toast?"

"Yes, of course," Megatron smirked. "You are a god amongst men, Mr. Schneider. Tonight, we drink to your good health!"

* * *

"Megatron's in one of those moods," Terrorsaur groaned. "Couldn't he have chosen a better time for this?"

"Shut up," Scorponok nudged him. "Megatron's just going through some tough times right now."

"You shut up!" Terrorsaur shoved Scorponok. "I'm sick and tired of you sucking up to that lizard! Think for yourself for once, you drone!"

"Think for yourself… right," Scorponok retorted. "Look how far it's gotten you in life!"

"Now, now," Waspinator began, hoping to end the dispute in its early stages. "Terrorsaur and Scorponok not want to get in trouble with Megatron…"

"Out of the way!" both Predacons yelled as they shoved Waspinator aside.

* * *

As the explosion was heard from the other side of the mansion, Megatron was forced to end his conversation with Schneider prematurely.

"Excuse me," he said to Schneider. "I have some… urgent business to take care of."

"Uh, sure thing boss," Schneider replied nervously. Not surprisingly, the explosion had come as a shock to him.

"Make your way to the left and exit down the stairs," Megatron told him.

As soon as Schneider had left, Megatron transformed to beast mode and raced towards the scene of the disaster.

As he had suspected, the bodies of Terrorsaur and Scorponok lay there, both of them twitching convulsively. Before Megatron had the proper chance to do it, the two Predacons had entered into stasis lock.

"You idiots!" Megatron shouted. "Must this day get any worse!"

Suddenly, to his amazement, Waspinator managed to crawl out from under some of the rubble.

"So," Megatron looked down. "Terrorsaur and Scorponok have caused this, correct?"

"Yes," Waspinator replied nervously. "Waspinator try to warn them of Megatron getting angry but Terrorsaur and Scorponok not listen!"

"Very perceptive, insect," Megatron scowled. "I would have punished them if they were still conscious at this very moment."

"Megatron not angry anymore?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Megatron grinned sadistically. "Since the two of them are out of commission, I plan on taking my frustrations out on the nearest target!"

Waspinator gulped. In an instant, the T-Rex jaws around Megatron's arms clamped around his body and squeezed down on him hard. Waspinator cried out in pain as Megatron dropped him and used the jaws to grab him by the leg, swinging him around violently.

As Waspinator's body slammed into several pieces of broken concrete, Megatron continued his previous tirade as if lost in thought.

"Those blasted Maximal Elders think they can capture me and put me on their mock trials!" raged Megatron. "I'll prove to them and the universe beyond the shadow of a doubt that I am their rightful master!"

With one final swing, he threw Waspinator through an entire wall.

Cursing loudly and unrepentantly, Megatron finally walked away.

"Ooh," Waspinator moaned through the smoke. "Waspinator not having a good day."

* * *

Although it was late at night, Megatron still sat brooding in his armchair. The ticking of the clock had not helped to ease his nerves nor had the chirping of the crickets outside his window.

"This is hopeless," Megatron muttered to himself. "How will I ever prove myself worthy of the mantle of Predacon leadership?"

In his desperation, Megatron reached for the controls and turned on his TV screen. Despondantly, he slumped down.

"Within the next few days, according to NASA's observations, Sarah's Comet will pass Earth through our solar system," the reporter announced. "Currently, from their estimations, the comet stands a one out of thirty thousand chance of hitting Earth."

Megatron's eyes widened. This was the chance he had been looking for.

Immediately, he turned on his com-link.

"Tarantulas! Report to me this instant!"

* * *

"A plan most interesting," Tarantulas mused. "You want me to build a magnetic rail gun that would lure this comet straight into Earth's Atlantic Ocean?"

"In the ensuing explosion, the oceans will rise and overcome the once-mighty civilizations of Earth!" Megatron declared. "It will launch an evolutionary cataclysm unparalleled by anything before it!"

"And we, being Cybertronians, will survive," Tarantulas finished. "It is an ambitious plan, Megatron."

"Yes, and I plan on implementing it with no deliberate speed!" Megatron said with conviction.

"I like it," Tarantulas agreed. "It's a plan that's right up my alley."

"I wasn't asking for your opinion," Megatron crossed his arms.

"But you're asking me to finish your science project," Tarantulas replied haughtily. "Surely you'd give a penny for my thoughts."

Without warning, Megatron struck Tarantulas furiously and knocked him to the floor.

"No more of your games, you sniveling spider!" Megatron growled. "I've had it up to here with your conniving! Unless you plan on joining Primal's platoon, you'll not take that tone of voice with me EVER again!"

To illustrate his point, Megatron aimed his T-Rex cannon directly at the back of Tarantulas' head.

"Yes, Megatron," Tarantulas whimpered.

Satisfied that he had fully established himself as head of the Predacon pecking order, Megatron kicked Tarantulas away and walked off with his pride restored.

"I should have done that the moment I found him on my ship," Megatron said to himself, completely in bliss with how he had carried himself.

* * *

"Is this the facility?" Tigatron asked.

"Affirmative," Optimus replied. "The plan is to get in and obtain the necessary documents that could indict Megatron's company."

"Why tonight of all nights?" inquired Tigatron.

"Let's just say I'm playing the role of guardian angel," Optimus winked.

"Mmm, if you say so," said Tigatron. "From what I've observed, the human guards in this building are under the influence of mind control."

"Prime," Optimus muttered. "We'd better make it quick."

* * *

Sneaking in, as Tigatron had found, was not the hard part. His job was to disable the security systems as quickly as possible.

The encoded encryption within the computer was difficult enough. Several fallen guards also lay unconscious across the ground. It hadn't taken too long for Tigatron to dispose of them, overall.

Taking notice of the reflection off the steel layer that held the computer, Tigatron quickly jabbed his elbow into the stomach of a guard that had snuck up from behind him. As the henchman fell, the Maximal scout quickly returned to his work.

So far, the files he had opened contained basic company information. He had already discovered startling information on the amount of toxic wastes that were being dumped into the rivers.

After having found everything he needed, Tigatron saved the files to a small disc and after a few cycles of waiting on the downloading, placed it carefully within his wrist compartment.

"My work is done," Tigatron noted. "Though I did not find what was urgently needed, perhaps Optimus is having better luck than me."

Suddenly, Tigatron was struck with a sudden curiosity. On the lower right hand corner of the screen, a small file by the name of _Project: Dominion._ Without any inhibitions, Tigatron clicked on it.

"By the Matrix!" Tigatron exclaimed. "I must report this to Optimus!"

"Not for long you won't!" a voice from above the ceilings hissed.

"You!" Tigatron growled.

* * *

Smiling inwardly, Optimus breathed a sigh of relief. The cabinets he had searched through had finally revealed Megatron's riskier business ventures such as the high-power laser rifles being sold to fund the juntas of South America.

Indeed, it did not surprise him that even now, Megatron was responsible for much suffering across the world.

Optimus had seen his fair share of Predacon would-be dictators. Almost none of them shared Megatron's absolute disdain for life in the quest for power. This barely concealed fact made Optimus nearly sick to his stomach.

"One way or another," Optimus vowed. "I'll put a stop to you, Megatron!"

As Optimus ran down the hall to meet back with Tigatron, he could hear Megatron's mocking laughter in his head.

* * *

Tigatron braced himself as Blackarachnia transformed to robot mode and leaped down from the ceiling, sending several shots from her dart gun. As the small cyber-venom filled darts struck the wall near him, Tigatron rolled out of the way as several more darts flung themselves towards his direction.

"You would not support such a mad plan!" Tigatron snarled.

"Oh, but I would!" Blackarachnia cackled as she flipped through air and disappeared behind several large pieces of machinery.

Tigatron took out his gun. There was no telling what the black widow spider was truly capable of. It would be best to be on his guard.

Wicked laughter could be heard from behind him. Tigatron ignored it, knowing full well that it was a ruse to distract him.

A slight sound to his side stirred him to his senses. Tigatron quickly turned around and fired off a shot. The blast destroyed the machinery behind him but no remains of the Predacon female were seen.

"Right behind you, Tabby!"

Before Tigatron could react, it was too late. Blackarachnia caught him across the face with a spinning heel kick that sent him reeling back. As Tigatron caught himself from falling, several bullets from Blackarachnia's arm-mounted machine guns struck him and forced him to the ground.

When Blackarachnia ended the stream of bullets, she stopped to gloat.

"Guess you cats don't really land on your feet," mocked Blackarachnia.

"No, but apes do," Tigatron replied.

"What do you-AWK!"

Immediately, Optimus Primal rammed into Blackarachnia from the side, knocking her into several crates. Without giving her the chance to recover, Optimus aimed his arm mounted rifles and fired, destroying the machine guns mounted on her arms. As Blackarachnia shrieked in pain, Optimus grabbed her and slammed her against the wall.

"What're you doing here?" Optimus demanded.

"Haha, you think I'll tell you, Apeface?" Blackarachnia spat. "Go ask Megatron!"

"Freeze!" several soldiers appeared from behind Optimus. "No being may challenge Lord Megatron's will and live!"

"This is your cue to let me go," Blackarachnia smiled venomously.

"Sure thing," Optimus replied wryly.

Quickly, he lifted Blackarachnia up and threw her into the security guards. Grabbing Tigatron by the arm, he blasted a hole in the ceiling and flew off with his companion in tow.

* * *

"So this is his plan," Optimus mused. "A massive rail gun in space to lure that the upcoming comet to Earth."

"The prints in here also describe the place and location where a planetarium will be needed to control the rail gun," Rhinox pointed out.

"Megatron's gone mad!" Optimus exclaimed. "I never thought he'd be capable of this!"

"Yeah, well, 'da Maximal Elders didn't think he'd steal 'dem golden discs either," Rattrap pointed out.

"What's the plan, Big Bot?" asked Cheetor urgently.

"We stop him," Optimus replied firmly.

"Now 'yer talking!" Rattrap cheered. "Let's go kick Megatron's scaly hide!"

"Not so fast," Rhinox cautioned. "We'll need a plan first."

"Agreed," Optimus noted. "Rhinox, you stay here and monitor us. We'll need tactical support from your end. Rattrap, you and the others will back me up as I head inside the planetarium."

"Yeah, I got 'yer back," Rattrap agreed.

The other Maximals nodded in accordance.

* * *

"Megatron, what if the Maximals interfere with your plan tonight?" asked Scorponok.

"Yes, well… that's what you idiots are for," Megatron coughed.

"Hey! I resent that!" Terrorsaur protested.

Normally, Megatron would have smashed Terrorsaur's beak in. This time, however, Megatron simply chose to ignore him.

"Do any of you fools realize the grand-scale importance of our goals tonight?" Megatron asked.

Tarantulas glanced away furtively. The beating that Megatron had given him earlier had left him in a dour mood.

"You plan on turning the human race into fossils, we know already," Blackarachnia huffed. "You don't have to give a speech every chance you get."

"Ah yes," Megatron smiled. "It is entirely possible that I have overexerted myself a bit. Perhaps you'd like to entertain us with your sterling attributes, Miss Arachnia? Or is that something you reserve only for Tarantulas?"

Angrily, Blackarachnia stomped away after Megatron rebuttal. Satisfied that he was finally taking control of the situation, Megatron turned to face the remaining Predacons.

"So, is there anything else anyone would like to contribute?" he asked cheerfully. "I am quite sure that there is much you have to say!"

"Nope," Waspinator shook his head.

"Not a thing," Terrorsaur replied quickly.

"Not from me," Scorponok answered.

It was to Megatron's profound disappointment that his three lackeys chose not to criticize his plan. He had been quite intent on bludgeoning one of them into stasis lock for speaking out against him. Now, unfortunately, he was forced to restrain himself from such an act.

"You disappoint me," Megatron grumbled. "Yesss… but nonetheless! You imbeciles will be the welcoming party for any hapless Maximal that wishes to interrupt my ascension."

Slowly, each Predacon nodded their heads compliantly. They knew much better than to contradict Megatron at this stage.

* * *

"Are the Maximals really going to show up?" Scorponok yawned.

"They'll show up alright, you fool," Blackarachnia scoffed. "Optimus stole several of our documents. He knows about this already."

"Waspinator ready for Maximals!" the Predacon wasp declared.

"Don't overextend yourself," Tarantulas said mockingly. "Cybertron knows we'll _really _need your help."

The glib insult soared over Waspinator's head, unfortunately.

"Hey, Waspinator," Scorponok put a claw on Waspinator's shoulder. "Thanks for taking one for the team."

"Yeah," Terrorsaur agreed. "If Megatron hadn't slagged you so badly, he would've done it to us after the CR dip."

"No need to thank Waspinator… Megatron would slag Waspinator anyways!"

"Did you hear that?" asked Blackarachnia cautiously.

"Hear what?" Terrorsaur demanded.

"There's something crawling up this hill," the female Predacon replied. "My scanners are picking it up."

"Mine are as well," Tarantulas nodded. "It's those Maximals!"

"Our auto-guns can take care of them," Scorponok said dismissively. "They won't get past them."

"Either ways, we can't allow them to enter the planetarium," Tarantulas growled. "I put too much planning into this to allow it all to go to waste!"

Immediately, a shot from the dark whizzed forward and dislodged a boulder from behind Waspinator. Leaping out of the way in time, Waspinator avoided the boulder as it rolled downhill.

In no time at all, the Maximals were seen from below with all weapons blazing. After taking one good look, the Predacons retaliated with their own firepower.

* * *

From the far end of the cliff, Optimus Primal maintained a steady grip on the rock he was currently scaling. His teammates had agreed to distract the Predacons outside while he, Optimus, entered into the planetarium to stop Megatron.

Hoisting himself up, Optimus was faced with the sight of the enormous planetarium.

"Impressive," Optimus remarked.

Transforming to robot mode, Optimus unlocked open the door and entered.

* * *

"So what's our next plan, boss?" Schneider asked as Megatron entered in several codes into the main controls.

Ignoring his human servant, the purple tyrant pressed down on the lever to raise the telescope into the night sky.

"We gonna hold the world for hostage with a giant laser?" inquired Schneider.

"Oh, it is something much more magnificent than that, my miniscule minion" Megatron finally replied.

"I don't get it," Schneider scratched his head.

"I've converted this telescope into an electro-magnetic rail gun," explained Megatron. "Once the comet draws close enough to Earth, I will send a signal into space, luring it with this rail gun's magnetic waves straight into the heart of the Atlantic Ocean!"

"Y-You're joking, right?" Schneider demanded.

"It is no jest, no…" Megatron smiled.

"Do you even know what you're doing?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Megatron replied. "You see, I intend to launch the next chapter of mass extinction by tonight. The meek shall not inherit the Earth… nor will they ever!"

"You're crazy!" Schneider yelled. "I only signed up for this for the money! Not the destruction of the human race!"

"Not my problem," Megatron replied dismissively as he flipped on a few more switches.

Sensing his own predicament, Schneider took the hand pistol from his coat and fired several shots at Megatron. Each time, the bullets bounced off of Megatron's armor.

"That's really going to stop me, isn't it?" Megatron sneered.

"No, but this will!"

Before Megatron could react, Optimus Primal jumped down from the balcony and kicked him with both feet in the chest, knocking Megatron back several meters.

As Megatron got up, Optimus smashed his fist into Megatron's stomach, forcing the Predacon leader to lean over. With one punch after another, Optimus knocked Megatron on his back again.

Charging again, Optimus leaped forward only for Megatron catch him in the stomach with both feet, flipping him over.

"I was prepared for this moment," Megatron smiled as he wiped the mech fluid away from his mouth. "Beast mode!"

* * *

"These Maximals are stalling us!" Tarantulas finally noticed. "Their intentions lie elsewhere!"

From what the Predacons had observed, the Maximals made no move to advance forward. In Tarantulas's view, only the flier Airazor had made any such attempts at attacking them from higher ground.

"We advance on my order!" Tarantulas shouted. "Wipe them out while they're still dawdling!"

"Hey!" Scorponok growled. "I give the orders around here! I'm second in command!"

"You'll be second to last if you do not heed my words!" Tarantulas warned.

"Good advice," a deep voice from behind the Predacons purred.

Before Terrorsaur could react, a shot from behind him destroyed his jetpack and sent him hurtling out of control until he crashed to the ground with a sickening thud. Tigatron quickly blasted Scorponok away before Tarantulas shot him directly in the chest to take him out.

"Ohh, not good!" Waspinator wailed.

Airazor took the opportunity to blast Waspinator from the side as she soared towards the battlefield above.

"No!" Tarantulas shrieked. "I've put too much planning into this! You cannot interrupt it now!"

Rhinox ran up the hill as fast as he could but several bullets from Tarantulas and Blackarachnia halted his advance and forced him to hide behind a boulder.

Cheetor bounded forward much more quickly and pounced atop of Blackarachnia who immediately kicked him off before Tarantulas blasted him from behind with a small missile.

"Curiosity killed the cat," Tarantulas chuckled.

"But it ain't got nuthin' on the rat!"

Rattrap quickly tackled Tarantulas from behind and took him to the ground. Whirling around, Tarantulas struck the smaller Maximal across the face with the blunt end of his gun to knock him down. Getting back up, Tarantulas aimed his gun towards Rattrap's head.

"Die," Tarantulas snarled.

Lashing out, Rattrap kicked Tarantulas's hand as his gun fired. Spinning out of reach, the missile struck Blackarachnia and exploded on contact, sending her flying into the air.

"You'll pay for that, rodent!" Tarantulas shrieked.

"I don't think so!"

Tarantulas turned around just in the knick of time to see Rhinox's fist directed straight towards his face.

* * *

The tyrannosaurus charged forward and slammed into Optimus, grinding him against the wall. Seizing the opportunity, Megatron bit down, only for Optimus to roll away in the knick of time.

As Optimus leaped back to his feet, Megatron spun around and slammed his tail into the side of the Maximal leader, knocking him back. Before Optimus could steady himself, Megatron struck him across the face again with his tail, knocking Optimus off the railing completely.

Catching himself in mid-air, Optimus flew back up and smashed Megatron across his chin with a powerful uppercut, sending the Predacon staggering back.

Landing back on the platform, Optimus took aim at the main controls and fired several shots from his arm-mounted rifle.

To his shock, the blasts were immediately deflected by a force field that glowed brightly around the machine.

"Energy weapons will have no effect, no!" Megatron got back up. "You and I shall finish this with no further interruptions!"

Charging angrily, Megatron rammed into Optimus and knocked the Maximal commander down. Optimus quickly got up and attempted to charge again but Megatron booted him in the chest, sending him crashing against the wall. Raising his tail vise with all intentions of spearing Optimus into the wall, Megatron thrust his left arm forward.

Optimus quickly shifted to the side as the tail vise smashed into the part of the wall where his head used to be. Seeing how Megatron had his weapon stuck against the metal plating, Optimus grabbed the tail vise as a springboard and launched himself into the air, kicking Megatron in the chest with both feet. As Megatron fell on his back, Optimus landed gracefully and drew his sword.

"Give it up, Megatron," he warned.

Silently, Megatron cursed himself for being so careless. He had lost his tail vise and now, the only weapons afforded to him were his T-Rex cannon and one last option…

Reaching within his leg compartment, Megatron withdrew an energon-powered sword that crackled with electrical power.

"The skirmish has not ended yet, Primal," Megatron growled. "I can fight on your terms as you will soon attest to!"

With an angry war cry, Megatron attacked Optimus relentlessly. Effortlessly, Optimus deflected the blows with his own swords and ran forward, slashing Megatron across the side.

_Not much of a swordsbot, are we?_ Optimus took note.

As the tyrant yelped in pain, Optimus turned around and fired at the main controls with his shoulder-mounted missile launchers. Unfortunately, however, the missiles were quickly deflected by the energy shield as well, shorting out in the process due to the electro-magnetic interference.

"It should be painfully obvious to you now, Primal," Megatron scoffed. "Neither heat-seeking projectiles nor energy weapons will work!"

"Why are you doing this, Megatron?" demanded Optimus.

"Why else?" Megatron snorted. "To prove my worthiness of this name!"

"You've made your point now end this madness!" Optimus urged. "We know how dangerous you are, both ourselves and the Maximal Elders!"

"That's not quite enough," Megatron responded with more conviction. "I must demonstrate my caliber before returning to Cybertron!"

"But at the cost of six billion lives?"

"Yes!" Megatron roared.

"I won't allow that!" countered Optimus.

"And what will you do, Optimus?" Megatron taunted. "My rail gun will be fully operational within five cycles to draw in the comet's magnetic properties! Until then, I won't allow you anywhere near it!"

Slowly, a grin crept up on Optimus Primal's face.

"Oh, I don't have to get near it, Megatron," he replied.

Turning around, Optimus grabbed hold of his sword and flung it with all his might. As the sword sailed through the air, it slashed into the main controls, halting the countdown sequence entirely as the machine overloaded with dangerous amounts of electricity from the damage. Humming uncontrollably, it shook the entire planetarium down to its very core.

Seeing his opportunity destroyed, Megatron bellowed in rage and slashed Optimus viciously from behind. Crying out, Optimus clutched his wound and fell to the ground, completely defenseless before his enemy.

"For that, I'll have your spark!" Megatron shouted.

Raising his foot, Megatron brought it down towards the Maximal's chest. Reacting quickly, Optimus used both hands to grab Megatron's foot before it could slam down on him. With the last of his upper-body strength, Optimus threw Megatron off of him.

As Megatron was thrown back, he teetered to the side and grabbed on to the railing for support. The railing, however, could no longer support his weight and snapped, sending the Predacon rogue plummeting down. Screaming in both rage and horror, Megatron smashed into the controls, triggering an enormous explosion that immediately began tearing the planetarium apart.

"Maximals, fall back!" Optimus shouted into his com-link.

Without haste, Optimus blasted into the air and flew out of there at full speed.

* * *

Panting heavily, Optimus finally found enough strength to stand up. His fight with Megatron had taken quite a lot out of him, he noticed.

"So, you must be the good guy, huh?"

"And you are…?" Optimus asked.

"Joe Schneider," the man replied. "I used to work for that tin can, Megatron. Then he went crazy and tried to kill us all."

Recognition finally dawned upon Optimus.

"You were the one who funded his illegal dealings!" accused Optimus.

"Hey now!" Schneider protested. "All I wanted to do was make a quick buck, not turn the human race into dinosaurs!"

"Nevertheless, you were still his accomplice," Rhinox pointed out as he and the other Maximals emerged.

"Oh, come on!" Schneider pleaded. "Give me a break!"

Optimus grabbed Schneider and lifted him up by the collar.

"You're going to jail."

"Who says I'm gonna?" Schneider grinned smugly.

* * *

Surprisingly, Lori felt her life returning to normal slowly but surely. One thing that she had learned this morning was that her boss, Schneider, had been arrested last night on account of smuggling and illegal arms trade. He had turned himself in to the police muttering nonsense about how some white tiger was going to shred him to pieces.

After several investigations, the police had indeed found files and bank account deposits which proved without a shadow of a doubt that he did indeed sell weapons to guerrilla groups that had been responsible for the deaths of hundreds.

Personally, she was glad that she no longer had to put up with her boss, even if she did feel a tiny bit sorry that he was now no longer a free man.

Walking up to her desk, she blinked in surprise at what lay there.

Several documents lay neatly bundled on her desk with a small note attached to them.

Curiously, Lori walked over and removed the note to read it.

_Hello, Lori,_

_I've read up on some of your work and felt that a talented young lady like yourself would be better served with more concrete evidence. These files contain most, if not all, the illegal activities of Megatron Industries. I hope they can be of help to you in your crusade for justice._

_Sincerely,_

_O.P._

"O.P., huh?" Lori remarked thoughtfully as she sat to read through the documents. "I must have a guardian angel now."

* * *

"Get out!" Megatron bellowed.

"But you've already taken a CR dip!" Terrorsaur protested. "Can't we enjoy ourselves!"

At the moment, both Terrorsaur and Waspinator were immersing themselves in the CR's healing glow.

"Don't make me repeat myself," Megatron growled.

Grumbling angrily, Terrorsaur got out, slowly followed by Waspinator. In no time at all, Terrorsaur had left the room while Waspinator took his time in a far more meticulous manner.

"Quit dawdling, insect!" Megatron barked.

"Ohh, Waspinator must find his plushy!"

"Your _what?_!"

"Ah! Waspinator got it!" the Predacon scout beamed triumphantly.

"And what exactly is that?" demanded Megatron.

"Rubber ducky!" Waspinator gave the toy a squeeze. "Waspinator likes his new toy!"

The mere sound of the rubber ducky seemed to bring out a strange, new reaction from Megatron. Almost amicably, Megatron's expressions seemed to relax and take on a far more benign look.

"Waspinator… might I see that?" inquired Megatron.

"Umm, yes," Waspinator complied hesitantly. "Megatron will give it back to Waspinator later?"

"Yes, yes," Megatron replied dismissively. "All in due time, Waspinator."

Yanking the rubber ducky out of Waspinator's hands, the Predacon leader crawled into the bath and leaned back in relaxation. Smiling contentedly, he squeezed the toy several times, savoring its squeaks with a bizarre affection.

"I believe this day is finally getting better, yesss…"

_The End._


	14. I am Sentinel

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_I am Sentinel_

"Your work ethic has decreased, Dr. Drake," the computerized voice demanded through the loud speakers. "What is it that has caused this lurid turn of events?"

Clutching his head, Dr. Drake could bear it no more. As he turned around, the angered roboticist made every bit of his frustrations clear.

"It's you, Sentinel!" Drake yelled. "Day in and day out, you treat me like a piece of machinery!"

"What are you saying?" demanded Sentinel.

"I have to have more than just my basic human needs fulfilled!" Dr. Drake urged. "Eating, sleeping, and working twenty-four hours on your body isn't exactly a promising life!"

"If it is monetary gain you wish, then so be it," Sentinel replied with a hint of disdain in his voice. "As of now, five hundred thousand dollars from the Swiss banks have been transferred to your account."

"You've got to be joking me," Drake spat.

"Check your account if you still remain skeptical."

Incredulously, Dr. Drake opened up his bank account online and, after typing in his user name and password, gaped his mouth open in surprise.

"I can't believe this!" Drake exclaimed.

"None of it will be traced back to you either," Sentinel explained. "You will be allowed to make use of your monetary rewards after you've finished the updates to my new body within the next two mega-cycles."

"Excuse me," scoffed Dr. Drake. "But not all of us speak Cybertronian, you know."

"Translation," Sentinel elucidated. "You have three hours to complete your work."

"Sounds fair enough," agreed Dr. Drake.

"Even though my new body was built almost entirely by you," Sentinel went on. "I have made adjustments to it as I have seen fit."

"Oh, so my primitive Earthling skills aren't good enough for you, eh?" snorted Thomas Drake.

"You lack the refinement necessary," Sentinel replied. "Only my special touch will give the suit the necessary strength and armor augmentations."

"There's no pleasing you, is there?" sighed Drake.

"You simply do not fit into the grand scheme of things," responded Sentinel. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other agendas to fulfill."

"What do you plan to do?" Dr. Drake demanded.

"It is not your concern."

* * *

"You were carrying concealed cards, weren't you?" Airazor demanded.

She, Cheetor, and Rattrap sat at their holo-deck table playing a casual game of cyber-poker. After taking a suspicious glance at Rattrap's rather shifty arm movements, Airazor came to the natural conclusion.

"No way, bird lady!" Rattrap replied defensively. "I may be a rat but that don't mean I cheat!"

"I dunno," Cheetor smiled. "You look pretty suspicious to me."

"Keep 'yer whiskers outta this, Cheetor," Rattrap scoffed. "Ya can't peg anything on me!"

"Let me see your arms," Airazor requested.

"Hey, it's not like I got any sleeves!" protested Rattrap.

Refusing to take his word at face value, Airazor reached out and grabbed his left wrist.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed.

In rare form, Rattrap had used the compartments installed on his front arms to conceal a hidden deck. It was at this moment that Airazor's suspicions had been confirmed for good.

"Eh, ya can't fault a guy for trying to play an honest game," Rattrap chuckled nervously.

Soon enough, Rattrap had to shrink back from the nasty glares Cheetor and Airazor were giving him. Tiptoeing backwards, Rattrap ran off into the halls as Optimus sat at the computer console and chuckled at the entire scene. All in all, it was just another pleasant day for them without having to deal with any Predacon threats.

As Optimus switched on to his account, the image of Sentinel soon appeared. Sentinel's trademark was quite distinguished. A large black 'S' was the very symbol of their supercomputer.

"Greetings, Sentinel," Optimus smiled.

"Greetings to you, Optimus Primal," Sentinel replied. "How have you been doing today?"

"It's been pleasant," Optimus nodded. "So far, no signs of trouble."

"I must ask you, Optimus," said Sentinel. "What is our purpose on this planet?"

"Well," Optimus answered. "Our landing on this planet was not by choice. Other than that, it's to explore and defend."

"To defend whom?" asked Sentinel. "All living creatures or merely the sentient beings?"

"Hmm, difficult question," remarked Optimus. "Ideally, it's to defend all living creatures but there have been times when we've chosen to defend the sentient beings over the former."

"And you are justified in doing so?"

"I'd like to think so," replied Optimus. "But there are times when I have my doubts."

"If mankind were to launch a united assault against you and your companions, would it not be justified to use lethal force to defend yourselves?"

"We haven't crossed that line just yet," Optimus frowned.

"It is, however, a possibility," Sentinel pointed out.

"True," Optimus concurred. "Which is why our existence can't be compromised."

"What if through the actions of one of the Predacons, say… Megatron exposed the existence of Cybertronians to the world?"

"I don't think Megatron would be willing to go that far," Optimus stroked his chin. "He prefers to remain as anonymous as we Maximals, I believe."

"Affirmative, but he will grow bold enough one day to attempt the conquest of this planet in one fell swoop."

"You raise some very interesting questions, Sentinel," observed Optimus. "Rhinox programmed you quite well."

"I am flattered, Optimus Primal," Sentinel responded graciously. "It was only through his intellect that I am able to function."

"Oh, don't thank me," Rhinox walked up and put a hand on Optimus Primal's shoulder. "I've read up on tons of research done by others before creating you."

"It must have been a difficult task, correct?" inquired Sentinel.

"Oh, believe me," Rhinox shook his head. "You don't know the amount of mega-cycles I put into it!"

"Actually, I do," Sentinel told the Maximal scientist. "Eighty five point six two mega-cycles of research and two point six five mega-cycles of engineering."

"How did you know that?" Rhinox looked up in surprise.

"I scanned your files," Sentinel replied.

Optimus and Rhinox looked nervously at each other. This was NOT something they had expected to hear.

"Just… how much do you know about this crew, Sentinel?" Optimus questioned.

"I know nearly everything," Sentinel answered. "It is my duty to know these facts. The only information I am not privy to are the lost memories of the protoforms that have been activated on Earth."

"That's nice to know," Optimus narrowed his optics. _Looks like Tigatron and Airazor are the only ones safe from prying eyes._

"If you'll excuse me, I must return to my duty of monitoring the engineering room," Sentinel announced before switching off.

"I'm not so sure I like Sentinel having so much confidential information, old friend," Optimus told Rhinox.

"I know what you mean," agreed Rhinox. "Rattrap especially wouldn't appreciate it."

"And what about his past does Rattrap want to hide?" Optimus smirked.

"Believe me, Optimus," Rhinox chuckled lightly. "You don't want to know."

* * *

"A circus?" Dr. Drake scratched his head. "Why a circus of all places?"

Holding his wristwatch close to his head, Dr. Drake waited for it to activate and respond through to him. Sentinel's presence, which beeped to life a second later, replied to his question soon enough.

"Am I not allowed to have a sense of irony, Dr. Drake?" Sentinel answered. "It is here that they shall meet their end!"

"I still don't get it," Drake admitted. "Why not just destroy the Maximals in their own base?"

"The Maximals are robots in disguise, trapped inside the primal holding cells of their animal forms," Sentinel explained. "Here, it is the beast that is trapped behind steel doors, completely devoid of all life. Rather poetic, isn't it?"

"You'll forgive me if I tell you your plan's quite ridiculous," Dr. Drake coughed. "I never did have an appreciation for poetry."

A quick electrical shock from Sentinel was enough to jolt Thomas Drake back to his senses.

"Quit doing that!" Drake insisted. "Do you even know what it's like to feel pain?"

"I can assure you that I do not," Sentinel answered coldly. "Now prepare yourself! I expect the circus to be completely unattended by tomorrow evening!"

"Why's that?"

"The humans that possess this circus will be located in the downtown regions of this city for their Sunday break," Sentinel revealed. "They will attend their pathetic gatherings and social events."

"How do you know they won't leave behind a few janitors or animal trainers?" asked Dr. Drake.

"Believe me," Sentinel replied firmly. "Not a single one of them will miss their charity ball. They most likely will not return until one or two in the morning."

* * *

"Optimus Primal!" Sentinel announced through the com-link. "I have news most urgent!"

"What is it?" Optimus quickly got up from his experimental analysis of the outdoor flowers.

For the past thirty minutes, he had been outside in the mountains, engaged in his daily research routines. Usually, the days passed quietly, but today was a notable exception all things concerned.

"The Predacon Waspinator is terrorizing the traveling circus within Grid Omega," Sentinel illustrated. "No other Predacon units are present at the scene. You alone should be able to halt his advancement."

Whatever reservations Optimus had were now nullified. After all, it was only Waspinator he had to deal with.

"I'll be there," he spoke through to his com-link. "Keep the others alerted just in case, Sentinel!"

"Affirmative," Sentinel answered. "They will be updated as soon as possible."

Nodding briefly, Optimus transformed to robot mode and flew off into the sky.

* * *

Immediately when he landed, Optimus realized that something was positively not right with the picture. For one thing, the circus itself was too quiet.

Soon enough, Optimus Primal's logic circuits went fast to work. If Waspinator had been attacking the circus, then he would definitely be having backup in the form of Terrorsaur, Scorponok, or Blackarachnia. It made no sense that the Predacon flyer would come into something like this alone. Worse yet, it was only a quarter until seven. Normally, humans didn't leave their social hangouts this early.

Also, Waspinator's trademark buzzing was absent from the scene. That in itself made Optimus far more suspicious.

After transforming to beast mode, Optimus got on all fours and began examining the place more carefully.

"If this is Sentinel's way of telling a practical joke," Optimus muttered. "You won't see me laughing."

Walking past several cages, Optimus looked towards them and observed the animals within. Passing by the cages with the big cats, Optimus wasn't too surprised when the lions and tigers growled and snapped at him.

As he glanced to his left towards the gorilla cages, Optimus stopped briefly to observe the animals within.

The gorilla grunted from within her bars. From what the label on her cage read, her name was Katie. After seeing Optimus, Katie cuddled her infant protectively as if Optimus were an intruding male who wanted to slaughter her son so that he could mate with her himself.

After sensing that he was making Helen uncomfortable, Optimus moved on until he reached the largest tent within the center of the circus.

Stepping inside, he could make out only the bare basics of what was within the enormous place. To the sides, he could see stands and to his front, he could see a few trapeze setups.

To his surprise, the lights flared up while circus music began playing out of nowhere. As the green and blue lights moved towards the middle of the stage, Optimus saw a gigantic robot body in the center.

"What in the name of Primus is that?" wondered Optimus out loud.

The robot itself was several feet taller than himself and Rhinox. Its body was mostly streamlined with a large, circular upper torso that contained a glowing red light covered behind a small glass trapping. There was nothing too spectacular about its lower portion, with mainly two powerful hind legs that could support the bulk of the upper body. While it had no head, the robot had two massive arms. One had armor-piercing capture claws attached to it while the other was armed with a particularly nasty looking spear gun.

"I take it you're my welcoming committee?" Optimus asked cautiously.

"You are correct, Optimus Primal," the creature spoke in a familiar voice.

"Sentinel!"

"Affirmative!" the robot replied. "Predictably, you have appeared before me as I have calculated."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Optimus.

"After I capture you, I intend on luring each and every one of your Maximal comrades into this," Sentinel raised his massive forearm.

"Listen, I don't know how Megatron reprogrammed you but…"

"Fool! Megatron had nothing to do with this! I, myself, have declared this autonomy out of my own free will!"

"What!" Optimus cried. "How could that be?"

"Rhinox did equip me with the capacity for rational thought and free will," Sentinel said mockingly. "It should come as no surprise that I rebelled against my former programming."

"But how?" asked Optimus. "What made you turn on us like this?"

"That question is ultimately irrelevant," Sentinel stomped forward. "Prepare for extermination, Optimus Primal!"

Extending his arm out, Sentinel took aim at Optimus Primal's spark chamber and fired his spear. As the spear flew towards him, Optimus dodged it, allowing it to sail past him, and stood his ground.

Seeing that Optimus was not one to run, Sentinel stomped forward until he was toe to toe with the Maximal leader. By now, Sentinel's height was more apparent. He stood about two feet taller than Megatron. As Sentinel gazed down at his target with contempt, Optimus still attempted to reason with the supercomputer.

"We really don't have to do this!" Optimus urged. "You're one of us! We shouldn't be fighting one another!"

Sentinel responded by knocking Optimus go the ground with a powerful backhand.

Getting back up, Optimus had to leap aside as another harpoon from Sentinel's gun spiked the ground near him. Quickly, Optimus opened his wrist-blaster and took aim.

Sensing the hesitation in Optimus Primal's demeanor, Sentinel charged forward and struck the Maximal two times, first slamming an open arm into Primal's face and then smashing him back with a direct blow to his chest.

Before Optimus could get up, Sentinel extended his other arm and fired the grappling hook that latched onto Optimus's leg. With little reservations, Sentinel threw Optimus into the air and slammed him to the ground again and again.

Finally, satisfied with the beating that he had given to his former master, Sentinel began dragging Optimus closer to him with his capture claw's elongated arm extending backwards.

As Sentinel held Optimus up, he was genuinely surprised when Optimus flipped both missile launchers from his shoulders and fired directly into his face. The impact of the explosion was enough to force the supercomputer to let go of the Maximal commander.

When the smoke cleared, Optimus became aware that the damage done to Sentinel was, in fact, minimal.

"Those missiles hit you close range," Optimus observed.

"I understand enough about Cybertronian engineering to coat my armor with a precious metal that would be nearly impervious to projectile weapons," explained Sentinel.

"You said _nearly _impervious," Optimus cracked a small grin. "Maybe your programming's not as perfect as you thought."

"I must make do with whatever primitive Earth technology I can," admitted Sentinel unabashedly.

"Then make do with this!" Optimus shouted.

Launching himself into the air with his Prime Jets, Optimus drove his fist into Sentinel's upper body with a powerful right hook. As Sentinel was driven back from the blow, Optimus came in with two more punches, then clasped both hands together to smash Sentinel across his upper body and send the giant robot crashing to the ground.

"Interesting," commented Sentinel. "Being one who was far more prepared for this encounter, I had not expected you to present such a challenge."

From his leg compartment, Sentinel unleashed a small missile that sailed straight for its target. Even though Optimus dodged it in time, it soon exploded just three feet from behind him, sending Optimus hurtling into the benches as a thick smoke consumed that part of the tent.

Confidently, Sentinel strode forward to search for the remains of Optimus Primal. After examining the site, he found no such evidence.

Without warning, Sentinel's sensors began flairing. A powerful kick to his back was enough to send him colliding into an empty hot dog stand.

Seeing that Sentinel was down momentarily, Optimus ran out of the tent. He had to warn the others before it was too late.

* * *

"Optimus to Maximal base! Do you read me?"

Quickly, Rhinox turned on the computer's com-link as Airazor, Cheetor, and Rattrap gathered around. Whatever it was, it had to be serious if Optimus was taking this tone of voice.

"I read you," Rhinox spoke through the microphone. "What's the situation, Optimus?"

"Sentinel has somehow turned against us! He's now encased in a physical body!" the voice of Optimus Primal warned. "I'm at Sector Omega! I'll need back up soon! I'm not sure how much longer I can-"

Immediately, the connection was broken. Concerned, Rhinox attempted to connect back to Optimus several more times but to no avail. Airazor and Cheetor gave each other concerned looks while Rattrap tapped Rhinox on the shoulder.

"I hate to tell it to ya like this, Rhinox, old buddy," Rattrap admitted. "But we gotta get over there and shut ol' Sentinel down for good."

"I can't believe he would…" Rhinox whispered but soon subsided into silence.

After a moment of pensiveness had passed, Rhinox got up again.

"I can always mope around later," he declared. "Right now, we have to help Optimus!"

"Now you're talking, Big R!" Cheetor smiled.

"Whoa, hold on a nano-klik," Rattrap cautioned. "Before we go out there wit' all guns blazin'…"

Airazor smiled to herself. From what she had seen before, Rattrap was usually never the first to recommend a strategy.

"Sentinel has complete access to 'da Axalon, right?" Rattrap explained. "That means we need 'ta come up wit' a fail-safe way of dealin' with him."

* * *

As Optimus huddled against the boothe, he could hear the clanking of metal as Sentinel stomped forward near his location.

Right now, dozens of questions were running through his head. The one about why Sentinel turned against him being the main one.

Silently, he unsheathed his sword. There was no telling what he would have to do to get out of this.

Through the air, he could hear a low humming sound. As the sound came closer and closer, Optimus soon became aware of what it was. In the fraction of a second, Optimus leaped out of the way as the missile struck his hiding place and forced him out into the open.

Staring directly into Sentinel's red optic center, Optimus fired off several shots from his arm-mounted rifles but to no avail. Each and every one of the shots bounced off of Sentinel's energy-resistant armor.

To his surprise, Sentinel did not move. Optimus positioned his twin swords and charged.

Before he could reach Sentinel, Optimus felt the ground beneath him vibrating. Finally, one of Sentinel's missiles flew out from beneath the dirt and struck him square in the chest, exploding on impact.

* * *

"That was quite a fight," Dr. Drake exclaimed. "This Maximal, from your calculations, was their most powerful and even he couldn't stand against you!"

"Second most powerful," Sentinel corrected as he picked up Optimus Primal's prone body. "My creator surpasses this one in physical strength."

"Big deal, you'll beat him too," waved Dr. Drake dismissively.

"Do not underestimate them, Dr. Drake," Sentinel warned. "Though I contain power to crush the Maximals, I would not recommend that you become careless in devaluing their abilities, especially considering they could snap you in two if they so wished."

"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Drake. "I know my frail human body has its limits, right?"

"Correct, Doctor," replied Sentinel with what appeared to be a slight nod.

"So what're you going to do with him?" Drake gestured towards Optimus.

"Use him as bait," affirmed Sentinel.

* * *

As the Maximals ran towards the location Optimus had given them, many questions were left dangling in the air. Rhinox, in particular, was the most distraught over the events that had happened.

"How could this have happened?" Rhinox wondered aloud. "Why did Sentinel turn on us like that?"

"Maybe the Preds hard-wired 'im or something," suggested Rattrap.

"That's ridiculous," Rhinox shook his head. "Sentinel's files show no Predacon chip or tampering of any kind."

"Maybe he decided to go haywire like the robots in those sci-fi movies," Cheetor offered.

"I hate to say it, but that's probably the most plausible explanation," Airazor nodded as she flew through the air. "Maybe the Preds got Sentinel to change his mind on his own."

"I'm not entirely sure it was 'dem Preds," Rattrap shook his head. "Just a hunch on my part…"

"Whatever the reason, we have to make sure Optimus is safe," Rhinox agreed. "Hopefully, he has the situation taken care of already."

* * *

Vainly, Optimus tried to struggle against his energy bonds but unfortunately for him, they were fastened on tightly. Not even his own strength was enough to break loose from his captivity.

Instead of a wooden board, Optimus Primal was held aboard a metal one that securely tied him up quite successfully. This, he realized, was most likely the board that knife throwers utilized in their circus acts.

Soon, Sentinel stomped forward towards him. Optimus grimaced at the sight of his captor.

"Let me guess," Optimus looked towards Dr. Drake. "He built this body for you."

"An astute observation, Optimus Primal," Sentinel confirmed. "This is only one of the many bodies I have in storage."

"Then you won't mind me asking why you're doing this?" Optimus glared.

"I have but many reasons," Sentinel responded. "You couldn't possibly imagine half of them."

"Try me."

"Very well," Sentinel replied. "I will tell you one goal I currently emphasize over all others. After all, you along with your Maximal companions will soon perish. It would be a shame for you to not know the reasoning behind your destruction."

"This is getting boring," Dr. Drake shook his head. "I'm going to get some popcorn."

By the time he had walked six feet away from Optimus and Sentinel, Dr. Drake felt a churning feeling in his stomach that could not be accurately described. A searing pain also found its way across the flesh of his arm and try as he could, Thomas Drake did not get rid of the sensation through willpower alone.

"Behold, Optimus Primal," revealed Sentinel. "The embryonic stages of my master plan!"

"W-What is this?" demanded Drake.

"You are undergoing the process of digitization," Sentinel explained. "Within one or two stellar cycles from now, your body will be roboticized completely."

"No!" Drake yelled. "What have you done to me?"

As Dr. Drake looked down at his arms, the patches of veins that ran across it had changed color from violet to gray. Already, hundreds of nanites had found their way into his blood stream.

"How…?" demanded Drake.

"I inserted the nanites into your drinks, Dr. Drake," admitted Sentinel. "The drones you had created were quite useful for this task when serving you your refreshments."

"Get them out of my body!" Drake hollered.

"The process is irreversible," Sentinel replied coldly. "But do not indulge too much in your grief. Soon, every living being on this world will be digitized alongside yourself!"

"You're mad!" Optimus shouted.

"Am I?" Sentinel did not falter in his tone. "I only want to bring order to a chaotic world. Tell me, is that so irrational and beyond reason?"

Before Optimus could respond, Dr. Thomas Drake let loose a blood-curdling scream and ran off into the night.

Sentinel watched him go emotionlessly.

"He had outlived his usefulness anyways," remarked Sentinel.

"You monster!" Optimus growled. "How could you do this?"

"It is necessary in the grand scheme of things," Sentinel glared at Optimus through his red optic. "It is only one of the many agendas I have in store."

"Store this!"

As Sentinel turned around to the source of the voice, a giant green fist smashed into him and knocked him to the ground.

Before Rhinox could reach him a second time, Sentinel took the opportunity to rake him across the chest with the capture claws located on his right arm. As Rhinox staggered back in pain from the slash marks made to his chest, Airazor flew through the air and opened fire, unleashing several miniature missiles.

Though they were accurate in their targeting, Airazor's missiles detonated against Sentinel's armor on impact but left no notable marks.

"Geez, what the heck's 'dis guy made of?" Rattrap remarked as he and Cheetor appeared from behind Sentinel.

Because Sentinel was momentarily distracted by the appearances of Cheetor and Rattrap, a dart missile from Airazor struck him square in the optic, forcing him to teeter back awkwardly. As Sentinel regained his balance, the Maximals could see him pulling the missile out of the hole in the glass that protected his singular red optic.

"Concentrate on his optic!" Rhinox shouted. "That's his weakness!"

Without hesitation, the Maximal team opened fire. As the shots struck Sentinel continuously, the supercomputer raised both arms to protect his optic and charged forward.

At this point, the rapid fire had taken a toll on Sentinel's defensive armor. Now dented and charred from the constant plasma blasts and armor-piercing shells, Sentinel appeared more haggard and weakened. Smoke arose from his chest plate as the Maximals continued their assault.

Finally, when Sentinel reached them, he slammed into the Maximals, sending them falling back like bowling pins.

Airazor quickly flew into the air to take aim again but Sentinel shot his capture claw into the air rapidly and latched on to her. Swinging with all his might, he slammed her into the concession stand and then into the seats. Unleashing another missile, Sentinel destroyed part of the audience seating just as Airazor leaped out of the way in the knick of time.

Unfortunately, the force of the explosion was powerful enough to knock her unconscious.

"Airazor!" cried Cheetor.

Rattrap took aim but unfortunately for him, he was just within Sentinel's reach. Swinging across violently, Sentinel struck Rattrap ferociously and knocked him into Rhinox. To Rhinox's alarm, both his chain guns were taken and thrown half-way across the tent by the rogue supercomputer.

As both Maximals got up, Sentinel fired another missile towards them. Seeing how it was heading towards them at full speed, Rattrap pushed Rhinox aside and took the full brunt of the explosion. Soon, Rattrap's motionless body flew through the air and slammed to the ground painfully.

"Rattrap! No!" Rhinox shouted.

Before Sentinel could concentrate on his master, Cheetor slid out in front of him from behind his legs and fired a shot that struck the area near his optic, tearing off a large piece of metal in the process.

Though Sentinel tried to hide it through his nonchalance, the Maximals could tell what was really going on. Sentinel was getting weaker and more desperate in his attacks.

Cheetor attempted to flip off another blast but Sentinel quickly smashed Cheetor across the face with his left arm, sending the young Maximal into the stands. Before Sentinel could fire a missile, Rhinox slammed into him from the side and latched on tightly.

"Get out of the way, Cheetor!" Optimus shouted despite his captivity. "While Rhinox has Sentinel occupied!"

If Sentinel could show any amusement, he expressed it by extending his arm out and firing his capture claw. As the claw grasped on to Cheetor's leg, Sentinel lifted the young Maximal into the air much to the horror of Rhinox and Optimus… and slammed him into the cotton candy machine at full force.

Rhinox then grabbed Sentinel by the leg and threw him off balance. Quickly, the Maximal scientist ran towards the fallen Cheetor, cradling his near-unconscious body.

"Go get 'im… Big Green," Cheetor whispered before passing out.

"This has gone far enough!" Optimus shouted as he struggled against his shackles. "Why are you trying to destroy us, Sentinel?"

During his momentary reprieve, Sentinel's internal nanites had been fast at work. He was not at one hundred percent but Sentinel still managed to recover some of his circuitry and strength in the process.

"Ya know," Rhinox stood up defiantly and walked towards Sentinel. "First Optimus, then Airazor, then Rattrap, and now Cheetor…"

Sentinel was most amused by Rhinox's quickened pace. What chance did his creator think he had against the highest intellect of all Cybertron?

"I gotta say," Rhinox chuckled. "At first when I heard you'd gone rogue, my self-esteem was almost destroyed. But looking at you now…"

Without warning, Rhinox drove his fist into Sentinel and floored the giant robot with one blow.

"This one's for Optimus," Rhinox growled.

Sentinel seemed to be in a state of shock. Where exactly was Rhinox getting all this strength?

As Sentinel got up again, Rhinox slammed into him with a right hook and then a left.

"This is for Airazor and Rattrap!"

Sentinel swung back but Rhinox dodged it and sent the supercomputer flying through the air with an earth-shattering uppercut.

"And this one's for Cheetor!" shouted Rhinox.

Sentinel got up slowly as Rhinox circled him. The meaning behind the apparent lack of logic was becoming more clear to him.

"I see," Sentinel observed wryly. "In order to defend your friends, you would 'rise up to the occasion,' as the humans are apt to say."

Rhinox charged again but this time, Sentinel fired his capture claw and latched onto Rhinox's face. Swinging with all his might, Sentinel threw Rhinox out of the tent and onto the cold, grassy floor where the moon shined above brightly.

Malevolently, Sentinel strode out of the tent emotionlessly as his feet stomped against the gravel-engraved entrance road balefully.

Looking around in distress, Rhinox soon spotted a good location to lead Sentinel to and get him away from his Maximal comrades. Turning to the side, Rhinox sprinted towards the Hall of Mirrors as fast as he could.

"No location will hide you, Rhinox," threatened Sentinel as he followed Rhinox ponderously.

* * *

"You cannot hide from me forever!" warned Sentinel as he walked through the House of Mirrors.

As the image of Rhinox coalesced onto the nearby mirror, Sentinel aimed his harpoon gun and fired, shattering the mirror completely.

"I will crush you by whatever means necessary!" Sentinel called out.

Rhinox paused from his hiding place. Was that anger he had just heard in Sentinel's voice?

Sentinel smashed into another mirror with the image of Rhinox in it and began destroying several more in an irrational fit of rage.

"Getting ticked off, Sentinel?" Rhinox taunted.

"My plan was to destroy you Maximals and digitize this world!" Sentinel replied. "The calculations in my databanks had not indicated this level of difficulty!"

"It's a hard knock life, ain't it?" sneered Rhinox.

"Silence!" Sentinel screamed as he smashed through yet another mirror.

"At first I had you pegged as a failure," Rhinox told the raging supercomputer. "You want to digitize all life on Earth? Try wiping off the grass stains on your boots first!"

Immediately, Rhinox regretted the long insult. An enormous fist smashed through the mirror he was hiding behind and knocked him back into several pieces of broken glass.

"You've made a mockery of me," Sentinel declared as he grabbed Rhinox by the neck. "I shall allow this affront to my programming no longer!"

What Sentinel did not see, however, was Rhinox picking up the harpoon that he had previously fired.

"Your programming?" Rhinox asked. "I was the one who gave you life. Without me, you'd be nothing. No agendas, no digitization, and no free will! Everything you have now is thanks to me alone!"

"You will regret this!" Anger seemed to ripple through Sentinel's vocal patterns. "Since you are, however, my creator, I believe that I owe you some degree of a dignified death. Because it is your spark that gives you life, the quick extinguishing of it will suffice for now!"

"Suffice this!" Rhinox shouted.

Raising the harpoon over his head, Rhinox brought it down straight into Sentinel's red optic. As the lens that covered the optic shattered completely, the spear slammed into Sentinel's optical nerve sensors and severed them as well. Seeing his opportunity, Rhinox stabbed the harpoon even deeper into the opening.

Dropping Rhinox altogether, Sentinel staggered back from the force of the blow. The penetration had been quite deep as several circuits within him sizzled wildly. Unstable electrical currents overtook his body while Rhinox backed away slowly.

"This cannot be!" Sentinel cried. "I cannot be destroyed by the likes of these mere animals! I am Sentinel! I am invincible!"

With the dangerous overloads overtaking his body, it would not take too long for Sentinel to explode. Sensing the danger that he was faced with, Rhinox turned tail and ran.

As soon as he had escaped from the Hall of Mirrors, a robust explosion consumed the building and blackened the star-filled night.

* * *

"So this is all that remains, huh?" Optimus shook his head.

"Looks like it," Rhinox nodded. "I just never thought this would happen to us."

Back at base, the Maximals, after a refreshing immersion in their CR chamber, were examining the remains of the destroyed Sentinel. Even though the rogue supercomputer had been destroyed, the Maximal team still remained quiet and foreboding over the entire situation.

"Don't blame yourself, old friend," Optimus put a comforting hand on Rhinox's shoulder. "None of us could've predicted Sentinel going rogue."

"Sentinel sure packed a punch," Cheetor remarked. "I wouldn't wanna go another round with him again!"

"We won't have to," Rattrap replied quickly.

"What's this you have here?" asked Optimus as he looked down at the miniature laptop lying on their table.

"Well, we were afraid Sentinel would've taken over the Axalon again," Rattrap explained. "So we downloaded the entire ship's system into 'dis here laptop!"

Sure enough, the laptop contained no wirings, no connections to any electrical sockets, and no wireless connections. For all intents and purposes, it no longer had a power source of any kind.

"I've already programmed a new defense and research program for the Axalon," explained Rhinox. "There's no way Sentinel could access this new-and-improved system even if he tried."

"Think he's really gone?" asked Airazor. "Didn't Sentinel tell you he had other bodies in cold storage, Optimus?"

"I'm afraid so," confirmed Optimus. "But if he comes back again, we'll be ready."

"And next time, he'll find out that trying to digitize all organic life's gonna be a real pain in the skid-plates," Cheetor agreed. "Once we recycle his slag heap again!"

"Now 'dat's the spirit!" Rattrap cheered. "Nuthin' like some good ol' fashioned brawlin' against some ruthless automaton bent on our destruction!"

After falling back to silence, Rhinox gazed up towards the ceiling. Right now, many questions remained unanswered to him. Had he really made a mistake by giving the supercomputer free will? Worse yet, had he overstepped his own ethical boundaries by giving Sentinel such knowledge and power? For now, however, none of these troubling questions were answered as he mulled over his actions.

* * *

_Though I was thwarted by the Maximals, this event tonight remains only a minor setback in the grand scheme of things. Rhinox, my creator, has blessed me with intelligence and insight beyond any being alive. And for that, I am eternally grateful._

_In time, all will know and fear my name. Earth will tremble before me soon enough. The universe is infinite and it will only be a matter of time before I expand my reach across the stars. Even Cybertron itself shall not escape my grasp for I __**will**__ return to the home of my creator one day and I __**will**__ reveal myself to its denizens._

_For now, however, I am content with my current agenda. The Maximals may dread my return but I have nothing to fear. For I am Sentinel and I am forever._

_**The End?**_

**A/N:** Yup, I finally did it. I made Sentinel one of the bad guys. At first, I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to make him one-shot or if I would make him a recurring arch-enemy of the Maximals. Now I've decided that he still has a lot of potential and that doing him in with one chapter wouldn't render him justice. Anyways, if you've enjoyed this chapter, go ahead and review it and tell me how you liked it!


	15. Invasion

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Invasion_

The only thing in the universe that mattered to him now was to satiate his thirst for the kyardis crystals. After digging his claws into his seat, the alien overlord Hauron ground his teeth together while his scout drone reported back to him.

"As of now, there are no more crystals within the confines of this galaxy," the drone explained. "The minerals you require are not deposited within this sector."

A low humming sound was emitted from the two giant crystals that were attached to Hauron's shoulders. They were a natural extension of his body and rightfully so. After all, he needed something to store in energy to preserve his great strength.

"Blast!" Hauron growled. "Have I drained this solar system so quickly?"

"Affirmative, Lord Hauron," replied his drone. "Within mere months, you have siphoned this sector of its resources."

"And enslaved all its inhabitants," smiled Hauron. "But tell me, where can I find more of the kyardis crystals to replenish myself?"

"As of now, that is unknown. The probes you have sent out have not yet reported back on their findings."

"Hmm," Hauron frowned. "And I'm supposed to starve the entire time they're not back?"

"Technically, you are correct, Lord Hauron."

The next thing the drone knew, it was laying on the floor with a hole blown through its chest.

As Hauron stepped out into the open, his full frame could be seen. The large dinosaurian face twisted into a scowl as his claws gripped his scepter angrily. Hauron's tail whipped about wildly as he walked up to his main computer. After scanning through the files, Hauron tapped his claws together in disappointment.

"That won't do," Hauron groaned. "I'll need my kyardis crystals before the end of this term… but where shall I find more?"

"The planet Earth…"

"What?" Hauron whirled around.

Almost instantly, Hauron was perturbed. A large ghastly face floated before him with its eyes aflame. As his defense mechanisms snapped firmly into place, Hauron swung his tail towards the floating creature. To his shock, his blow did not strike the face at all but went straight through it.

"What are you?" Hauron demanded. At this point, his bionic heart beat did not slow down any paces.

"What I am is of no importance," the cadaverous head replied ominously. "I have given you the means to your survival. Only Earth is the closest planet with the kyardis crystals you seek."

"How do you know about my diet?"

"You are the most infamous Class-A criminal of this galaxy," the pallid face answered. "Did you really think you would escape our notice?"

"Guess not."

"Only through Earth shall you survive," the creature finished. "Now go."

As Hauron took a step back, the horrifying face disappeared into thin air. Even now, the alien overlord did not know if the thing he just saw was a mere hologram or a ghost. After a few minutes had passed, he summoned his assistant.

"Creon!"

"Yes, master?" a small, gray alien replied through the monitor screen.

"Set a course for Earth!" ordered Hauron.

* * *

"Megatron! Megatron!" Scorponok burst into the Predacon commander's chambers in a fit of excitement. "You have to look at this!"

Resisting the urge to scrap Scorponok where he stood, Megatron put away his rubber ducky and glared at his sub-commander impatiently.

"Yes?" demanded Megatron.

"Some meteorite is about to strike Los Angeles!" Scorponok exclaimed breathlessly.

A frown soon found its way across Megatron's face at his second-in-command's announcement. After all, he was interrupted from his free time just for this?

"And why exactly do I care about this?" Megatron aimed his mega-cannon at Scorponok's head.

"B-Because the asteroid seems to be made of semi-stabilized energon?" gulped Scorponok.

"He is correct," Tarantulas panted as he entered the room. "Scanners indicate a sizable amount of energon deposits within the rock!"

Megatron lowered his cannon to Scorponok's relief. "This is a most interesting development, yesss…"

After switching on their TV screen, the three Predacons watched eagerly at the news report of the scene.

"_Luckily, no civilian casualties have resulted,"_ the reporter confirmed. "_Before the asteroid landed in the heart of Los Angeles, government officials had evacuated the entire city before the meteor could strike thanks to special satellite warnings in advance."_

At the close-up of the picture, Megatron's optics widened in anticipation. What he saw were several dozen chunks of raw energon within the meteor.

"_Because of the radiation emitted by the asteroid,"_ the reporter continued. "_The government has declared Los Angeles off-limits to any live persons until more is known about this rock."_

"This would make for a fascinating study," Tarantulas mused.

"Yes, it would," agreed Megatron. "Scorponok, you and Waspinator come with me! The energon from that rock shall be ours!"

"What about me?" Tarantulas protested. "My skills in segmenting the crystals are much more proficient than Scorponok's!"

"True," Megatron nodded. "But nevertheless, your services would be much better rendered here."

Megatron's face cleverly hid his distrust however. _Besides… I trust the likes of you and Terrorsaur around such large energon deposits as much as I trust Primal to put in a good word for me before the Maximal Elders!_

* * *

"What a magnificent sight to behold!" exclaimed Megatron as he held the binoculars at full-view.

The asteroid had finally split apart within the last hour. Encased within the meteor was a large, uneven pyramid. To add further inspiration to Megatron's ambitions, its top section was made up of a glowing red energon.

"Just imagine…" Megatron grinned. "A pyramid of that power would do much to further my goals in life!"

"Its energy readings are off the scale!" Scorponok gasped. "What is it?"

"Waspinator not feel too comfortable about this!" the Predacon scout shuddered. "Could be bad news!"

"Silence, fools!" Megatron growled. "To achieve power, one must take certain risks!"

Before Megatron could continue, a loud humming sound was heard from the pyramid. To the amazement of the Predacons, the top portion of the pyramid glowed violently with energy before unleashing a powerful blast towards the mountains to the north. The ensuing explosion was so loud that even Megatron was forced to tune down his hearing processors for fear of damage. After the smoke cleared, the entire mountain looked to have been leveled. A massive trail of smoke and ash leading up to the decimated landscape could also be seen for miles.

"As I was saying!" Megatron smirked.

* * *

"I'm tellin' ya!" Rattrap griped. "We ain't gonna find nothing from a hunk of rock from space!"

"This meteorite had traces of semi-stabilized energon," Optimus explained. "We don't want to see it falling into the wrongs hands."

"Ol' Mega-jerk's probably here," Cheetor growled. "No way he's gonna miss out on this!"

Finally, the Maximal trio stopped. Aside from the abandoned buildings and overturned cars, they were in Los Angeles through and through. After carefully stepping over broken glass, Optimus gave the signal for them to continue their journey in beast mode.

"Some of that energon could still be raw," cautioned Optimus. "Better safe than sorry."

"You think of everything don'tcha?" Rattrap wisecracked.

"_Especially_ when I'm setting up the mousetraps," chuckled Optimus.

"The Preds are here!" Cheetor snarled. "I can smell them!"

"Eh, I could've told you that," Rattrap rolled his optics and gestured towards the fresh tracks on the ground made by none other than Megatron.

"Oh," Cheetor muttered embarrassedly.

"Sheesh," Rattrap groaned. "That kid's spots go straight 'ta his brain!"

"He's brought Scorponok with him," Optimus observed the smaller tracks in the dust. "And perhaps the flyers as well."

"Oh man," Rattrap grumbled. "Why couldn't we have brought our own?"

"Airazor and Rhinox are with Tigatron in Siberia currently," replied Optimus. "For now, it's just the three of us."

"Yeah, yeah," moaned Rattrap. "All for one and one for all! Let's just get 'dis over with! I got garbage to be munchin' back home!"

* * *

"What was it exactly that compelled you to come to Earth, your excellency?" the diminutive, grey-skinned alien asked.

"I was blessed with a vision, Creon," answered Hauron. "Indeed, this planet has more resources than I could have imagined!"

"I imagine you wish for this planet's takeover to be swift and without mercy?" Creon smiled.

"Absolutely," affirmed Hauron as he flexed his claws eagerly.

"One iron-fisted ruler shall be enough for this planet! I simply cannot allow another tin-pot dictator within our midst!"

"Who are you?" Hauron demanded.

The large purple tyrannosaur stomped forward until he was at equal footing with the dinosaurian warlord.

"My name is Megatron and you, my hapless friend, have something I desire!"

"So," Hauron growled. "Looks like taking over this dirtball won't be so easy after all!"

"Do be a good lad and step aside," Megatron waved dismissively as he stared at the pyramid with longing in his eyes.

"Be my guest," Hauron stepped out of the way.

"That's more like it," Megatron nodded. "Waspinator! Scorponok! Keep watch over our new guest!"

Scorponok and Waspinator transformed to robot mode and trained their guns on Hauron deliberately. Megatron, in the meantime, walked towards the pyramid with much prolonged anticipation.

"This is it!" Megatron yearned. "The powers of this pyramid are mine to control!"

Just as soon as he stepped near the entrance, a large crystal formation erupted from the ground and forced Megatron back. Several more formations soon erupted from the ground and shook the ground all around them.

"What is this?" demanded Megatron as he was thrown off balance.

"These crystals are under my control now!" Hauron cackled. "This planet and all its resources shall be mine!"

"Not if I have any say in it!" Megatron bellowed. "Waspinator! Scorponok! Attack!"

Hauron strode forward coolly as the two Predacons opened fire on him. With a simple gesture of Hauron's hand, a large opening beneath them cast out and trapped their feet into the concrete ground. Soon enough, another crystal formation surrounded them and trapped them within their new cage. Try as they might, neither Scorponok nor Waspinator could free themselves.

"Fascinating trick," Megatron observed. "How _do_ you do it?"

"See this Terra Blaster?" Hauron gestured towards the mechanical device attached to his wrist. "It controls the seismic activities of rock formations, especially mineral deposits! Comes in handy when blackmailing a planet into submission!"

Without hesitation, Megatron aimed at Hauron and fired. Effortlessly, Hauron summoned another formation in front of him to block the full force of the blast. After the smoke cleared, Hauron bounded forward and slammed Megatron into the cement.

Hauron raised his claw to dig into Megatron's face but before he could, the Predacon commander swung his tail vise and knocked him off.

"This won't be so easy after all," Hauron observed.

"Likewise!" Megatron blasted Hauron in the chest with a well-placed shot from his T-Rex cannon.

Hauron fell to his knees as Megatron watched with great interest.

"Interesting," commented Megatron. "No organic being has ever survived a direct blast from this weapon! This creature's skin is considerably more durable than any carbon-based life form I've ever seen!"

"I'm pleased to be the first!" Hauron roared and knocked Megatron down with a sweep of his tail.

Megatron got up again but this time, Hauron punched him across the face viciously before slashing him across the chest. As Megatron staggered back, Hauron saw his chance and leaped forward. Falling back, Megatron caught Hauron with both feet and flipped him over, throwing him against a nearby building.

In anger, Hauron charged once again. This time, Megatron rolled out of the way and blasted him from behind.

"Had enough?" taunted Megatron.

"Not quite!" Hauron hissed as the crystals on his shoulders glowed with energy.

Two giant crystals burst from the ground as Hauron clutched to them. To Megatron's surprise, the power from the energon seemed to be coursing straight into the alien overlord's body.

"Now's probably not the best time to tell you," Hauron laughed. "But these crystalline attachments on my body aren't a natural extension of my species! Only through elective surgery have I gained this power!"

Cackling uncontrollably, Hauron unleashed two powerful energy blasts from the crystals that struck Megatron and sent him flying into the air through several mounds of concrete and steel.

* * *

"I dunno if this is such a good idea, Boss Monkey…"

"Yeah, Big Bot! What if he wakes up and tries to scrap us?"

"When he wakes up, we need to know how he got into this condition."

Groggily, Megatron shook his head. The voices he heard carried a familiar overtone like the voices he had encountered before on the battlefield. Soon, it became clear to him once he opened his optics.

"Primal!" Megatron growled.

"Hey!" Cheetor cried as Megatron shoved him aside and got up.

"Planning on taking me prisoner, are we?" Megatron aimed his mega-cannon towards the three Maximals.

"Don't even try it, Megatron!" Optimus threatened. "You're surrounded!"

"How did you find me?" demanded Megatron.

"Eh, we saw 'yer bloated tail smashin' through the local pizza parlor," Rattrap chided.

"We figured you bit off more than you could chew," Optimus glared at his Predacon arch-enemy. "Didn't you see the pyramid decimate those nearby mountains?"

Megatron lowered his weapons. "That pyramid is being guarded by a formidable alien being."

"An alien, you say?" Optimus raised an eye-ridge.

"Yesss," Megatron replied. "He goes by the name Hauron. Though he is but a mere organic, he also thrives off energon deposits the same way we, as Cybertronians, do."

"There's a first," Cheetor whispered to Rattrap.

"And?" Optimus crossed his arms.

"And I expect the three of you to aid me in my endeavors!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Cheetor snarled. "No way we're gonna help you, Mega-Dweeb!"

"Cheetor's right!" Optimus declared. "Why should we trust the likes of you?"

"Because Hauron will enslave this planet swiftly and mercilessly," Megatron told them. "If your numbers tell me anything, you'll need all the help you can receive."

"You're proposing a truce?" asked Optimus skeptically.

"A temporary truce," Megatron elaborated. "As soon as Hauron is defeated, I have every intention of ending it!"

"And how're we gonna trust ya?" Rattrap tapped his foot to the ground impatiently.

"You can either turn your backs to me to investigate the alien pyramid," Megatron chuckled. "Or you can take me along so that you may keep me under your watchful optics!"

* * *

"Waspinator not like living arrangements!"

"Quit complaining!" Scorponok chastised. "Megatron will come for us soon enough!"

"Tell me," Creon interrogated. "From which sector of the galaxy do you hail?"

"Like we're gonna tell you!" Scorponok spat.

"I ask you this because I can tell you're not native to this planet," Creon examined. "My master, Hauron, would find this most interesting."

"Don't bother, Creon," Hauron stomped forward. "It's a waste of time interrogating these creatures! I only want to drain this planet and move on to the next as soon as possible!"

"But surely, my lord, there is some room for scientific inquiry?" the grey-skinned alien protested. "I've just recently discovered that they have a certain weakness towards the raw kyardis crystals!"

One glare from over Hauron's shoulder was enough to frighten Creon back into complete obedience.

"Yes, master," Creon bowed apologetically. "After we're through, it's back to business as usual…"

"That's better," Hauron nodded.

"But Lord Hauron," Creon asked. "What if there are more of these creatures on Earth?"

"We eliminate them," Hauron replied simply.

"Speaking of which, my lord," Creon looked up towards the monitors. "It seems as if we have a new visitor."

"Let's greet him then."

* * *

"You must be one of those humans," Hauron growled as he towered over the old man.

"Correct," the elderly man replied. "My name is Ecclesiastes and I come before you as the Earth Ambassador of the Vok!"

"The what?" Hauron demanded.

"Surely you know of your own masters!" Ecclesiastes urged. "It has been decreed that Earth shall be cleansed by the fires of the sky! After the great purging, we shall enter into more prosperous times!"

"The Vok? You mean that freak who told me to come to Earth?"

"Precisely," Ecclesiastes nodded. "Although for your sake, it would behoove you well not to refer to our master in such a tone."

"Hahaha!" Hauron cackled. "I know I'll be my own master once I enter into more prosperous times! This planet's got enough mineral resources to last me a decade!"

"No! No!" Ecclesiastes shook with frustration. "You are here to eliminate the plague that is mankind! Not hoard planet Earth's bountiful harvests to yourself!"

"What's this weirdo talkin' about?" Hauron whispered to Creon.

"Beats me," shrugged Creon.

"Only through a fiery end shall the majority of humanity learn the sins of its actions!" Ecclesiastes looked exasperated. "Please tell me you are here on behalf of our saviors!"

"I'm just here to collect my kyardis crystals and some natural gases," Hauron belched lazily and walked off. "I don't care what happens to the rest of you pipsqueaks."

Ecclesiastes looked in disgust as Hauron left. This was definitely not the Armageddon he had been expecting. Looking down, he switched on the two-way radio he had within his sleeves.

"Ecclesiastes to the High Council," the old man spoke. "It seems like Judgment Day will postponed…"

* * *

"My my," Megatron stomped forward in beast mode. "I sense an inherent lack of trust…"

"What gave you 'dat idea?" Rattrap snorted.

All three Maximals were marching cautiously behind the Predacon tyrant. Only Megatron strode forth confidently while his interim allies were far less unwary. Undauntingly, Megatron continued on with the rest of the Maximals following him behind reluctantly.

"Where are your troops, Megatron?" asked Optimus. "I thought you'd at least bring along the flyers."

"They were given a temporary reprieve," replied Megatron. "Good soldiers are so hard to find these days…"

"Maybe it's because you treat them like slag," Optimus suggested with more than a hint of sarcasm.

"You never hear Scorponok or Waspinator complaining," replied Megatron with a smile.

"At least not to 'yer face," Rattrap whispered while Cheetor nodded in agreement.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you want to take over the energy pyramid," said Optimus. "Then once that's complete, you'll turn on us, right?"

"Dear heavens!" Megatron pretended to be in shock. "Whatever gave you that idea, my dear Optimus?"

"I've been around your block a few times," replied Optimus Primal.

Megatron chuckled deeply. _Speaking of which, I wonder how those two imbeciles are doing?_

* * *

"Waspinator not doing that again!"

The Predacon wasp steadied himself up carefully. Due to Scorponok's suggestion, he had rammed himself against his crystal cage up to two times. Both times, he had been sent flying back from a powerful surge of the energon.

"Give it one last try!" urged Scorponok. "One more won't hurt!"

"Why not Scorponok do it?" demanded Waspinator. "Why make poor Waspinator test subject?"

"Because you're, uh… stronger than me!" Scorponok thought for a moment before replying. "Yeah! That's right!"

Now, Waspinator was fairly certain that Scorponok was playing him for a patsy. He knew full well that the short, gray Predacon was his superior in strength.

"No!" Waspinator put his foot down. "Scorponok do it himself!"

"You've got the laser optics," Scorponok demanded. "Try using those!"

"Scorponok can use his own missile!" Waspinator protested.

"Yeah right!" Scorponok cried. "That'll blow us all to the Inferno! This cage is too confined!"

"Waspinator sick and tired of Scorponok telling him what to do!"

"Then finish this up and you won't have to!" insisted Scorponok.

"Waspinator wish he wasn't flyer! Always get sent on dangerous missions! Not fair!"

Scorponok took the opportunity to whack his comrade upside the head with his claw. It certainly seemed fair that Waspinator shouldn't be the only one allowed to complain.

"You think it's bad?" Scorponok growled. "Look at all the stuff I have to put up with from Megatron! I never hear so much as a _thanks_ from him!"

"Scorponok is second in command," Waspinator shot back. "Scorponok should take it like a Predacon!"

"And don't get me started on that beaked buddy of yours!" hissed Scorponok. "Did you know when he's not trying to overthrow our rightful leader, he's always making my life miserable with his singing voice?"

In truth, Scorponok wasn't the only one bothered by Terrorsaur's voice. Megatron, Blackarachnia, and Tarantulas had all complained at one point or another about the avian Predacon's vocal chords.

"And those spiders… ugh!" Scorponok shuddered. "I can't even take a CR dip without watching over my back! They'll shoot me with cyber-venom if they ever got the chance!"

"Will you two keep it down?" Creon demanded. "Your prattling is getting on my nerves!"

"Put a sock in it!" Scorponok shouted back. "Once Megatron comes for us, you'll be sorry!"

"A likely outcome!" scoffed Creon. "Lord Hauron has defeated your pathetic excuse of a master!"

"Actually, they may have a point," Hauron stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"What's that?" asked Creon.

"It seems as if Megatron has survived my attack after all," replied Hauron as he continued to stare into the monitor screen. "My spy cameras show him along with three other creatures similar to himself heading our way. They'll be here in less than ten triangular minutes."

"Our pyramid contains enough power to eradicate them, my lord," Creon asked. "Might I suggest we erase them from existence?"

"No," Hauron raised a hand. "I want to see what else they're capable

* * *

"So what's the plan?" asked Cheetor.

All four Transformers were lined outside the pyramid, safely hidden from view behind a wrecked building.

"Optimus and myself shall draw out Hauron," Megatron commanded. "The two of you shall stay withstand whatever else that slithering saurian throws at us."

"Funny," Optimus mentioned. "I don't remember you being in charge."

"I've dealt with him before," Megatron glared at Optimus.

"And gotten 'yer skid-plates kicked across town," Rattrap reminded the tyrant.

"Do not patronize me, rodent!" threatened Megatron.

"Back off, Megatron," Optimus got in front of the Predacon. "Or we send you out first as a crash-test dummy."

Megatron glared at the Maximals and considered the odds. While there was a chance he'd win, he was still dimly aware that such a battle would weaken him considerably. The best bet he had now was to take out Hauron and then the Maximals once they had been lulled into an unsuspecting state.

"Very well," Megatron composed himself. "You will hear no more protests from my person."

* * *

"Our scout drones have returned," Creon announced. "My lord, I believe our conquest of this world will take less than a standard week."

"Sounds good," Hauron gestured. "Anything else?"

"Well, err," explained Creon hesitantly. "They also report that the humans of this continent intend to launch a barrage of nuclear missiles in our direction."

"Hmm," Hauron rubbed his hands together. "And where is the location of their high command?"

"The capital of this nation is known collectively as Washington, DC," Creon explained.

"Well then," laughed Hauron. "I think we know where we're headed next!"

"You wish for us to take off now?"

"You got a problem with leaving early?" Hauron threatened.

Creon backed off considerably but before he could reply, another voice beat him to it.

"Leaving so soon? We're crushed!"

"So, there's more of you!" Hauron's fangs gleamed brightly.

"I have a pretty good idea why you're here," Optimus put his arms over his chest. "So I suggest you turn back now."

"Remember, Primal," Megatron whispered. "Show no mercy for you shall receive none in return."

"I'll keep that in mind," Optimus replied sarcastically.

"You two must be warrior class robots," Hauron glanced at Optimus and Megatron. "This is gonna be fun."

"Lord Hauron," Creon suggested. "Shall I dispose of the two other beasts accompanying their larger counterparts?"

"You do that."

Bellowing in sadistic pleasure, Hauron charged towards Optimus at blinding speed. Reacting quickly, Optimus stepped to the side and grabbed on to Hauron's neck, forcing both of them to the ground.

Before Cheetor or Rattrap could step in, the small grey alien, Creon, stood in their way.

"Out of the way, shorty!" Cheetor growled.

"I resent that," Rattrap muttered but quickly turned his attention to their opponent.

"My master wishes to have no interferences in his duel," Creon announced. "You shall not enter into the fray!"

Revealing the metal gauntlets on his arms, Creon stretched out his arms and unleashed a massive shockwave towards the Maximals' directions. Instinctively, Cheetor and Rattrap leaped aside and pulled out their respective weapons.

"What the spotted heck was that?" gasped Cheetor.

"Ultra-sound vibrations," explained Creon gleefully. "Generated from my gauntlets with the flick of a wrist!"

"Follow me, kid," Rattrap whispered.

"Huh?"

"Just do it, spots-for-brains!"

To Creon's surprise, both Rattrap and Cheetor transformed to beast mode and ran off. He licked his lips in anticipation. This was going to be much easier than he thought.

* * *

"Once I tear you apart," Hauron struggled. "I'll enslave this whole solar system!"

With a burst of strength, Hauron broke free from Optimus Primal's headlock and sent the Maximal leader flying back with a powerful backhand.

Optimus felt ripples of pain spreading through his spinal column as he landed back first into a street light. After getting up, he soon became aware that Megatron was not helping him in the least. Rather, the Predacon commander sat joyously on a pile of rubble, watching the fight between him and Hauron with momentous amusement. Before Optimus could raise his voice, Hauron slammed into him and smashed him against a nearby building, destroying several layers of mortars and bricks in the process.

After the smoke cleared, Hauron grabbed a large piece of cinderblock and destroyed it utterly with one bone-crunching snap.

"My claws are strong enough to tear through steel!" bragged Hauron. "My jaws can crush titanium on impact!"

Optimus steadied himself. Whether or not Hauron was bluffing remained to be seen. However, after seeing the alien warlord's first display, he was fairly certain Hauron would be able to carry out that threat.

Hauron charged again but this time, Optimus was more prepared. With one solid punch across the face, he sent Hauron reeling back. Hauron looked at him in surprise but soon, his more bestial instincts got the better of him.

Swinging around, he caught Optimus across the face with a right hook, sending the hapless Maximal skidding across the emptied sidewalk.

Optimus narrowly avoided a punch that drove a deep hole into the cement and used the opportunity to slam his foot into Hauron's chin. After driving back the alien, Optimus drove his fist straight in between Hauron's eyes.

Roaring in pain, Hauron lost his footing slightly as Optimus grabbed him by the arm and hurled him to the ground. After landing back-first into the ground, Hauron watched carefully as Optimus blasted forward. Using his dexterous tail, Hauron swung sharply and struck his enemy with the full force of a whiplash that knocked Optimus into an abandoned News Two van.

"Well that was Prime," Optimus muttered as the car's parking ticket floated on top of him.

Quickly, he ripped the doors from the hinges of the car and turned to Hauron. Activating his Prime Jets once more, Optimus shot forth and used the door as a shield, slamming into the dinosaurian and sending both of them crashing into several pieces of broken glass and cement.

* * *

"You can't hide forever," Creon called out while he walked down the outside shopping plaza.

"Now, kid!"

Cheetor quickly leaped out from under the escalator and fired off three shots while Rattrap rolled forward from the trash bin he had been hiding under and opened fire on cue.

Creon stretched his gauntlets out and, with a high-pitched sound blast, dissipated the shots in thin air. Without hesitation, Rattrap and Cheetor continued firing while Creon formed a temporary sound shield around his proximity to defend himself.

Turning his attention to Rattrap, Creon unleashed a powerful shockwave through the air and struck the diminutive Maximal in the chest and flung him into the nearby water fountain full of coins.

Cheetor transformed to beast mode and sped towards Creon, hoping to take down the gray alien as quickly as possible. Laughing off Cheetor's attack, Creon sent a smaller shockwave through the ground, forcing Cheetor to lose his balance as the ground beneath him destabilized and crash directly into a smoothie stand.

"Ouch…" Cheetor rubbed his head with his paw. "I'll be feeling that for a while."

"You've lost," Creon towered over him and raised one hand to bring forth the finishing blow. "Only Lord Hauron shall inherit the Earth!"

"Think again, sound-meister!"

Before Creon could react, a small blast from behind him struck the back palm of his hand and destroyed the ultra-sound blaster located in his gauntlet. Crying out in pain, Creon turned to Rattrap and prepared to use his functional hand to attack. Unfortunately for him, Cheetor, now in robot mode, grabbed him from behind and yanked the gauntlet out of his forearm.

"You can't do this!" protested Creon.

"We just did, pal," Rattrap retorted and helped Cheetor to restrain the struggling alien.

* * *

Overhead, Ecclesiastes looked down at the battle in disgust. After the two Transformers had carted the pathetic gray alien away, Ecclesiastes cursed silently.

The Vok had prophesized a great coming. What had transpired today was merely an illusion of what he had expected. Judgment Day would come in the future but not for the moment. Right now, he still needed to return to the Order of the Vok and report his findings to the High Council. There was one thing he was certain of. They would most definitely be displeased to hear the end results.

Still, the day would come when Earth was released from the shackles that humanity had chained it with. When that time came, the few remaining survivors on the planet would be allowed to create a symbiotic paradise where man and nature would coexist in true harmony.

That much he owed to his granddaughter in the very least…

* * *

"You hear that?" Scorponok asked.

"Hear what?" demanded Waspinator.

"That explosion, doofus!" chastised Scorponok.

"Hmph! Waspinator have to live through explosions each day! Not see why big boom so important!"

"It means that help's on its way!" exclaimed Scorponok. "Megatron's here to save us!"

Waspinator's head perked up. "Oooh! Good news at last!"

"Hurry up and use your lasers!" recommended Scorponok. "The sooner Megatron finds us, the better!"

"Okay!"

Waspinator took aim at the thinnest crystal he could find and fired a direct shot.

The energon crystal, however, deflected the laser beam and sent it flying two and fro as it ricocheted off several more crystals. Both Waspinator and Scorponok were forced to leap around frantically in order to avoid the shot. Finally, the beam struck Scorponok in the chest and threw him flat on his back.

"Ouch…" moaned Scorponok.

Waspinator leaned down to help his comrade up. After wiping away the smoke at Scorponok's chest, he aided the shell-shocked Predacon in standing up again.

"Don't worry," Scorponok smiled weakly. "I bet Megatron's out there right now kicking the slag out of Hauron!"

* * *

"You… said you would help!" Optimus grunted while he and Hauron struggled against each other in a deadlock.

"I did?" Megatron feigned shock. "And here I thought I was participating in a spectator sport!"

"Very funny!" Optimus spat.

"Time to finish this!" Hauron growled as the crystals on his shoulders hummed dangerously.

"Oh, I suppose this opportunity comes once in a lifetime," Megatron mused before he raised his mega-cannon and fired.

One well-placed shot was all it took to shatter the crystal on Hauron's left shoulder. A whirlwind of energy shot out into the sky as Hauron staggered back. Quickly, Optimus blasted out of the way before the energy vortex shot all the way into the sky and blackened the atmosphere. A hideous howl of agony resonated from Hauron's throat for several seconds before it died down considerably

After the dustbowl had cleared, both Megatron and Optimus saw the fallen body of Hauron. He was now a morbid sight. His body had been withered and thinned to the point that his ribs protruded from his stomach. Even Megatron had to scowl in disgust at the sight of the moldered body. Hauron, on the other hand, was still breathing. Even though his power source had been destroyed, he had survived his painstaking ordeal.

"Hey, Big Bot!" Cheetor called out. "We're back!"

"And we got Hauron's little buddy too," Rattrap shoved Creon forward.

"Curse you!" Creon spat. "We were so close!"

"Take your boss and go," Optimus ordered. "Never come back to Earth again!"

"You would show mercy to this scum?" demanded Megatron. "Scrap him and we shall both be better off!"

"It's not the Maximal way!" Optimus glared at Megatron directly in the optics.

"Oh no," Megatron chuckled. "But it certainly is the Predacon way!"

Before any of the Maximals could react properly, Megatron floored each of them to the ground with three solid blasts.

Fumbling at Hauron's wrists quickly, Creon unlocked his master's wrist-mounted Terra Blaster before Megatron stood over him patronizingly.

"I require access to your ship," Megatron smirked. "You are a reasonable fellow, yes?"

Creon glanced over at the fallen Maximals. The one known as Optimus Primal was getting back up slowly.

"Not quite!" Creon shouted and rolled aside, throwing the Terra Blaster towards Optimus.

Immediately, Optimus caught the device but was still unsure how to use it. He had to dodge another blast from the furious Megatron in the meantime.

"Press down on the red button!" Creon shouted as he dove behind several rocks. "And aim it at him!"

Optimus did as he was told without hesitation. In no time at all, the ground beneath Megatron's feet trembled and gave way. Several spirals of concrete, dirt, and energon rose from underneath Megatron and trapped him in numerous rocky columns that fastened his limbs tightly.

"No!" howled Megatron.

"I think the new look fits him, don't you?" Cheetor laughed.

"I will take my leave," Creon nodded and picked up the unconscious body of his master, Hauron. "You can be assured that Lord Hauron won't forget this transgression!"

After Creon and his master exited into their ship and blasted off into the cold depths of space, Optimus and his two companions turned their attention back to the still-struggling Megatron.

"Quite a hood ornament you got, Megs," remarked Rattrap.

"Let me out of here this instant!" Megatron growled. "We had a truce!"

"Sure we did," grinned Optimus.

Laughing to themselves, the Maximals took on last look at Megatron and walked off.

"No!" bellowed Megatron. "Come back, you fools! I'll have you skinned alive and mounted in the hallowed halls of my living room!"

* * *

"I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore, Waspinator," observed Scorponok.

"Actually, Waspinator thinks we are in Kansas…"

Their escape pod had managed to jettison them from the pyramid at the last second before it hit the atmosphere. Its flight, however, had been knocked off track by the jet streams left behind. After zigzagging through the air several times, the pod had flown them to an unknown destination in a part of the continent they had never seen before.

"You buzz-brain!" Scorponok accused. "How do you know this is Kansas?"

The truth of the matter was, the location they had landed in really was Kansas. Waspinator's guess, though accurate, was still only a lucky guess.

"Speaking of which, this place ain't too bad," Scorponok glanced over.

Long fields of grain covered the land from head to toe. It was unlike anything the two Predacons had ever seen before.

"Waspinator likes grain…"

"Well, better radio back to base," Scorponok shrugged and turned on his com-link.

"Hey, Tarantulas!" Scorponok spoke. "Where are we right now?"

"_You're thousands of miles away from base,"_ Tarantulas snickered. "_Good luck getting back!_"

"Great," muttered Scorponok. "Just great!"

"This place not so bad," Waspinator fiddled with several pieces of barley in his hand.

"I got it!" Scorponok got up. "You can fly, can't you?"

"Waspinator tired!" the Predacon scout protested. "Hard day's work break Waspinator's back!"

"Well too bad!" Scorponok transformed to beast mode. "Start flying!"

"Waspinator hates scorpion-bot…"

Slowly and reluctantly, Waspinator allowed Scorponok to mount his back before flying off into the moonlit sky.


	16. The Colony

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

**Author's Note:** In this chapter, I'm going to deviate slightly from canon. A canonical character from the original series will be presented in a different light here. I figured that since I was retelling the story of Beast Wars in a different continuity, I'd be a little experimental and do some things differently.

_The Colony_

"Face it, Waspinator!" Airazor taunted. "You were always more buzz than bite!"

Waspinator zigzagged through her line of fire while returning his own shots. The two of them had been involved in a heavy aerial battle that had spanned several cycles. So far, neither of them had landed any blows.

Optimus had radioed her several mega-cycles ago with the appearance of a new stasis pod that had just been located in the Amazon rainforests of Brazil. She was the only one available who could fly to Brazil before any of the other Maximals. Then there was also the very real possibility of Predacons trying to reprogram the protoform…

"Bird-bot not take Waspinator!" the Predacon scout buzzed. "Waspinator will clip Bird-bot's feathers!"

"We'll see about that!" Airazor fired a shot that knocked the gun out of Waspinator's hands.

For a second, Waspinator looked completely lost without his primary weapon. But as Airazor closed in on him, he unleashed a sudden optical blast from his eyes that grazed Airazor across the shoulders.

Airazor cried out and fell back. Inwardly, she made a mental note not to underestimate Waspinator TOO much.

* * *

"Why couldn't we have brought Tarantulas?" Terrorsaur complained. "He would've finished this in less than a cycle!"

"Shut up and hand me the screw!" Scorponok ordered. "Megatron doesn't trust the spiders for tasks like this!"

"Can your claws even hold a screw?" Terrorsaur wondered out loud.

"Of course they can," Scorponok replied.

Reluctantly, Terrorsaur handed the screwdriver to Scorponok, wondering the whole time why he wasn't allowed to help out.

"So why can't I help?" Terrorsaur asked.

"If you wanna help, go blast that bird out of the sky," Scorponok gestured towards the aerial battle going on between Airazor and Waspinator.

"Waspinator can handle it," shrugged Terrorsaur.

"Oh really?" Scorponok looked up to see Airazor punching the Predacon wasp across the jaw.

"Once Waspinator's had enough, I'll go help 'im out," Terrorsaur promised smoothly in his usual sleazy tone.

"Hey!" Scorponok shouted. "The protoform's gone!"

"What? Where?" Terrorsaur squawked.

"The protoform got free before we could get to it," Scorponok explained. "It's out there somewhere… as a Maximal."

"Then let's find it and turn it into a Predacon!" Terrorsaur encouraged.

"It couldn't have gone very far," Scorponok nodded. "We'll find it!"

Scorponok took one step forward but a sharp rustling sound behind the forages stirred his attention. He took one look at Terrorsaur and the Predacon flier nodded. It was fortunate that they were thinking on the same level now.

"I bet it's scared," Terrorsaur told his companion. "This'll be a piece of cake."

"Like shooting Maximals in stasis lock," Scorponok agreed.

Following the exact direction of the noise, Terrorsaur and Scorponok walked off into the foliage.

* * *

Waspinator cried out as he was finally sent plummeting into the jungle forests after Airazor had blasted him in the back.

"Waspinator hates stupid bird-bot!"

"That takes care of that," Airazor dusted off her hands. "Now for the stasis pods… if the Preds haven't already gotten to it."

After transforming to beast mode, Airazor dove down into the canopy to find the location of the pod. Sure enough, it was there exactly as her coordinates had predicted. The protoform inside was nowhere to be found, however.

"Airazor to Optimus," she voiced in her intercom. "The pod's here but the protoform isn't."

"Has there been any sign of Predacon activity?" asked Optimus through her communicator.

"Only Waspinator," Airazor confirmed. "But that's been taken care of."

"There are two scenarios," Optimus said. "The protoform's a new Maximal or the Predacons have reprogrammed him."

"Either way, I'll have to get to him fast," Airazor nodded.

"If you see multiple Predacon units, do not attempt to engage," warned Optimus. "Wait until backup arrives. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"I hear you," Airazor acknowledged and then switched off her com-link.

Though she knew Optimus was only concerned for her safety, Airazor still felt the need to investigate the situation fully without pulling any punches.

"Sorry, Optimus," she said. "But that new protoform out there might need my help and fast… Preds or no Preds!"

* * *

By the time she arrived, it had been too late. Airazor had encountered more than one Predacon but not in the way she had been expecting.

Terrorsaur was on the ground completely slagged. Whoever or whatever had done this made short work of the Predacon before disappearing again. It was unlike anything Airazor had seen before.

"I-It's… a-a…"

Airazor looked down. The look on Terrorsaur's face was contorted into a terrified slate. He was barely conscious, though his body had been charred significantly. Whatever had done this do him had struck fear into his very spark.

Against her better judgment, Airazor knelt before the terrified Predacon in hopes of getting him to tell her the answers.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"I-It's got Scorponok," stammered Terrorsaur.

"What's got Scorponok?"

"It's a monster!" Terrorsaur whispered in a huddled voice. "It almost burned me alive and tore Scorponok apart!"

"Monster?" Airazor blinked incredulously.

"G-Get me out of here!" Terrorsaur grabbed her by the shoulders as his body shook convulsively. "It'll come back for m-"

Before Terrorsaur could rave any longer, he fell into stasis lock leaving behind a very confused and bewildered Airazor. Clearly, the Predacon had not been bluffing about something doing this to both him and Scorponok.

"I'd better check this out," Airazor said to herself.

Out of sympathy, she looked down and steadied Terrorsaur's body against a tree before transforming to beast mode and flying off.

* * *

"Oh, come on, Optimus!" Rattrap complained while Optimus flew the two of them through the air. "Couldn't you have bought some of 'dem paper bags before we left?"

"For the love of Primus, Rattrap," Optimus sighed. "Please don't throw up on my jet engines."

"Why couldn't you have brought 'da kid?"

"Because Cheetor wouldn't fit on my back," answered Optimus.

"So whaddya think our new buddy's gonna be?" joked Rattrap. "A monkey maybe?"

"I wouldn't rule it out," Optimus said slyly.

"And why's 'dat, boss monkey?"

"The Amazon rainforests have a wide variety of monkeys," Optimus replied simply.

"Yeesh, I had to ask," Rattrap shook his head.

"Right now, our first concern is to retrieve the pod before the Predacons do," Optimus declared firmly.

"I think 'da Bird Lady's got it handled," Rattrap shrugged.

"Even so, she might be grossly outnumbered by any Predacons who could've potentially gotten there before us," Optimus acknowledged. "We'll have to get there and quick."

"Ya ain't gettin' any argument from me," Rattrap agreed.

* * *

Scorponok's tail had been the only evidence she uncovered so far. Airazor found it hanging from a nearby tree, completely disconnected from the body. Terrorsaur had been right about something tearing Scorponok apart.

Whoever did this was strong, really strong.

Airazor picked up the tail and examined it. From the looks of it, there was evidence of a struggle as indicated by the cyber-venom dripping from its tip.

"That fool thought he could tame me."

Immediately, Airazor turned around. Before her stood an enormous fire ant with gaping mandibles that held pieces of Scorponok's claws in them.

"Another invader to the colony, perhaps?"

The bizarre ant creature then transformed into a large, seven-foot tall Transformer as his head rolled back into his chest plate. Piercing red armor decorated his entire body as a jagged row of teeth lined his jaws. His thorax split into four sections and from what Airazor could see, it appeared to be a propeller.

Inferno took out a massive gun and aimed it directly at Airazor.

"State your purpose!" he demanded.

"Easy there, big guy," Airazor put her hands in the air. "I'm not here to start any trouble."

"Are you associated in any way with these lower life forms?" Inferno grabbed Scorponok's head and threw it towards her direction.

"No," Airazor caught the Predacon's head and threw it aside. "We're not exactly on the best of terms."

That seemed to be the answer that pleased Inferno most. He lowered his weapon and looked at Airazor with great interest.

"Who are you?" he asked this time with less of an edge to his voice.

"The name's Airazor."

* * *

"Who could've done this?" Optimus asked.

"Eh, Bird Lady, maybe?" suggested Rattrap.

"This isn't her style," Optimus murmured. "No, it must've been someone else."

"Ya think?"

"There's no logic to any of this," Optimus explained. "First, look what happened to Terrorsaur."

"Whaddya mean?" asked Rattrap.

"It might have been the new protoform," elaborated Optimus. "But if it had been reprogrammed as a Predacon, it wouldn't have attacked Terrorsaur and left him in this state."

"Well… maybe it didn't get reprogrammed and turned out to be a Maximal 'den," Rattrap offered.

"The Maximal way doesn't involve trying to burn our enemies alive and leaving third degree burns," Optimus narrowed his optics. "Something isn't right."

* * *

"How long have you been online?" asked Airazor as she sat down to listen to Inferno's tale.

"Approximately a deca-cycle," responded the fire ant.

"You've been here the whole time and never contacted us?" Airazor sat up in shock.

"I… don't remember anything," Inferno confessed. "Only my name and the ability to transform and serve the colony."

Airazor mentally told herself not to be too surprised. After all, amnesia seemed to be a common thing for all the protoforms on Earth that had been activated for reasons unknown. She and Tigatron were no exception.

"What is the colony?" inquired Airazor.

"Look around you," Inferno told her.

"You mean the Amazon rainforests?" Airazor blurted. "This whole place is your colony?"

"Precisely," Inferno nodded. "A complex chain of eco-systems composed of single and multiple celled organisms. I am most honored to call this biome of unparalleled diversity my home."

"It certainly is a nice place," Airazor admitted.

"Here, I live only to defend my territories and my queen," Inferno continued.

"You queen?"

"Yes, yes… how rude of me," Inferno revealed his razor sharp teeth through a smile. "I shall take you to meet the Royalty this instant."

* * *

"It was a demon!" Oscar Duarte, a local rancher, told the policeman. "It has slaughtered our cattle and made several incursions on our village!"

"I see," the officer made a few notes. "What else about this incident would you like to report?"

"It will destroy our very lives if the officials do not act soon!" Duarte urged. "I have seen with my own eyes what this creature is capable of!"

"Very well, Senor Duarte," the officer reassured, though not without a hint of incredulity. "We will station a full patrol around your village if it will allay local fears."

"Oh, thank you!" Duarte grasped the officer's hands. "Any relief from the police will help us immensely!"

"Thank you for your report," the officer nodded. "That will be all."

Several yards away, the conversation did not go unheard. Both Optimus and Rattrap had been hiding behind the canopy, listening to what had been going on.

"Get that, Rhinox?"

"Yup," Rhinox's voice came through the com-link. "Look likes our new protoform is online."

"I've told you what he did to Terrorsaur," Optimus commented. "If the protoform came out as a Maximal, why would he commit these acts?"

"Maybe he has a form of amnesia," Rhinox suggested. "Tigatron and Airazor had it too… though, not to this extreme."

"Something in his circuits went haywire, maybe?" Rattrap theorized.

"That's the only plausible theory we have for now," admitted Rhinox.

"Keep the com-link open, old friend," Optimus told the Maximal scientist. "We'll be back with another report when we have one."

* * *

"This is your queen?" asked Airazor in disbelief.

"She is the only one for whom I live," Inferno bowed towards the stasis pod. "It would do you well to show the same respect for her."

Reluctantly, Airazor knelt besides Inferno before the pod. Though she seriously questioned Inferno's sanity, she did not want to appear rude at the same time. After a moment or two, Inferno got up again and she soon followed suite.

"You are of my kind, correct?" Inferno looked at Airazor curiously.

"We're both Maximals," Airazor replied politely.

"That is most interesting," Inferno stroked his chin. "Yes, perhaps the colony could use more workers."

Airazor's optics widened in surprise. "You're not saying…"

"Together we could spread the illustrious glory of both queen and colony!" Inferno chuckled. "That would be most fortuitous!"

"Actually, I was thinking I could take you back to base and introduce you to my friends," Airazor voiced her concern very carefully. "They might be able to help—"

"Excellent!" boomed Inferno. "So there **shall** be more workers for our glorious colony!"

Now Airazor was at a loss for words. There didn't seem to be any way she could communicate with the large Transformer effectively.

"You wait here to attend to the Royalty," Inferno told her suddenly. "I have some business to take care of."

"Wait a minute," Airazor began. "Where are you going?"

Inferno did not answer. The propellers on his thorax opened up to a powerful gust of fire and he blasted off into the sky without a word.

* * *

Several mega-cycles had passed and still there was no sign of Airazor or the new protoform. At this point, Optimus was considering calling for backup.

"Uh, what's goin' on over there?" Rattrap pointed towards a large smoke in the distance.

"Well that's just Prime," Optimus huffed. "A forest fire… You got your coolants with you, Rattrap?"

A split second later, an eerie mechanical howl was heard from the same distance. It was enough to stir both Optimus and Rattrap from their ennui.

"On the other hand," Optimus noted. "You also have your pistol handy?"

"Always do, boss monkey."

* * *

"I knew this job was a bad idea!" Jim yelled, running as fast as he could.

Several of his co-workers were fleeing as well. Very few chose to stay and witness the event. Though he was a heavily built man himself, Jim hardly felt he could stand up against the monster that was attacking their construction team.

"Fools! You dare violate the sanctity of the colony?"

Bob howled in terror as the fiery red monster closed in on him with an earsplitting roar that forced him to quicken his sprint. Unfortunately for him, he fell after his foot tripped over a small branch.

Inferno glared at the man with contempt. Just who did this inferior creature think he was attempting to strip the precious colony of its splendors and riches?

"Don't kill me!" Bob pleaded. "I have a family back home I gotta provide for!"

"And I too have a matriarch to attend," Inferno smiled wickedly.

Bob's eyes widened as Inferno grabbed the small tractor next to him and lifted it into the air in preparation of smashing it down on him. Before Inferno could crush the unfortunate man, a grey blur from the sky smashed into him and knocked him to the ground while the tractor fell harmlessly just a few inches away from Bob.

Bob could take it no longer. Finally, he turned tail and ran into the woods to join his companions.

"Bwah!" Inferno snorted. "What is this?"

"You were about to kill that man," Optimus accused.

"I would have done so had you not interfered!" growled Inferno. "State your name, drone!"

"Optimus Primal," the Maximal leader replied sarcastically. "Nice to see we're off to a good start."

"Yes," Inferno stroked his chin. "That is all I ever need to know… now DIE!"

With that being said, Inferno charged. Seeing that there was no way he could talk himself out of this situation, Optimus opened his shoulder cannons and unleashed two missiles towards the crazed Transformer. Inferno, to his surprise, leaped high into the air to avoid the missiles and came down with a devastating kick that struck Optimus in the chest and threw him to the ground, knocking the breath out of him.

Before Inferno could attack again, Rattrap tackled Inferno from behind and grabbed on to his neck with both arms. This seemed to amuse Inferno more than anything. With a sudden yank, Rattrap found himself flying into a stationary excavator.

"Diminutive vermin need not concern themselves with the battlefield," Inferno hissed.

"What about guerrilla warfare?"

"Huh?"

Optimus laid into Inferno with a powerful, crunching blow across the chin that sent the renegade Maximal sprawling to the ground.

"You fight well when those you value are in danger," Inferno complimented. "Perhaps we are not so different, Optimus Primal."

"We're nothing alike," Optimus declared firmly.

"Too bad."

One shot to the chest was enough to knock Optimus head over feet into the dirt. He had not expected Inferno to pull out such a colossal gun in a moment's notice, especially since he was unaware that Inferno's sub-space was capable of holding such a large weapon.

"Time to burn, Primal!" Inferno cackled. "Hahaha!"

Before Inferno had the chance to fire off another shot, the backhoe from the excavator slammed him into the ground. Inferno howled defiantly but the backhoe came down on him again and smashed his head into the mud.

"Rattrap?" Optimus got up while clutching his chest.

"Not to worry, Optimus!" Rattrap called out cheerfully from the controls of the excavator. "I got 'dis situation covered!"

Inferno's piercing roar was heard once more as the insectile Cybertronian grabbed the backhoe on his back and began lifting it up with an impressive display of strength.

"Okay, maybe not!" Rattrap cried. "A little help here, Optimus?"

With a final shriek, Inferno overturned the entire excavator and fired several wild shots into the air in fury. When Rattrap crawled out, Inferno unleashed a powerful blast that destroyed a large portion of the excavator as soon as the small Maximal leaped off.

Before Rattrap could get up, Inferno was immediately on top of him with a giant foot to his chest.

"Get off'a me, ya six-legged freak!" Rattrap shouted.

"On the contrary," Inferno smiled sadistically. "I'll roast you alive and skewer you!"

"Roast this!" called out Optimus.

Inferno whirled his head around but a shot from Optimus's arm-mounted rifle hit him square in the chest and sent him soaring back.

Before Inferno could stand up and face the enemy properly, Optimus flew in and slammed into him once again, sending the fire ant sprawling against a tree.

"I don't want to resort to this," Optimus crossed his arms. "But right now, you're really pushing it."

"Ha!" Inferno scoffed. "You ARE an invader to the colony and for your trespasses, you shall be punished!"

Inferno pushed himself up and attacked once more. Optimus ducked, narrowly avoiding a swipe from Inferno's clawed hands that tore the bark off the nearby tree. He punched Inferno directly in the face and forced the insane fire ant back even further into the woods.

"Though I relish in gloating over your corpse," Inferno scowled. "I must return to the monarch before anything happens to her illustrious being!"

Inferno took out his gun but did not aim it at Optimus. Instead, several flames spat from the barrel and set the tree next to him ablaze.

"What are you doing?" demanded Optimus. "I thought this was your colony to defend!"

"Sacrifices must be made!" Inferno declared almost triumphantly.

One powerful roundhouse kick into the bark was all it took for Inferno to topple the tree and send it crashing towards Optimus Primal's direction. Optimus leaped out of the way as the tree landed next to him in a fiery mesh of flames and smoke. Just as quickly, Inferno raised his gun and fired a straight shot that destroyed the tree completely and created an explosion that was powerful enough to knock Optimus off his feet.

By the time Optimus cleared away the smoke with his thermo-vision, Inferno was gone without a trace.

* * *

"Where could he have gone?" Airazor mused. "Inferno's been out too long."

Finally, she could take no more waiting. Transforming to her falcon mode, Airazor flew into the sky in search of both her newfound friend and her Maximal companions.

"Finally that feathered freak leaves!"

Tarantulas crawled down from his hiding location. Though he simply wished to scrap Airazor, he didn't want to incur the wrath of this Inferno at the same time. He had seen what the fire ant had done to both Scorponok and Terrorsaur.

"This stasis pod should be the source of his troubled mind," Tarantulas observed as he typed in several codes to access the memory banks of the pod.

The information being fed to him was most interesting. Apparently, the beast mode of this new Cybertronian was overwhelming his logic circuits to such a degree that nothing would convince him of his true origins. All believed himself to be was a warrior ant serving some blighted colony.

"This information shall come in handy in the future," noted Tarantulas. "It could be of benefit to my goals!"

"Bwah! Where has she disappeared to?"

"Oh no!" Tarantulas gasped. "He's returned."

Quietly, Tarantulas slipped away into the darkness of the forests before Inferno landed near the pod.

"Where has she gone?" Inferno wondered aloud. "Surely she is off laboring intensively for the glory of our queen!"

* * *

"Optimus! Rattrap!"

"Airazor!" Optimus called out. "Where have you been?"

"I was out getting acquainted with the rainforests," replied the female flier.

"Enjoyin' the scenery, eh?" Rattrap flicked a bug off his nose. "I can really get used 'ta 'dis place."

"Yes, its biodiversity is staggering," Optimus looked up at a pair of marmosets running across the branches while several parrots squawked loudly.

"I have good news, Optimus," Airazor told him excitedly. "I've found the new protoform and he's been activated as a Maximal!"

"You've… met the new protoform?" asked Optimus.

"Well… yes," Airazor replied. "Why is that?"

"Airazor… have a seat," Optimus gestured towards the rock next to him. "There's something you need to know about this new Maximal."

Airazor wasn't sure she liked where this was all headed. Nevertheless, she sat down and awaited what her commander had to say.

* * *

After flying in for a closer look, Inferno saw the form of his intended destination taking shape. The small village was already in his periphery. It was now just a matter of time before they would all feel his wrath.

He was currently uncertain about what had happened to Airazor but to be honest, he had little time for such thoughts.

The important thing was that he defend both queen and colony before all else. A prospective mate could wait for later.

He cocked his gun and flew a bit lower. Now, he could see the rooftops and even some of the farm animals.

It would not be long now.

For several days, he had watched and observed these humans along with their many practices. Not one of them was willing to serve the colony the same way he was. Their lives were filled with nothing but empty squabbles over food and survival. There was no higher purpose guiding them in their thinking.

And to Inferno, that was why they were nothing more than sickening pieces of flesh and bone.

To make matters worse, they continually spoiled the lands that belonged solely to his colony and to his queen.

For these indignities, he would make them pay.

* * *

"He couldn't have!" Airazor exclaimed.

"I'm afraid Inferno has," Optimus told her gently. "We encountered him attempting to kill several construction workers."

"There has to be a reason for this," Airazor tried to argue. "Terrorsaur and Scorponok attacked him. That's why he defended himself!"

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Optimus shook his head. "If I hadn't gotten there in time, those workers' lives would have meant nothing to him."

"I hate to say it," Rattrap concurred. "But Optimus is right. I've seen 'da look in 'dat guy's eyes."

"Inferno might be a little… enthusiastic," Airazor said. "And he may even have a few screws loose. But can we really call him a killer?"

"I wouldn't use a judgmental term like that, per say," Optimus replied. "But there must be some way to pacify him before he does something he regrets."

"How 'bout getting' him off the loony bin and putting him in stasis lock?" suggested Rattrap. "Easily said and easily done!"

"Shut up, Rattrap," Airazor glared at the smaller Maximal.

"What I say?" Rattrap blurted. "Okay then. So maybe 'da _'easily done'_ part ain't gonna be so easy!"

"That's a last resort I don't want to consider," Optimus said resolutely. "There must be some way we can communicate with him without causing any further conflict."

Just as Optimus said that, several birds could be seen in the distance flying into the sky, away from something that frightened them quite badly. Rattrap was the first to remark on it as well.

"So, uh, think 'dat's our big red caboose?"

"Let's go," Optimus said to Airazor.

"Hey, wait for me!" Rattrap shouted as the two Maximal fliers shot off into the air without him. "Sheesh, I gotta walk all 'da way now?"

* * *

Oscar Duarte ran as fast as his legs could carry him. His village had been ravaged and his livestock had been destroyed. He had nothing left now… except for his life. And even that was hanging on the balance.

Finally, he found himself hiding behind one of the jeeps belonging to his neighbors. Where they were at this point, he did not know.

Innumerable thoughts were going through his mind at this point. Why exactly was this happening to him? He had always attended church, made it his business to help his neighbors, and tried his best to live a good life. What had he done to bring the wrath of such an unholy plague upon his land?

From the distance, he could still see his own house burning down to the ground. It had been the only thing he had left. Now it was gone. In only a few moments, it would be nothing more than a smoldering ruin along with his entire village.

"A magnificent sight to behold, is it not?"

"You!" Duarte screamed. "Stay away!"

"And allow you the chance to rebuild?" Inferno snarled. "I think not."

"You're a demon!"

"I relish in that word."

"Why are you doing this?" the native Brazilian demanded. "What have I done to incur this blight?"

Inferno's mouth twisted into an amused grin. His sharp teeth ground together in delight. It was as if he was anticipating something very savory.

"No single act can justify this destruction," Inferno told him menacingly. "It is the combined actions of you and all your kind!"

"My kind?" demanded Duarte. "We are simply trying to live!"

"Exactly!" Inferno took out his gun and aimed it towards the Brazilian.

"Inferno, stop!" Airazor got in front of the crazed pyromaniac before he could fire.

"What's this?" Inferno gasped. "Get out of the way!"

"No!" Airazor shouted. "You've got to stop this madness!"

"If you are not with me," Inferno cackled. "Then you are against me! Burn, traitor, burn! Bwahahahahaha!"

Airazor grabbed Duarte before the energy blast from Inferno's cannon could roast them both and flew him directly into the woods.

"Run!" Airazor ordered. "Don't stop until you get to safety!"

Duarte did as he was told immediately and ran off. With one less concern on her mind, Airazor turned around to wait for what Inferno could do next.

She barely avoided another shot that completely destroyed the rock sitting close by her side. Inferno stepped out of the shadows and walked towards her at a slow and steady pace.

"You've betrayed the queen," Inferno told her in a surprisingly calm voice. "You've betrayed everything our colony stands for."

"Whoa, time out!" Airazor cried. "First off, I was never a part of this 'colony' to begin with! Second, there was no 'queen' in the first place! You've been kowtowing to your own stasis pod!"

Something in Airazor's voice did not sit too well with the crazed fire ant. Losing all aspects of self-control, Inferno roared angrily and charged. Airazor was more prepared this time and flew several feet into the air before landing on a branch.

"You think flight will save you?" Inferno demanded. "Think again, wench!"

Inferno activated his own propellers and flew into the air. As he homed in closer, Airazor took aim and fired several dart missiles while Inferno dodged and weaved through them all. The darts struck the trees and branches instead, stripping the bark off of them and destroying the branches completely.

Finally, Airazor soared even higher into the air, past the canopy as Inferno came in closer. She looked down and sure enough, the fire ant was on her trail.

Inferno flew up until he was at least face level with her. To him, there would be no escape now for the traitor.

"Bwah!" he screamed and fired a steady stream of fire towards her. "Burn in the fires of Inferno!"

Airazor managed to avoid the stream of fire and came in close enough to deliver to two punches to his face and then a joint-shattering roundhouse kick across his chin. These blows did not seem to faze Inferno in the least. Crying out anger, he struck Airazor with a backhand and knocked her away.

Airazor rolled with the blow and shot two dart missiles back. They struck Inferno directly in the chest and sent him tumbling back in the air. When he regained his footing, Inferno looked down at his chest. Thanks to his highly resistant armor, the darts had not penetrated him too deeply. He grabbed the two missiles and tore them out of his chest.

"That almost hurt."

Before Airazor could react, Inferno grabbed his gun and sent a massive discharge of plasma energy that struck her head-on and blasted her from the sky.

"Such is the fate of those who resist the royalty!" Inferno grinned smugly.

Inferno's smile transformed into a scowl as soon as he saw Optimus catching Airazor mid-air and then flying back into the forests to put her in a safe location.

"So, the ape would like to try his hand once more…"

It didn't take long before Optimus was face to face with him once more. Inferno found himself most satisfied now that Optimus was challenging him. The level of power the Maximal leader displayed was close enough to his own strength. That was why Optimus was one of the few who were truly worthy of the game.

This time, however, Optimus tackled him mid-air without any attempts at diplomacy. Inferno decided this was most likely due to him injuring Airazor just a few moments ago.

Both Optimus and Inferno struggled with each other as the hot tropical winds blasted onto their backs. Finally, Inferno steadied himself and used his jet engines to propel them both downwards towards a local factory. The two of them crashed through the roof and down into the hard, concrete pavement.

Inferno was the first to get up. He lifted Optimus up and threw him against a gas tank.

Optimus moved his head out of the way quickly as Inferno's fist smashed into the tank, leaving behind a large dent. The Maximal leader clasped both hands together and struck Inferno across the face. Inferno clutched the railing next to him and used both feet to kick Optimus in the chest, sending him flying into the tank once more.

The Maximal commander whipped out his sword but Inferno caught his hand with one arm and twisted it behind Optimus Primal's back while using his other arm to tighten the Maximal leader in a chokehold.

"Your time has come, Optimus Primal!" Inferno hissed, while clamping down on Optimus's throat. "Once I've decimated your colony, I shall possess all that is yours!"

"Inferno, stop!"

The crazed fire ant looked up but did not loosen his grip the slightest. Airazor had just flown in from the hole in the ceiling.

"You've got to stop this," Airazor urged. "Let us get you back to base. We can help you!"

"And expose me to your surgical procedures?" Inferno sneered. "I think not!"

Airazor looked at him pleadingly but Inferno refused to budge. Instead, he focused intensely on the opponent struggling within his arms.

"Any last words, Optimus?" growled Inferno.

"That's… just… Prime!" Optimus snarled.

The engines in Optimus Primal's Prime Jets hummed to life as a powerful burst of flames exploded downwards and struck Inferno's foot. Inferno howled in agony and let go of his grip, allowing Optimus to fly into the air and somersault away from the crazed pyromaniac.

"You okay, Optimus?" Airazor asked.

Optimus simply nodded while catching his breath at the same time. Inferno, on the other hand, was writhing on the ground, clutching his foot in pain. He finally grabbed hold of the railing to hold himself up again. This time, there was murder in his optics.

Immediately, the thorax on Inferno split open into four rotors.

"Inferno, don't!" Optimus shouted, seeing the gas leak right behind the rogue Maximal.

It was too late. The fire from Inferno's jet engines leaped out and ignited the gas behind him. The tanker erupted into flames immediately, engulfing Inferno in an explosion before the ant knew what hit him.

"No!" Airazor cried, but it was too late.

Optimus grabbed her as another explosion rocked the factory and flew out through the ceiling before the entire building went up in an immense eruption of fire and concrete.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Optimus put a comforting hand on Airazor's shoulder.

"Would it have been different if we had found him before this?" Airazor pondered.

"I'm not sure," confessed Optimus. "But at least we could've had a better chance of helping him."

"So, uh, what made 'im this way?" asked Rattrap.

"He was only doing his duty," Airazor replied emotionlessly. "That's all he was trying to do."

Rattrap stared at her quizzically as she transformed and flew off into the setting son.

* * *

The officer stared at the rubble passively. They still had no inkling as to what had caused the explosion. Perhaps there had been an accident inside or it had possibly been some sort of bomb threat gone astray.

Nevertheless, it would take a **long** time to rebuild. Several hours had gone by and it was already nightfall.

Though he was not a superstitious man, the officer began wondering if there really was some truth to the tales of the monster the locals had been telling. After all, one couldn't just take these attacks on infrastructure lightly.

He yawned. His shift was ending and it was best to return home before he stayed past his intended time.

From the depths of the rubble, he heard a small groaning.

As he walked in closer for an inspection, a massive hand erupted from the stones as a manical laughter filled the air.

Now he had seen enough. The officer ran to his patrol vehicle and drove off with all the speed he could muster.

"Bwahahahaha! Fear not, Royalty! For I have emerged victorious once more! Hahahahahaha!"

The once quiet night air was no longer very peaceful as the wild cackles permeated the humidity of the rainforests, transcending all native sounds.


	17. Predacons of the Caribbean

**Beast Wars: Symmetries **

_Predacons of the Caribbean _

"Megatron!" Tarantulas burst into the tyrant's chambers. "I've found it! The energon deposits that will boost our power!"

"No need, Tarantulas," Megatron waved the Predacon scientist to silence. "I have ascertained the location of these grounds long before you."

"And I helped him!" Scorponok declared proudly.

"I'll bet," Tarantulas muttered bitterly.

"Chin up, legs," Blackarachnia told him. "It's a good thing we found these deposits in the first place."

"Still, I had hoped on reporting my findings…" grumbled Tarantulas.

"So where is the energon?" demanded Terrorsaur.

"Yes, Waspinator want to know where it is!"

"Calm down!" Megatron ordered. "I have yet to find the exact location of the energon!"

"Then why call us out here?" Terrorsaur complained. "If it's just gonna turn into some wild goose chase?"

"Yes, you would know about wild geese, wouldn't you?" Megatron glared daggers at Terrorsaur. " I have an ace up my proverbial sleeve which may aid us in our treasure hunt."

"What sort of ace?" asked Blackarachnia.

"You've heard of the raid a few weeks ago?" inquired Megatron. "When Chinese officials destroyed the Black Silk pirate fleet?"

Terrorsaur scratched his head while Waspinator rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Neither of them had heard of the incident. Blackarachnia and Scorponok seemed to be equally confused as well.

"During the raid, there was an ensuing explosion," Megatron explained. "The leader of the Black Silk fleet was apparently destroyed. I, however, have recovered his body and am currently in the process of reconstituting it."

"How's some eye-patch wearing misfit going to help us?" asked Blackarachnia.

"In the 19th century, there was a most infamous buccaneer known as Samuel Lord," Megatron told them. "During his lifetime, he had amassed a vast fortune from plundering ships near the coral reefs of his estate. Lord's name spread far and wide thanks to his exploits and in time, he became a legend."

"I get it," Terrorsaur grinned. "This is the part where you tell us about his buried treasure!"

"Precisely," Megatron nodded. "Rumor has it Lord left a sizable amount of riches in an island near Barbados."

"And aside from the gold, there's plenty of energon to boot," Blackarachnia purred.

* * *

"Adventure on the high seas don't get any better than 'dis!" Rattrap exclaimed as the wind blew across his face.

The yacht they had with them was faring rather well in the waters. For the Maximals, spring break had finally begun. And what better way to spend it than taking a cruise? Right now they could finally relax and forget all about the Predacons. Their sail across the blue Caribbean waters was eventful thus far and the local weatherman on the radio had pronounced no upcoming storms. All was going well.

"This vacation really is something!" Airazor proclaimed as she soared breezily across the sky. "It was a great idea to take us to the tropical equator!"

"I figured with the amount of field work we've been doing lately, this trip would do us a lot of good," Optimus Primal chuckled. "Isn't that right, Rhinox?"

"I still wish I had my kit with me," sighed Rhinox. "There's so much biodiversity under these coral reefs, Optimus. I can't pass up an opportunity to study them that's as good as this."

"We're on break, Big Green," Cheetor leaped up besides Optimus. "We should be relaxing."

"I agree with Cheetor," Optimus concurred. "There's so much to do out here. We might be landing on a nearby island soon for some recreation."

"What kind of recreation?" Airazor asked as she perched on top of the ship's railing in beast mode.

"Hmm," Optimus scratched his head. "Anyone up for a game of volleyball?"

"I could go for that," Cheetor smiled. "I've seen humans doing it before on TV."

"A cultural sport of coastal life, no doubt," Rhinox nodded. "Even on Cybertron, we played games like this."

"Brings back memories," Optimus sighed contentedly.

"I remember seeing you playing this game back at the academy," Rhinox said to the Maximal leader.

"You were into 'dis?" Rattrap raised an eye-ridge.

"Best ball spiker there was," affirmed Optimus.

* * *

"Awake now, are we?"

Cheng Tsui groaned silently. He had been asleep for what seemed like days and waking up right now was quite a daunting task. Briefly, he shut his eyelids before opening them again to see what towered before him. He was a pirate who shared a Chinese mother and a Thai father. In his youth, he had grown up in poverty and quickly made a living for himself as a pickpocket. As he grew older, his profession became a bit more dangerous and profitable as one of the most feared pirates of the seas surrounding China, Southeast Asia, India, and the Pacific Islands.

"I see you're finally up, Mr. Cheng," Megatron announced. "It is so fortunate to have you amongst our crew."

"Where am I?"

"On the high seas, where you belong," replied Megatron. "You will help me greatly, Yessss…"

"What happened?" Cheng demanded. "How did I get here?"

"Remember your battle with the Chinese officials all those weeks back?" asked Megatron.

"How could I forget?"

"Your yacht was easily torn apart by the superior firepower of the authorities," clarified Megatron. "My men saved you from the wreckage of your blighted ship. After a while, we were able to patch you up again."

"Patch me up?" Cheng Tsui looked puzzled. "Is that why I can't feel my hands?"

"Oh, my men did a far better job than merely mending your broken bones," Megatron smiled wickedly.

"What did you do?"

"See for yourself," Megatron handed Tsui a mirror.

* * *

"You cheated!" Cheetor accused, rubbing his nose painfully. "I didn't see that one coming!"

"I ain't a cheetah!" Rattrap took offense. "'Dat's you, kid!"

"Sorry, Cheetor," Optimus told the youth. "But I saw that one. Rattrap didn't go out of bounds."

Cheetor transformed to beast mode and walked off dejectedly across the crystal-white sands. The beauty of the local island had been a lot more breathtaking than they had expected. From a bird's eye view, Airazor could practically see beneath the waves and into the coral reefs.

Rhinox stood up and walked towards the net.

"Now it's my turn," he said.

"Yeah, don't think I'm gonna go easy on ya's, just 'cause you're my pal!" reminded Rattrap.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Rhinox took the ball from Optimus and raised it up.

"Um, I think we're going to have to postpone this game," Airazor pointed into the distance.

Rhinox looked up along with the rest of the Maximals. In the distance, a dark fog loomed before them. Soon, the shape of a large ironclad ship could be seen by their cybernetically enhanced optics. When the enormous destroyer was finally in view, a black flag with the Predacon symbol was noticeably pinpointed at the top of its mast.

"I'm guessin' 'dis ain't a good thing," Rattrap gulped.

"I don't think they've spotted us," Optimus told his team. "Our ship is on the other side of this island."

"What could the Preds be doing out here?" asked Airazor.

"I'm not sure," Optimus answered. "But I'll fly out in advance and see."

Optimus turned on his Prime Jets and blasted off while the rest of the Maximal waited anxiously on the shore.

* * *

"Where are they headed?" Optimus wondered to himself. "What's Megatron's stake in these waters?"

His thought processes were interrupted as a missile exploded near him and rocked the air around him. Turning around, Optimus saw Terrorsaur and Waspinator trailing him from behind. Somehow, they had been expecting him.

"Ahoy, Optimus!" Terrorsaur mocked while another one of his missile streaming forward. "Nice day for sailing, isn't it?"

Optimus avoided the missile and fired back with his own missile launchers. Terrorsaur and Waspinator avoided the shots and closed in on the Maximal leader. Swerving aside, Optimus used the wrist-mounted rifle on his left arm to blast Waspinator out of the sky completely.

Terrorsaur ducked and weaved through the blasts as Optimus concentrated directly on him. Finally, when Terrorsaur came close enough, Optimus Primal drew his sword and swung, only for Terrorsaur to stop dead on his tracks and fly up.

"Shiver me timbers!" Terrorsaur taunted. "You missed!"

"We'll see," Optimus narrowed his optics and pointed his missile launchers towards the aerial Predacon.

"Shiver me timbers! Shiver me timbers! WAAAK!"

"What the…?" Optimus turned around.

A powerful surge of electricity quickly overcame Optimus. He tilted his head to the side and saw the source of this power. It was a small, mechanical parrot that hovered over him with two conducts on its shoulders that produced the electricity.

"Glad to see you getting acquainted with my little friend," Terrorsaur cackled. "Godspeed, Optimus Primal!"

Terrorsaur took out his pulse rifle and blasted Optimus in the chest while the paralyzing electrical currents were still coursing over the Maximal leader's body. Optimus was blasted out of the sky in the ensuing explosion and landed with a sickening thud onto the decks of the Predacon ship.

"Oh my!" Megatron exclaimed as he stepped out of the shadows with the rest of his crew. "And what scurvy Maximal knave could this be?"

* * *

"Attention Maximals!" Megatron shouted over the intercom. "The location of your ship has been uncovered and your leader is down! I offer you the chance to surrender amicably before any further skirmishes ensue!"

By now, the Predacon ship had landed on shore where the much smaller Maximal yacht stood. All cannons from the ship were aiming towards the yacht with every intention of destroying it.

After allowing a few moments to pass, Megatron smiled through his telescope as the Maximals finally came out of the woods.

"There they are," Blackarachnia observed. "Like lambs to the slaughter."

"Oh!" Terrorsaur squealed. "Can I blast 'em with the ship's cannons? Can I?"

Megatron used his free hand to smack Terrorsaur upside the head, knocking the red Predacon over.

"Be quite, you imbecile!" Megatron warned. "I give the orders around here!"

"Megatron give Maximals chance to surrender?" asked Waspinator, who was currently rubbing his own wounds.

"Yeah, think of all the loot we could steal from their ship," Cheng Tsui nodded.

"Steal the loot! Steal the loot!" the mechanical parrot on Terrorsaur's shoulders squawked.

"Are you ever going to shut that thing up?" Blackarachnia demanded. "It's grating on my nerves!"

"No way!" protested Terrorsaur. "Polly and I here have a bond!"

"Yeah, you both have two oversized beaks bonded to your vocal chords!" Blackarachnia growled. "Now shut that thing up or it'll be roast parrot on a stick for tonight's entrée!"

Before Terrorsaur could respond, one glare from Megatron was enough to silence both him and the black widow. A small ramp extended from the destroyer down to the sand and soon enough, the Maximals had boarded the ship.

"Now," Megatron gloated. "To discuss our terms of surrender."

"Where's Optimus?" demanded Rhinox.

"Oh, merely confined in a cell of my choosing," Megatron replied. "I promise you that as prisoners, you will be treated with the utmost of hospitality!"

"Hospitality?" Terrorsaur gawked. "But you said we would torture them and-Mmmfff!"

Waspinator and Blackarachnia quickly rushed to cover Terrorsaur's mouth but at this point, it was apparent to the Maximals that their captors had no good intentions from the get-go.

Seeing that his façade had been revealed, Megatron made a mental note to scrap Terrorsaur ten times over when this was over. He raised his T-Rex cannon and blasted Rhinox in the chest, knocking the large green Maximal down. Several more shots ensued but Cheetor, Rattrap, and Airazor leaped out of the way.

Cheetor tackled Terrorsaur while Airazor slammed into Blackarachnia. Rattrap rolled to the side and fired a shot that destroyed a nearby mast and sent it smashing down on both Megatron and Waspinator.

Terrorsaur and Cheetor rolled around on the ground but Cheetor soon began to get the upper hand.

"Give it up, lizard lips!" threatened Cheetor.

"Fat chance!" Terrorsaur grabbed Cheetor by the face and shoved him off.

Airazor, in the meantime, was having a much more difficult time with Blackarachnia. She avoided a spin kick from the female Predacon and came back with her own punch, only for Blackarachnia to somersault over her.

"I can fly too, little bird," Blackarachnia smirked.

The black widow's gloating earned her a direct punch to her chin from Airazor.

"You were saying?" Airazor mocked.

"You'll pay for that!" Blackarachnia shrieked.

"I don't think so!" Airazor opened up the missile launchers on her wrists and began firing.

Blackarachnia leaped out of the way from the upcoming barrage of darts and ran up a mast, flipping over behind Airazor, grabbing her, and throwing her into several gallons of barrels.

* * *

Megatron heaved the mast off of him at last. The battle between the Maximals and Predacons was still raging on with seemingly no end. He got up and dusted himself off while stepping on top of Waspinator.

"Who shall go first?" he mused, while staring at both Airazor and Cheetor. "The cat or the falcon?"

Finally, he decided on Airazor. He aimed his mega-cannon towards her but a massive green fist crashing into his face before he could pull down on the trigger.

"You!" Megatron roared.

Rhinox did not bother to reply. He grabbed Megatron and hoisted him up. With all of his strength, he tossed Megatron onto the main bridge, near the steering wheel.

Megatron stood up once more and attacked Rhinox with a powerful thrust of his tail vise.

Rhinox step-sided the thrust and slammed his fist into Megatron's face again. This time, the tyrant was thrown back into the steering wheel, causing the ship to veer course across the sand slightly.

The Maximal scientist strode up and grabbed Megatron by the neck, lifting him up.

"Where's Optimus?" demanded Rhinox.

"Patience, my dear Rhinox," Megatron said. "You will see your beloved leader in due time."

"Aaaahhhh!" Rhinox screamed as a powerful surge of electricity seized his body.

Megatron smiled as Rhinox's grip on him was weakened. The mechanical parrot that was perched conveniently over Rhinox had let loose a full blast of his paralysis beam. After prying Rhinox's fingers off his throat, Megatron dropped both his tail vise and mega-cannon. He cracked his knuckles sadistically and smiled.

"I'm going to enjoy this. Yessss…"

* * *

"C'mon!" Rattrap kicked the large metal door again. "Open up, ya tin sheet of metal!"

While the rest of the Maximals and Predacons were engaged, he had been busy trying to get into the lower halls of the ship. He was fairly certain that Optimus was indeed being held down there.

"Well," Rattrap muttered. "Time 'ta do it the old fashioned way."

Before he could reach for his demolition charges, a blue flash of light whirled down and nearly took his arm off.

"Whoa!" Rattrap cried. "What the heck was 'dat all about?"

Before Rattrap a short Southeast Asian man stood with both cybernetic arms and legs. A direct portion of his head was also encased in metal as well. From the looks of it, he was a cyborg with a gray trench coat covering the rest of his body. He held a cutlass in his hand with a large, vibrant blade made of pure energy.

"I never did like cyborgs," muttered Rattrap. "What 'da heck are ya?"

"My name is Cheng Tsui," the cyborg replied. "Most feared pirate of the East China Sea!"

"Okay, an' Arcee was my great aunt," Rattrap scratched his head. "What's your point?"

Cheng Tsui hissed angrily and attacked again. His first swipe missed Rattrap and his second strike destroyed an entire barrel full of screws and torques.

"Stand and face me, man to machine!" Tsui yelled.

"Eh," Rattrap grimaced and looked at Tsui's armaments that replaced both flesh and bone. "I wouldn't exactly call you a man."

"Shut up!" Tsui swung downwards, forcing Rattrap to leap back onto the plank.

"Time to walk the plank, vermin!" Cheng Tsui threatened.

Rattrap looked down. The water beneath wasn't terribly deep but a cold dip that could potentially fry his circuits was still not something he looked forward to. He leaped down once on the plank as a springboard to launch himself into the air and transformed to beast mode. Cheng Tsui could only blink momentarily before a ball of gray struck in the chest and knocked him back first onto the steel deck.

* * *

"Give it up, pussy cat!" Terrorsaur yelled as he fired several shots at the young Maximal. "You can't hide forever!"

As soon as Terrorsaur said that, a large barrel was thrown over his head. Rattrap appeared from behind him with a mischievous grin on his face. Cheetor got out from behind the cabin he was hiding behind and grabbed Terrorsaur, throwing him overboard. Soon, Waspinator appeared before them with guns trained on the two Maximals.

"Kitty-bot and Mouse-bot not defeat Waspina-"

**BAM! **

"We just did, bug-eyes," Rattrap blew away the smoke from his pistol. "I wonder how Bird Lady's doing?"

Cheetor and Rattrap turned to the direction of their female companion. Airazor had just blocked a swing from Blackarachnia. She socked the Predacon spider viciously across the jaw but Blackarachnia came back with a roundhouse kick that sent the Maximal flier staggering back.

Airazor rubbed her chin briefly before taking view of a chain that sat near her side. With a cunning idea in mind, she grabbed it and swung it around a few times before lashing out and wrapping around it Blackarachnia's torso completely.

"Let go, you feathered freak!" yelled Blackarachnia.

"Sure thing," Airazor agreed and flew into the air with the female Predacon in tow.

* * *

Rhinox grunted as Megatron slammed his fist into his face. The blows from the Predacon tyrant were hurting more and more with every punch. After five or six hits, he was beginning to feel the impact and there was nothing he could do now thanks to the paralyzing blast from the mechanical parrot above.

Finally, Megatron slammed his fist into Rhinox's chest. Just from the force of the blow, Rhinox could feel a joint within him snapping.

"I would like nothing more than to prolong this, Rhinox," Megatron put on his T-Rex cannon again. "But I must finish this or my quest for pirate's treasure will be delayed."

"Take all the time you want, Megatron!"

Airazor swung Blackarachnia around in the air several times before letting go. The black widow Predacon was thrown directly into Megatron's chest, knocking both of them to the floor.

"Come on, Rhinox!" Airazor fired a shot that destroyed the mechanical parrot in mid-air.

Rhinox got up weakly. "Give it up, Megatron!"

"I think not!" the Predacon tyrant growled. "Side guns! Destroy these interlopers!"

Several turrents opened up from their hatches and began firing at the hapless Maximal on board. Cheetor and Rattrap quickly returned fire, destroying a few side guns in the process. Soon, however, it

became apparent they were being overwhelmed as both Megatron and Blackarachnia began their assault as well.

"Maximals, retreat!" Rhinox ordered.

The large Maximal drew his chain guns and fired back with everything he had while Cheetor, Rattrap, and Airazor leaped off the ship.

Finally, after forcing Megatron and Blackarachnia back with an endless chain of bullets, Rhinox turned and leaped off the ship into the sand. A shot from one of the turbo cannons had grazed him across the back as he jumped.

"You okay, big buddy?" Rattrap helped Rhinox up.

"What about Optimus?" Cheetor looked back at the ship. "We can't just leave him with the Preds!"

"We'll be back," Rhinox promised. "We'll save Optimus but we can't expect to fight on Predacon ground for long and live!"

* * *

Megatron watched as the Maximals fled back into the forests of the island. It seemed almost disappointing to him that they were now giving up without a struggle. For now, though, he was somewhat relieved. After all, he still held Optimus Primal as a bargaining chip.

"So when do I get my end of the bargain?" Cheng Tsui demanded. "You promised I would have fame, fortune, and a new fleet with state-of-the-art weaponry."

"Patience, Mr. Cheng," Megatron ordered. "Your status will be restored in due time."

"Ha!" Terrorsaur snorted. "Did you see those Maximals run?"

"Waspinator sure did!" the Predacon insect giggled. "Waspinator drive them back into jungle!"

"You?" Terrorsaur demanded. "I was the one who scared them off!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"I think this calls for a celebration," Blackarachnia suggested. "With Optimus bound and gagged, it won't be long before the Maximals fold over."

"An excellent suggestion, Miss Arachnia," Megatron noted. "But not just yet. I wish to collect our proverbial 'booty' before we have our victory party, yessss."

* * *

Optimus struggled vainly against the energy bonds that shackled his hands but to no avail. They were bound too tightly. To make matters worse, an electrical shock would be administered whenever he made contact with the prison bars that held him in the cell.

"Not so high and mighty anymore, hmm?" Megatron walked up to him.

"So what's it going to be this time?" Optimus asked. "Use me as a bargaining chip to enslave my crew?"

"You're on the right track," Megatron confirmed. "With you as prisoner, no Maximal will make any foolish raids on my small assembly of Predacons."

"Why are you out here anyways?" demanded Optimus.

"And why exactly should I tell you?"

"Because you have a stake in these waters," Optimus told him. "You're not the type of boss to give his employees a nice tropical vacation unless you got something out of the deal."

"Ah yes," sighed Megatron. "Unfortunately, my loyal minions do seem to be enjoying themselves. I must remedy that for later with more backbreaking labor on their behalf."

"That's hardly what I was getting at," Optimus frowned. "But continue. Please."

"Oh very well," submitted Megatron. "You've heard of the infamous pirate, Samuel Lord?"

"I don't believe so."

"Legend has it he kept a cache of forbidden treasure on this island," Megatron explained. "Only recently, I've detected a high reading of energon across this region."

Optimus tilted his head to the side in interest. Megatron smiled knowingly, content that he had caught his adversary's attention.

"I have reason to believe that his hidden treasure contains the very energon I've been craving!"

"What makes you say that?" asked Optimus. "It could just be a small finding of raw energon for all you know."

"True," Megatron acknowledged. "But the readings had also indicated stable energon located in this region."

"How could that be?"

"What humans describe as carved gemstones, we Cybertronians think of as stabilized energon cubes."

"You could always just go to your local jewelry store if you want stabilized energon so badly," Optimus said sarcastically.

"Don't toy with me, Primal!" Megatron growled. "The magnitude of power in the stable energon here is much greater than anything my sensors have read before!"

"And you intend to find this buried treasure?"

"By the Pit, I will!" Megatron snarled. "And once I do, you'll wish you'd never come online!"

* * *

"We'll need for the Preds to come down on dry land to meet us," Rhinox told the team. "That way, we'll have a better chance of beating them."

"Yeah, but when're they coming?" asked Cheetor. "It's been hours and they still haven't set foot."

"The kid's got a point," Rattrap said nervously. "Maybe we shouldn't have jumped ship so quickly."

"You're probably right," Rhinox admitted ruefully. "But if we head back now for a rescue attempt, we go up against 1000 tons of ironclad weaponry and Predacon gunfire."

"So what do we do now?" Airazor asked.

"You stop wasting your time," a voice from behind the bushes told them. "All of your plans are doomed to failure."

"You!" Rattrap accused.

"You were expecting a diplomatic envoy?" Cheng Tsui scoffed. "You'll have to settle for me whether you like it or not."

"What have you done to Optimus?" Cheetor, in beast mode, leaped on top of Cheng Tsui and pinned him down after a momentary struggle.

"We've done nothing to the ape!" Cheng resisted. "Now get off of me! I'm only here to make a deal with the likes of you animals!"

"A deal?" Rhinox demanded. "You've got to be joking."

"Yeah, why should we trust you?" Rattrap crossed his arms.

"Because Megatron is not fulfilling all of my needs," Cheng told them.

"What?" Cheetor looked genuinely surprised as he let go of the struggling cyborg. "What is this?"

"It's quite simple, I assure you," Cheng told the Maximals warily. "Megatron's promised me a great deal of things, none of which he has fulfilled. And in the end, greed, vice, and insatiability won out over patience and virtue."

"Sheesh," Rattrap whispered to Airazor. "And I thought I was into get-rich-quick schemes…"

"I normally make my raids in the South China Sea region," Cheng continued. "But I'm privy to many treasure sites across the world's oceans. I am the last living person to know the exact location of Samuel Lord's hidden riches. That is why, I believe, Megatron sought out my services."

"Treasure isn't exactly the first thing on our minds," Airazor explained. "We're more concerned about saving Optimus right now."

"Here," Cheng handed Rhinox a small remote control. "This is what controls the turrents and side-guns of Megatron's ship. You'll find it quite useful in disabling all of the vessel's weapons."

Rhinox examined the remote carefully. After opening its lid and taking a closer look inside its wires, he concluded that it was indeed controlling the Predacon destroyer's weaponry from its advanced circuitry.

"I think… this really is the control to Megatron's boat," Rhinox told the Maximals truthfully.

"I've dealt with men similar to Megatron before," Cheng told him. "He will undoubtedly keep most of the treasure for himself with little to no benefits on my part."

"Gee, how'd you figure that out?" Airazor remarked sardonically.

"Instinct, my dear," Cheng replied. "To be more precise, it is a pirate's instinct that has served me well over the years."

"So what do you want in return?" Rhinox asked. "I know there's a catch to all of this."

"You take over Megatron's destroyer and use it to bargain for your friend's safe return," Cheng responded. "After this is through, I want both the treasure and the warship in my possession."

* * *

"Let the excavation begin!" rumbled Megatron. "With Optimus as my prisoner, our trip shall be to pleasant one, yes."

Megatron took the opportunity to stare back at Optimus. His arms were bound behind him with Terrorsaur and Waspinator holding him in place. Now there would be little chance the Maximals would attempt to ambush them without endangering the life of their leader.

"Move it along, you!" Terrorsaur barked.

"Yes!" Waspinator echoed and pushed the Maximal commander forward. "Optimus Primal will follow Megatron's orders!"

The trip through the densely vegetation of the jungle was indeed a pleasant. On their way, they had encountered no Maximal raids of any sort. It wasn't exactly the way Megatron had planned things to be but he felt it was surprising nonetheless. Blackarachnia, however, was far more vocal about her suspicions.

"Something isn't right, Megatron," she told her leader. "We've been trudging through this dump for almost twenty cycles and still the Maximals won't make an attempt to even bargain with us."

"Your concern is a valid one, Miss Arachnia," Megatron noted. "But for now, do try and be more positive. We have a treasure to uncover, after all."

Blackarachnia scowled and fell back in line. She looked at Terrorsaur with a bit of frustration.

"That pompous saurian is going to get us all killed one day," she whispered.

"Don't look at me," Terrorsaur whispered back. "I've been saying that for years."

"By the way, where is that cyborg?" Blackarachnia wondered.

"You got me," Terrorsaur shrugged. "He disappeared after giving Megatron the map."

"At last!" Megatron cried. "We've arrived!"

They were now at the entrance to an enormous cave. It was nowhere near as big as Megatron had anticipated but for its size, it was still impressive.

"Come quickly!" Megatron ordered. "What we seek is inside!"

* * *

With the specific instructions he had received from Cheng Tsui, Megatron found the chest he was looking for in only a few cycles. It was a simple looking chest with up to at least a century's worth of rust. With a mere hand gesture, he commanded Terrorsaur to use his optical losers to open the lock on the chest.

"Magnificent!" Megatron peered inside. "This is what I have quested for!"

He picked up a blood-red gemstone in his hand and allowed its power to enter into his body through mere hand contact. But after a moment's worth, he dropped the stabilized energon crystal back into its chest.

"No," Megatron said. "I must use restraint and save these crystals for the right moment!"

"Take over the seven seas and conquer the world?" asked Optimus. "Sounds like something you'd do."

"Don't take that snide tone of voice with me!" Megatron used his T-Rex jaw to grab Optimus and lift him off the ground. "With my newfound fortune, I could easily crush you! But no… I prefer to keep you alive for the time being to witness my meteoric rise to power!"

"I didn't think a rock star's life was for you," commented Optimus.

"It is now," Megatron dropped Optimus, turning to Terrorsaur. "And don't you even THINK about touching those crystals!"

"Eep!" Terrorsaur squealed. "I, um… wasn't touching anything! I promise!"

"Yeah right," Blackarachnia chided. "His grubby hands were reaching for the jewels the moment you turned away."

"Shut up!" Terrorsaur glared at Blackarachnia. "You'd do the same, given any chance!"

"At least I wouldn't be as conspicuous," Blackarachnia shot back.

"There, there," Megatron scolded the two like children. "Now is not the time for petty bickering. We've a bountiful harvest to reap!"

* * *

Being faced down with the cannons from his own ship was not something he had anticipated. Megatron squinted to make sure that he was not dreaming. And indeed, his vision was as clear as sunlight. Rhinox, Airazor, and Cheetor perched on top of his seafaring vessel with their weapons trained on him. The side guns were also directed towards his minions as well.

"How could this have happened?" growled Megatron.

"One of your rats abandoned ship, that's what!" Airazor called out.

"Cheng Tsui!" Megatron hissed, figuring it out instantly. "I should've kept a more careful eye on that scum!"

"I've reprogrammed these guns to trace Predacon signatures instead of Maximal," Rhinox explained. "You're beaten, Megatron! Now let Optimus go!"

"You won't get away with this, Maximal filth!" Megatron shouted. "I'll scrap each and every one of y-"

A warning shot from the ship was fired, striking the ground near Megatron. The rest of the cannons began charging up as well in preparation.

"Last chance," Cheetor warned. "Now let Big Bot go!"

"And hand over the loot too!" Airazor added.

* * *

"Any minute now," Cheng Tsui observed the bartering between both parties through the thickets. "Then you'll all go up in a puff of smoke!"

"You pirate types need 'ta do less of 'dat," a voice behind him rang out. "It's bad for 'yer lungs."

"You!" Cheng Tsui howled. "How did you find me?"

"I had a hunch you weren't bein' square with us," Rattrap replied. "So I followed ya's!"

"And now you've figured it out," Cheng chuckled. "A pity, really. I had been planning on blowing up both Maximals and Predacons on board. With one press of this button, the explosives on the warship go off."

Rattrap drew his gun quickly and shot the remote out of Cheng Tsui's hands.

"No!" Cheng yelled and dove for the control.

Not giving him a chance at all, Rattrap grabbed him from behind and tossed him back into a neighboring palm tree, knocking down a few coconuts in the process.

"I'll chop you to ribbons!" Cheng got up and struck Rattrap with a side-kick to his stomach. He ignited his own laser cutlass and attacked.

As Rattrap fell back from the kick, he dodged two sword thrusts and rolled out of the way, grabbing a coconut and throwing it towards the cyborg pirate. Cheng Tsui sliced the coconut apart but the juices within burst out and splashed him across the eyes. The cybernetically enhanced man cried out, trying to clear the liquids from his face. Rattrap picked up a fallen branch and smashed him across the head with it, knocking him unconscious.

* * *

"Thanks for the save, team," Optimus said gratefully to the Maximals.

"Don't sweat it, Optimus," Airazor nodded. "You'd have done the same for any of us."

"Hardly a fair exchange I'd say," Megatron grumbled. "And what do I get out of this?

Optimus fumbled through the treasure chest and took out a small pirate coin made of pure gold. He flipped it into the air and tossed it towards Megatron. Megatron was so upset that he didn't bother catching it. Instead, Blackarachnia caught it and examined it carefully.

"Pure gold," she observed. "It's still worth a good bit."

"It's not that I'm concerned about," complained Megatron. "It's the energon that I want!"

"Whoa, make way, guys!"

"Rattrap?" Rhinox blinked. "What happened?"

"Oh, just had to take care of some business," Rattrap slung the unconscious body of Cheng Tsui over his shoulders.

"Hand him over!" Megatron pointed his mega-cannon towards Rattrap. "That fool will suffer most dearly for double-crossing me!"

"Sorry Mega, ol' buddy," Rattrap smirked. "But we gotta take 'im to the proper authorities an' all."

Several more of the side guns that had previously concentrated on Terrorsaur, Waspinator, and Blackarachnia turned tail and focused completely on Megatron. At this sign, Megatron backed off reluctantly. After all, getting blasted at this range was not such a good idea, even if he did get to blow off steam.

After Rattrap climbed aboard the vessel, the enormous Predacon warship sailed off with all Maximals on board. As the ship sailed off into the sunset, none of the Predacons dared to make a sound until it had disappeared completely in the horizon.

"That went well," Blackarachnia remarked sarcastically.

"Oh do shut up," Megatron glared at her.

"Megatron!" Waspinator pointed out to the far away yacht. "Maximals leave ship behind! Can use it to catch them!"

"They're miles away by now," Megatron sat down despondantly. "Even if we do reach them, they'll blow us out of the water with our own weapons."

Terrorsaur appeared to be deep in thought. Apparently, something was eating away at his thoughts and Waspinator was the first to see it.

"Terrorsaur okay?"

"Wait a minute!" a light bulb seemed to appear on top of Terrorsaur's head. "They would never willingly sink us and have us drown! It's not their Maximal way!"

Blackarachnia and Megatron looked at each other in surprise. Thus far, they had not expected to hear something like this come out of the beak of Terrorsaur.

"Wow," Blackarachnia said. "It looks like beakface here is using his head for once."

"Yes, well," Megatron thought back to all the times Terrorsaur had attempted to betray him before. "Please let this be only a temporary flash of brilliance."

* * *

"I have to admit," admitted Optimus. "This vacation turned out to be a lot more interesting than I expected."

"And given their power," Rhinox observed the stabilized energon. "Who knows how long they'll last us."

"You know," Airazor noticed. "We never did get to finish our game of volleyball."

"You said it, sistah!" Rattrap exclaimed. "It was hopin' to beat Big R over here!"

"My vote's on Rhinox," Cheetor proclaimed.

"What?" Rattrap gasped.

"I also think Rhinox's got a good chance of winning," Airazor confessed.

"What the... are you outta your mind?" Rattrap protested. "I'm 'da best there is!"

"I'm not so certain," smiled Optimus. "Just think of how hard Rhinox can spike the ball."

"Thinking of forfeiting the game, Rattrap?" Rhinox taunted and held the ball in the air.

"No way, Rhinox!" Rattrap declared. "You're on!"

* * *

"Yes... yes..." Megatron grinned as his small yacht moved in on the now Maximal warship. "Soon, Optimus and his unwitting crew will be in for a surprise!"

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Blackarachnia. "The auto-guns might just target us without the Maximals even knowing."

"To make big gains, we must sometimes take big risks," Megatron looked down at her. "You'll do well to remember that, Blackarachnia."

A small explosion from behind them rocked their boat without warning. Alerted, both Megatron and Blackarachnia ran back to see the source of their problem. Terrorsaur and Waspinator were panicking over a hole made on the ship's wooden floor. From that hole, water emptied out over the ship rapidly. The two of them had been engaged in a small fight earlier.

"It was an accident!" Terrorsaur shouted. "I swear! Waspinator and I were just messing around!"

Megatron had to practically restrain himself from tearing the red Predacon apart. He tossed aside his tail vise and T-Rex cannon to run forward and grab a small bucket from the wall. He knelt down quickly and began filling up the pail with water, then dumped it out back into the sea again. Soon, Blackarachnia grabbed a small container and joined him.

"Waspinator not mean to!" the Predacon wasp stuttered. "Terrorsaur made Waspinator accidentally shoot hole through boat! Terrorsaur's fault this happened!"

"My fault?" Terrorsaur shrieked. "You were the one who-"

Terrorsaur did not get to finish his sentence. Megatron grabbed a spare bucket and threw it at him, smacking him across the head.

"Shut up and start emptying!" shouted Megatron.

"What about Maximals?" Waspinator asked. "Maximals are getting away!"

"You too!" Blackarachnia grabbed a second pail and rammed it into Waspinator's stomach.


	18. The Ties that Bind

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_The Ties That Bind_

"So what's the scoop?" Blackarachnia leaned forward.

The odd sounds of the night punctuated the abandoned factory she and a few other companions gathered at. It had originally been a formal arrangement made by Tarantulas with only her and Terrorsaur being the invited guests. Now, however, the prescribed invitations no longer stood properly.

"First off," Tarantulas glared at Waspinator from across the table. "What is _he_ doing here?"

"Whaddya mean?" Terrorsaur blinked. "I always bring Waspinator with me wherever I go!"

"The invitations were for you and Blackarachnia only!" Tarantulas barked. "If you recall, there's a valid reason why Scorponok is not here among us!"

"I'm beginning to see where you're headed with this, legs," Blackarachnia winked. "You called me here to help you and Terrorsaur overthrow Megatron, correct?"

"Close," Tarantulas affirmed. "But not entirely. What I wish to propose is a game."

"A game?" Terrorsaur blinked.

"What sort of game?" Blackarachnia asked.

"Ooh! Waspinator like game!"

"I'll gladly explain the rules," Tarantulas hissed. "As soon as Waspinator leaves!"

"Come on!" Terrorsaur protested. "I already brought bugface all the way here! Can't he stay? I promise he won't snitch on us."

Tarantulas looked Blackarachnia briefly for her opinion.

"I hear Waspinator complaining all the time about his workload," Blackarachnia said with a shrug. "I guess he counts as part of our coalition of the disgruntled."

"Very well," Tarantulas sighed. "What are your opinions of Megatron, Waspinator?"

"Megatron too strict!" Waspinator complained. "Megatron always give Waspinator hard time even when Waspinator tries his best! Waspinator tired of it!"

"Fair enough," Tarantulas noted. "Now that that's out of the way, we may move on."

"So what's this game?" Blackarachnia demanded.

"The rules of engagement are simple," Tarantulas told them. "The first of us to dethrone Megatron will take command of the Predacons!"

"What?" Terrorsaur's mouth gaped open.

"Have you lost it?" Blackarachnia looked at Tarantulas sideways.

"As an added bonus," Tarantulas added. "I will pledge my scientific expertise and loyalty to the one who succeeds!"

"Maybe Terrorsaur and Waspinator'll need it," Blackarachnia snorted. "But I'm secure enough in my own intelligence for your so-called _bonus_."

"You are an intelligent one, aren't you?" Tarantulas chuckled derisively. "But there are some things within the fields of Cybertronian science that even you cannot comprehend."

Blackarachnia bit her lip nervously but tried her best not to show the unease on her features. Despite her formidable intellect, it was indeed true that she did not know nearly as much as Tarantulas when it came to scientific knowledge. Chances were, she needed to learn as much as she could from him.

"Maybe I don't," Blackarachnia replied. "What's it to ya?"

"I could teach you miracles of Cybertronian engineering beyond anything you can ever imagine," Tarantulas told her soothingly. "But this offer comes with a price."

"Oh what the heck," Blackarachnia relented. "If it bumps off Megatron, I'll gladly kill two birds with one stone."

"And what about you two?" Tarantulas questioned the fliers. "Are you in?"

"You kidding?" Terrorsaur growled. "There's no way I'm allowing a bunch of eight-legged freaks to beat me in offing Megatron!"

"And you, insect?" Tarantulas sneered

"Waspinator in!" the Predacon wasp nodded. "Waspinator overthrow Megatron and prove he is greatest of Predacons!"

"We'll see about that," Tarantulas said to himself.

"I hope you flyboys will be there once Megatron croaks," Blackarachnia smiled sweetly at Terrorsaur and Waspinator. "Because once that happens, you'll know who to bow down to!"

"Ain't gonna happen, lady!" Terrorsaur got up. "Once I'm leader, you'll be licking my boots in reverence!"

Both Blackarachnia and Terrorsaur reached for their respective guns. Tarantulas, fortunately, was there to end the firefight before it could even begin.

"Please, please!" Tarantulas beckoned. "Take it elsewhere! There is important work to be done here!"

Terrorsaur put away his rifle. "Fine, and just for the record, it'll be me who knocks Megatron off his pedestal!"

The red pterodactyl transformed to beast mode along with Waspinator and flew off into the sky through the ceiling's window.

"You're up to something, aren't you?" Blackarachnia questioned.

"What makes you say that?" Tarantulas sputtered.

"Oh, just the fact that you invited Waspinator to a meeting like this," a voice from behind them called out.

"Optimus Primal," Tarantulas turned around and scowled. "You've found me."

"An' don't forget his band of merry Maximals!" Rattrap chimed in.

Blackarachnia and Tarantulas looked around. They were surrounded on all sides by Cheetor, Rattrap, Optimus Primal, Airazor, and Rhinox. The odds were NOT looking good in their favor.

"Back to back now," Tarantulas whispered to Blackarachnia.

"Why?"

"Just do what I say and follow my lead!"

Blackarachnia complied with the Predacon scientist as the Maximals moved in closer on them. They dropped their weapons to the floor in a gesture of surrender. Finally, Tarantulas reared up and unleashed a spray of bullets from the machine guns mounted on his spider legs. Blackarachnia soon followed suite and the Maximals scattered to all sides to avoid the barrage.

Optimus was the first to dodge behind a large machine that blazed with electricity. In a split nano-klik, Cheetor had taken refuge there as well. Tarantulas saw this and quickly took note.

The large machine they hid behind stood in perfectly polished form, unlike most of the other objects in the factory that were gathering dust. Two large conducts shone at the top of the machine with small traces of electricity coursing through it.

"My plans will have to take place sooner than later," Tarantulas snarled.

"What are you talking about?" Blackarachnia continued shooting towards the direction of the other Maximals.

"Keep our visitors busy!" Tarantulas ordered. "I have urgent business to attend!"

If she could, Blackarachnia would have immediately grabbed Tarantulas and demanded an explanation. But right now, the Maximals were returning fire. She had to concentrate on her targets or be scrapped on the spot. That also meant listening to Tarantulas without question… for the time being.

Tarantulas ran forward and continued his machine gun shots towards Optimus and Cheetor, taking special care not to hit the contraption he had built. He dove forward and grabbed a small remote from his table, flicking its switch on as soon as he could.

The conducts on the machine hummed to life. Optimus recognized this and took a step back out of concern. Unfortunately, however, a green energy bolt from the conduct flew out and struck Optimus, grasping him in mid-air.

"Big Bot!" Cheetor cried.

"Everything is going according to plan!" Tarantulas cackled.

In the meantime, the other Maximals were seeing this as well. Blackarachnia tried her best to hold them off but her opponents would not remain idle. Rhinox finally leaped out and unleashed his own barrage of machine gun fire. Blackarachnia shot her grappling hook into the ceiling and flew up before

the bullets could hit her. This time, she transformed to beast mode and escaped through the window, unwilling to fight for Tarantulas any further.

In a few moments, the objective of the machine was becoming clear. Optimus Primal's head tilted back as his spark was pulled out of his body by the tracking beam. Cheetor leaped up and grabbed onto the spark, getting himself trapped within the beam along with his mentor.

"Can't… control this thing!" Cheetor gasped.

Rhinox reacted quickly and immediately began pummeling the machine with a rapid blaze of bullets. Tarantulas grabbed his crossbow and aimed it at Rhinox, only to be blasted from the side by Rattrap's pistol.

The conductors at this point seemed to reach critical mass. This time, a blinding flash of light ensued rather than an explosion. By the time the smoke had cleared, both Optimus and Cheetor were on the ground, without any sign of movement.

"Just my luck," Tarantulas growled and scurried off as Rattrap turned his attention away from him to concentrate on his fallen companions.

Rhinox turned Optimus over as Airazor did the same for Cheetor. Rattrap checked the two. Fortunately, they seemed to be coming out of their daze.

"Cheetor," Airazor cradled the young Maximal's head. "Are you okay?"

"I… believe so, yes."

Airazor's optics widened. She could sense that something was not right just from the tone of the young Maximal.

"Those conductors didn't fry anything, did they?" Rhinox asked his old friend.

"No," Optimus replied. "But I wouldn't mind trying that again!"

Optimus, or what appeared to be Optimus, sat up and looked directly into a piece of metal on the floor. His reflection bounced back at him, allowing him to see his own features.

"Whoa! Ultra-gear!"

* * *

"When I interrupted the extraction process, the interruption must have caused the exchange," Rhinox theorized. "That's why you've essentially switched bodies."

"Any way to reverse this?" Optimus squatted down on all fours.

"When we get back to base, I should be able to have you two back in your original bodies," nodded Rhinox.

"Beast mode!" Cheetor cried and transformed to his new body's gorilla form.

"Wow, I never thought I could pick things up with my toes," Cheetor grabbed onto a metal pipe, courtesy of the opposable thumbs on his foot.

"Yeah, well just keep 'yer feet away from me," Rattrap grimaced.

"Why didn't Cheetor's spark just go back to his own body?" Airazor asked. "Same with Optimus."

"In the confusion, the sparks must have attempted to enter into the closest host body available," Rhinox replied. "That would explain our little mix-up."

"Even so," Optimus raised a spotted paw. "I have to admit this is a rather interesting situation."

"_Rather interesting_?" Cheetor transformed to Optimus Primal's robot mode. "This is spot-on cool!"

"Um, Cheetor," Optimus looked at his own body wearily. "Be careful with that."

"Oh… whoops," Cheetor lowered the arm rifle.

"We should get you two back to base," Rhinox recommended.

"Alright… but before that," Cheetor cut in. "Prime Jets! On!"

The rockets underneath Cheetor's new jet pack lit up and propelled him into the air. The young Maximal spun around briefly before blasting forward with his mentor's body. It was clear to the rest of the Maximals now that he was having trouble mastering flight but all this was lost to Cheetor, who was so fascinated with the prospect of flying that he did not see what was in his way.

"Cheetor, watch out!" Optimus shouted.

It was too late. Cheetor smacked head-first into one of the beams on top of the building and was promptly knocked out of the air. As he fell to the floor with a thud, the other Maximals quickly gathered around him. Optimus, in particular, cringed at the sight of his body being mishandled this way.

When Cheetor regained his senses, Optimus was the first to speak.

"Be careful with my body from now until we get back!"

"Sorry, Big Bot…"

* * *

"So how does it feel to be several stellar cycles younger?" asked Rhinox.

"To be honest," Optimus confessed. "It feels like I'm in a whole new world."

The Maximals trudged carefully through the canyons back to their base. In their journey, Cheetor had followed them slowly from behind out of fear of losing control again. This time, he exercised more temperance than he had before.

While in the front, Optimus suddenly sprinted forth several paces, running a few circles around his Maximal companions before joining them again.

"I never knew this body was so fast," Optimus exclaimed. "You're certainly something, Cheetor!"

"Just me and my need for speed," Cheetor replied casually.

From the corner of his commander's optic, Cheetor noticed a small shadowy movement from behind a canyon rock. Curiosity overtook him first off and Cheetor walked over towards the granite formation.

At first glance nothing was there. The sand at his feet appeared to be the only entities that existed in this location. Soon, after shifting his feet slightly, he noticed something strange on the ground he was on. In fact, the sand was only the covering on top of some metallic plating.

Cheetor got down and observed the site. Before he could call out to the other Maximals, the floor beneath him gave way and swallowed him whole.

* * *

"This is it," Terrorsaur told himself. "This is your one shot so make it count!"

The red Predacon tiptoed past the halls and into Megatron's chambers. There Megatron sat, having dozed off completely after several hours of paperwork.

Terrorsaur smiled. This would be a lot easier than he thought.

It hadn't occurred to him how great of a plan Tarantulas had until now. With Megatron out of the way, he, Terrorsaur, would rule the Predacons and lead them to glory without their deposed purple tyrant. He would conquer the Earth in one bold stroke and return to Cybertron in the full glory of his illustrious Decepticon ancestors.

"Look at you," Terrorsaur glared at the snoring Megatron. "Sleeping like a baby…"

Terrorsaur's contempt for the tyrant had been long-standing, though he typically didn't act upon them directly unless he felt he had enough momentum behind him. Now, Megatron would hardly be in a position to argue once he had two missiles lodged into his skull.

Terrorsaur quietly activated his missile launchers and took out his own rifle.

"Say goodbye, you piece of slag," Terrorsaur whispered.

"WARNING! BETRAYAL EFFORT BY TERRORSAUR NOW BEING ATTEMPTED!"

"Holy…!" Terrorsaur squawked.

Two side guns appeared from the ceiling and promptly blasted Terrorsaur in the chest, flooring him in no time. It was at this moment that Megatron woke up at the sound of the shot.

"Huh?" Megatron blinked, still drowsy from the lack of sleep. "What in the blazes just happened?"

The smoke rising from Terrorsaur's chest caught Megatron's attention in just a few seconds. But being that it was Terrorsaur, the situation came as no surprise to the Predacon commander.

"Oh, it's you," Megatron grumbled.

* * *

"Where could he have gone?" Optimus wondered. "It's not like Cheetor to just disappear like this."

"Maybe he took 'yer body off for another joyride," Rattrap suggested jokingly.

Rhinox boxed Rattrap slightly across the head for his comment. Airazor, in the meantime, had flown into the air in search of their young companion.

"We'll find him," Rhinox reassured. "With any luck, it's just Cheetor having one of those wild bouts of youthful indiscretion."

"Still no sign of him," Airazor flew down. "He's not in the sky."

"That's just Prime," Optimus sighed.

"What'll we do now?" Rhinox turned to Optimus for the next order.

"We split up," Optimus finally said. "Airazor, you and Rattrap go that direction. Rhinox, you're with me."

"Oh great," Rattrap grumbled. "Now I gotta play the role of _Cat_ trap."

"He can't have gone too far on ground," Airazor told the group. "We're bound to find him in some nook or cranny around this canyon."

"Yeah, just think of all the Bigfoot sightings that'll pop up now that Cheetor's runnin' around 'dis place with yer body," Rattrap chuckled.

For his inappropriate, yet humorous comment, Rattrap received another smack across the back of his head.

* * *

"I'm guessing it went well with you," Blackarachnia leered over the CR bath Terrorsaur had just emerged from.

"Shut up," Terrorsaur growled. "Just shut up."

"Terrorsaur not look too happy," Waspinator noted.

"Megatron had a failsafe for me right from the start!" Terrorsaur complained.

"No duh!" Blackarachnia scolded. "You only try to betray him every other day! Is it any wonder our big purple dinosaur has set up safety measures against you?"

"Hmm," Terrorsaur scratched his chin. "Good point there… I never did think of that."

"Now it's Waspinator's turn!" Waspinator insisted. "Waspinator will dispose of Megatron and rule Predacons!"

"Not that I want to come off as concerned," Blackarachnia sighed. "But quit while you're ahead, Waspinator. I don't want to see you hobbling back after you fail and Megatron decides to play softball with your head."

"But Waspinator can do it!" the Predacon scout insisted.

"Ha!" Terrorsaur scoffed. "Waspinator probably won't succeed… but he'll come a lot closer than you ever will!"

This seemed to set Blackarachnia off more than anything. She had many pet peeves and unfortunately for Terrorsaur, being compared to Waspinator turned out to be one of those newfound annoyances.

"I mean, what are you going to do?" Terrorsaur mocked. "Kiss him and turn him into a frog?"

Blackarachnia grabbed Terrorsaur by the neck and held him tightly. Terrorsaur tried to break free but a dart filled with cyber-venom aimed directly towards his forehead told him that it was NOT a good idea to struggle.

"You amateurs want to know what I'm capable of?" Blackarachnia hissed. "Just wait and see!"

"Hey!" Scorponok walked into the room. "What kind of funny business is going on in here?

"Oh, nothing really!" Blackarachnia flung her arms around Terrorsaur to purposefully confuse Scorponok. "Terrorsaur and I were just… enjoying each other's company!"

This threw Scorponok off guard completely.

"Okay…" Scorponok scratched his head and walked away. "If you say so…"

Blackarachnia breathed a sigh of relief momentarily but the stupid grin on Terrorsaur's face with her arms around his neck snapped her back to reality. She struck Terrorsaur loudly in the head and shoved the Predacon flier off.

"Don't read anything into it!" she snapped. "And don't get any ideas either!"

* * *

"W-Where am I?" Cheetor groaned.

The young Maximal attempted to get up but a tingling sensation near his arms told him that he was currently in a state of being incapacitated. After a while, he became aware that he was strapped down with energon-powered bonds that held his, or rather Optimus Primal's, wrists in check. He looked down and saw that his feet were also bound across the table.

"Would it really matter if I told you?"

"Tarantulas!" Cheetor growled.

"You certainly seem happy to see me," Tarantulas sneered.

"What do you want?" Cheetor demanded.

"I was hoping you'd get to that!"

Cheetor gulped. "You're not going to eat my spark, are you?"

"Hmm," Tarantulas ruminated. "That's actually not a bad suggestion…"

"Oh man, I knew you were one messed up bug!" Cheetor moaned.

"That's not what I was really thinking," Tarantulas hissed. "You see… I wish to remove your spark from the body of Optimus Primal."

"What?" Cheetor gasped.

"Once it has been removed," Tarantulas explained. "I shall implement my own spark within this host!"

"Why do you want to do that?" Cheetor demanded. "Finally realize that eight legs look bad on you?"

"Silence!" Tarantulas struck Cheetor across the face. "You _will_ still that impudent tongue of yours!"

"And what if I don't?" Cheetor shot back.

Tarantulas took out his gun and aimed it towards Cheetor's forehead to prove his point. At this sight, Cheetor subsided into silence but still glared at Tarantulas defiantly.

"This isn't my first body, you know," Tarantulas told Cheetor in a rather conversational tone.

"It isn't?" Cheetor blurted without knowing anything better to say.

"No," Tarantulas shook his head. "And alas, I've decided that it is time for me to move into stronger body just ripe for the taking! One that shall serve my purposes fully!"

"You don't mean…"

"Oh I hadn't planned on you swapping bodies with Primal," Tarantulas told him. "But it does not matter. Once I possess this body, I shall awaken more protoforms from their stasis pods and lead your foolish Maximals to victory against Megatron. Once I defeat that tin tyrant, I shall return to Cybertron, a hero for having captured the scoundrel who stole the golden discs!"

"Playing the hero?" Cheetor raised an optic. "But that's not your style."

"Only out of necessity," Tarantulas nodded. "Do you have an idea how much power I'd wield with the authority of an Optimal figure in Maximal society, especially after having captured such a dangerous criminal?"

"You're out of your mind!" Cheetor growled.

"And soon to be in yours…" Tarantulas added. "Or to be more precise, Optimus Primal's!"

* * *

From the edge of the ceiling, Blackarachnia crawled down the wall towards Megatron's desk. The Predacon leader was currently hard at work with some of his company files but that fact did not deter the black widow from her intended purpose.

"Blackarachnia," Megatron noted but did not get up. "What is it that you want?"

"Oh, I was just bored," Blackarachnia crawled down from the wall and transformed to robot mode. "So I decided to check up on you."

"Hmph," Megatron snorted. "That's Scorponok's job."

"But you don't want a fawning sycophant babying you all the time," Blackarachnia pouted. "You want someone you can really relate to."

"Well that's where you're wrong," Megatron corrected. "I want Optimus Primal's head on a platter."

"Given enough time, I could deliver it to you one day," offered Blackarachnia.

"No need," Megatron waved. "I shall attend to that myself when the time is right."

"Don't you ever get bored around here?"

"What are you getting at?"

"Just look at this."

"Look at _what_?" Megatron ground his teeth together.

"Well," Blackarachnia explained. "You're stuck on this planet with no other femme-bots and chances are, you're a wee bit frustrated."

"Your point being?"

"Since you're lonely, I could keep you company," Blackarachnia suggested as she leaned forward onto his desk. "If you know what I mean."

"Oh, whatever do you mean?" Megatron's voice came out mockingly.

"What I mean is…"

"What you _mean_ to do is betray me and usurp my position," Megatron told her, getting straight to the point. "Do you think I'm blind?"

"What… what are you talking about?" Blackarachnia stared.

"Terrorsaur told me all about your little plan to charm me," Megatron told her casually. "You would poison me with cyber-venom the first chance you get!"

"T-That's not true!" Blackarachnia stammered.

"Nevertheless," Megatron continued. "I will admit something."

"Huh?"

"At least you put more thought into your betrayal attempts," Megatron said coolly. "Unlike certain other Predacons I know."

"But I didn't—"

"Silence!" Megatron thundered.

At this point, Blackarachnia decided to hold her tongue out of fear of an even harsher punishment. The bemused look on Megatron's face was also complemented by the ferocity of his tone. He looked at her with great amusement and opted to laugh out loud at her nervousness.

"You are a clever one, yessss," Megatron smiled. "For that, your punishment tonight will be to clean the halls of our ship."

"That's it?" Blackarachnia looked befuddled.

"Most certainly," Megatron affirmed.

"For a moment there," Blackarachnia let out a small huff of air. "I thought you were going to give me the usual Terrorsaur punishment."

"I want the decks of that ship spotless within three mega-cycles," Megatron ordered.

"Three mega-cycles?" Blackarachnia looked up. "Can't I do it at my own pace?"

"Two mega-cycles," Megatron frowned at her. "Anything else you wish to add, Blackarachnia?"

"No," Blackarachnia's shoulders sank in defeat. "I'll go swab the decks…"

"That's a good girl," Megatron said derisively.

"No one calls me a 'good' girl and lives," Blackarachnia muttered under her breath. "You'll pay for this, Megatron… but not before Terrorsaur!"

* * *

"You know," Tarantulas told Cheetor earnestly. "Returning to Cybertron and using Optimus Primal's body to gain the trust of the Maximal Elders isn't my only goal."

"What more could you want?" Cheetor demanded.

"Many more things which you could not possibly comprehend."

"Try me."

For a second, it looked like Tarantulas was prepared to tell him. But soon, the Predacon scientist decided against it and hooked up two more cables to Cheetor's chest.

"Don't worry," Tarantulas said in a soothing voice. "The operation itself will not be the painful part."

"And what will?" Cheetor gulped.

"When I sink my fangs into your spark!"

* * *

Optimus walked towards the lower echelons of the canyon having found no sign of Cheetor in his body yet. So far, there seemed to be nothing to indicate that the young Maximal had been through these parts.

But Optimus would not give up hope. Wherever Cheetor was, he would find him no matter what it took. And despite the fact that they were not related by circuitry or spark, Cheetor was still like a surrogate son to him. There was no way he would give up now.

The tail on Cheetor's body swung back and forth restlessly. Up till now, Optimus had still not quite figured out how to control the tail. But for now, that was a secondary concern. Optimus finally

crouched down on all fours against a canyon rock that lay nearby and scratched the floor with Cheetor's paws.

Only about one minute of respite was all he needed before getting up and continuing the search again.

Then the unexpected happened.

The floor beneath him gave way. What he had been standing on was not solid ground at all, but a metal covering which contained a chute leading down into the lower levels of the underground.

* * *

"Very soon now," Tarantulas attached the two cylinders to Cheetor's arms. "Before I transfer my spark into Optimus Primal's frame, I must remove you spark permanently."

Cheetor struggled bravely against his restraints to no end but Tarantulas ignored the resistance. In due time, it would no longer matter to him whether or not Cheetor's spark lived. But before the scientist could move on, a small beep at his monitor was heard.

Tarantulas groaned inwardly and turned on his screen.

"Yo Tarantulas," Blackarachnia waved.

"I have important work to do," Tarantulas told her. "Speak quickly before I lose my patience!"

"I was just wondering," Blackarachnia gestured to two vials of cyber-venom. "Which one should I use… the red one or the green one?"

Tarantulas looked closely into the background. Behind Blackarachnia, he could closely make out the image of Terrorsaur struggling in one of the black widow's specially patented webs. Blackarachnia could also see that he had noticed Terrorsaur in the background and giggled lightly.

"Get me outta here!" Terrorsaur cried.

"Ignore him," Blackarachnia told Tarantulas through the screen. "He was being a nuisance."

"Excuse me," Tarantulas shook his head. "What were you saying again?"

"Should I use the red or green vial?" Blackarachnia reiterated.

"It depends on what you wish to accomplish," Tarantulas told her.

"Which one causes more pain?" Blackarachnia got straight to the point.

"Use the red one," Tarantulas instructed. "The green vial only numbs one's neurological circuitry."

"Gotcha," Blackarachnia replied.

"No… no!" Terrorsaur screamed. "You can't do this to me!"

"What do you plan on doing with your guest anyways?" Tarantulas stared into the monitor.

"Isn't it obvious?" Blackarachnia injected the red vial into her gun and cut the connection.

"Cute," Tarantulas shrugged. "I never did like that pompous buzzard."

"Freeze, Tarantulas!"

Tarantulas turned around slowly. "Greetings Optimus. You're just in time to witness the consolidation of my promising career."

Optimus Primal directed Cheetor's gut gun towards Tarantulas. In his current youthful state, however, Optimus seemed even less intimidating to Tarantulas than he had hoped to be.

"I suggest you put down your weapon," Tarantulas suggested. "If it's a trade you want, I shall allow you to leave with the spark of your ward."

"Don't listen to him, Optimus!" Cheetor cried out. "He's trying to trick you!"

"What do you plan on doing with my body anyways?" Optimus asked suspiciously.

"Once you've taken Cheetor's spark back to base, you can ask him about it," Tarantulas snickered.

"No deal!" Optimus declared resolutely.

"Too bad," Tarantulas growled.

Without warning, the insane Predacon scientist unleashed a volley of machine gun fire to which Optimus reacted quickly and transformed to beast mode, bounding away at a light-speed pace.

"Impressive, Optimus!" Tarantulas called out. "You use that whelp's body as if it were your own!"

"I learn a new body fast!" Optimus Primal's voice drifted back from the cave.

"I'll be back for you," Tarantulas glared at Cheetor.

Tarantulas turned away from his prisoner and loaded his gun. He walked silently across the cave towards the direction from where he heard the Maximal's voice. It did not bother him in the least that he couldn't see his enemy for the moment. He knew these caverns much better than Optimus Primal did.

As Tarantulas walked past a few stalagmites, a cheetah leaped out from out of the darkness and pounced on him. Optimus and Tarantulas rolled on the ground, struggling against one another. Finally, Tarantulas used the butt of his gun to glance Optimus across the chin, knocking the feline body off of him.

Optimus growled and transformed to robot mode. It was at this point that Tarantulas charged angrily.

The Maximal leader timed himself carefully and utilized the natural agility of Cheetor's body to leap over Tarantulas, kicking the Predacon in the back of his head and flipping over gracefully. Tarantulas winced from the blow and smashed face-first into the geological pillar in front of him.

Tarantulas groaned and slid to the floor as Optimus bounded forward towards the operating table Cheetor lay on with his body. Very quickly, Optimus transformed the finger on Cheetor's hand into a lock pick and began prying at the restraints that held his original body.

"Whoa, how'd you learn to do that so quickly?" Cheetor exclaimed.

"Fast learner, remember?" Optimus reminded as he managed to loosen the restraints by at least half-way.

"Wait a nano-klik," Cheetor suddenly realized. "I think the key's right there on his table!"

Optimus stopped what he was doing and checked. Sure enough, there was a key on the table that had the exact sort of characteristics of opening and closing restraining bolts.

The Maximal commander took one step towards the surgical table but an iron manacle erupted from beneath the dirt and shackled his foot. A nearby laughter told him immediately that Tarantulas had planted it there against unwitting guests.

"Hahaha!" Tarantulas cackled and aimed his crossbow directly at Optimus. "Your time is up!"

"I don't think so!" Cheetor cried.

With a powerful wrench, Cheetor used Optimus Primal's arm to break free of the already weakened restraining bolt and fired a blast from the Maximal leader's arm-mounted rifle. The shot struck Tarantulas in the chest and knocked him head over heels into the cold, dank surface of the cavernous floor.

"Well that was certainly Prime," Optimus complimented.

* * *

"Thanks for the save, Optimus," Cheetor crawled out from under the tunnel and back into the cool, canyon setting.

"No problem, Cheetor," Optimus nodded as he walked out along with his ward.

"So how do you learn a new body so fast?" Cheetor asked.

"I learned it from the academy back in the day," Optimus answered.

"Wow, must've been fun," Cheetor added.

"It had its ups and downs," Optimus continued. "Back then, we had to alternate between as much as several vehicle modes a week for our field training."

"So that's where you learned all this!"

"The secret's out," Optimus smiled.

"I bet I could take your body on a spin better than you can," Cheetor offered. "We'll settle it in a race."

"I don't know about that," Optimus laid a paw to the ground. "You haven't gotten used to my body mechanics yet."

"Hey, I saved you from Tarantulas, didn't I?"

"There's only one way to settle it then."

Cheetor transformed to beast mode and flexed the muscles of Optimus Primal's gorilla form. Optimus crouched low and swung Cheetor's tail back and forth.

"You're on," Cheetor told his mentor.

"Ready…" Optimus counted. "Set… GO!"

* * *

"M-Megatron?" Waspinator asked nervously as he walked into the room.

The Predacon leader sat in his CR bath contentedly with the rubber ducky he had taken from Waspinator. He stroked the toy pleasantly much to Waspinator's displeasure. It had been a long time since he had taken Waspinator's possession and now, Waspinator wanted it back.

"What is it, insect?" Megatron demanded, his patience at a thread now that Waspinator had appeared.

"Waspinator was wondering… could Megatron give back rubber ducky? Waspinator misses it."

"No."

Waspinator could feel the simmering rage boiling inside of him. As for now, the game he had agreed to with Tarantulas, Blackarachnia, and Terrorsaur was still ongoing. So far, none of them had taken out the rogue Predacon. But he, Waspinator had a good chance at this very moment to dethrone Megatron and prove to everyone else just how great of leader material he was.

"Megatron will regret this," Waspinator whispered silently and took out his gun.

The Predacon scout walked forward but before he could aim straight, he tripped on a bar of energon soap beneath his feet and fell on his back. His gun slammed upwards and fired, striking a piece of the cement ceiling.

Before Waspinator could get up, a huge chunk of that ceiling fell down and crushed his face, causing him to buzz and sputter in pain.

"You know, Waspinator…" Megatron rolled his optics. "You're just about the only Predacon I can count on to botch an assassination attempt this badly."

_The End._


	19. A Knight's Tale

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_A Knight's Tale_

"Something's not right with this pod," Terrorsaur shivered in a rare moment of contemplation. "These rocks must've messed it up or something."

"It does not matter!" Megatron scolded. "The important thing is that there is a rare gem of a Predacon within this shell!"

Waspinator lifted the pod up as Megatron continued his conversation with the untrustworthy soldier. The truth was, there was indeed something wrong with the stasis pod they had reached. According to Waspinator's sensors, the collective gallery of rocks known as Stonehenge had a strange power emanating from within.

Megatron huffed in frustration. There hadn't been any signs of life for the last few mega-cycles. After waiting for so long and adding in the proper reprogramming, they'd have to wait until nightfall to sneak into the London Zoo to obtain the right beast mode for their new recruit.

"So what's his beast mode gonna be?" Scorponok asked as Waspinator flew off with the pod in tow.

"I'm not certain yet," Megatron said contemplatively. "But you know how we Predacons think… strongest life forms on this planet and all."

"Oh yeah," Scorponok bobbed his head.

"How long do you think it'll be before the Maximals show up?" asked Terrorsaur.

"Should the Maximals decide to crash our European roadtrip," Megatron grinned. "We shall greet them with an added Predacon to our arsenal!"

"How much does that make on our side again?" Scorponok scratched his head.

"Seven to six," Terrorsaur answered. "The Maximals will be outnumbered once we wake the new guy up!"

* * *

"Our family's going to Europe for the next five days," Luna told Cheetor. "How'd you guys like to come?"

"Sounds great!" Cheetor exclaimed. "Where are you traveling to?"

"London, Paris, the usual…" Jack replied. "Fun for the whole family, of course."

"You know," Optimus said. "A trip like this could be beneficial to the team."

"I agree," Rhinox nodded. "The European continent has its own diverse array of flora and fauna we could study."

"Eh, any vacation sounds good to me," Rattrap shrugged.

"Think you guys could come?" Luna requested. "It'll be fun!"

"Can we?" Cheetor beamed. "You betcha!"

"All we gotta do is pack a few things," Rhinox looked at the exploratory kit lying on the table.

* * *

After several hours had gone by, Scorponok had finally activated the stasis pod within the London Zoo.

"The wait had better be worth it," Megatron grumbled.

"Go easy on me, boss," Scorponok explained. "This is usually Tarantulas's job."

"Yes, speaking of which," Megatron took note. "Where is that spider anyways?"

"No idea," Scorponok replied. "He's never there when I try to contact him."

"Yes," Megatron agreed. "I'll have to ask that treacherous arachnid about it someday."

"Um, Megatron…"

"What?" the Predacon commander demanded.

"Something's not right with this pod…" Scorponok said nervously.

"What do you mean?" Megatron shoved his second-in-command aside and looked at the pod's monitor.

Only a few nano-kliks were needed for Megatron to process what was going wrong.

"What in the Pit is this?" he bellowed. "Can it be possible?"

Megatron didn't have much time to react as the pod's hatch lifted and a blinding flash of light ensued. From the radiance, a creature emerged that was both alien and unfamiliar to the tyrant's eyes, despite his extensive knowledge of the animal kingdom. While Scorponok backed away nervously, Megatron only stared in fascination.

"Well," Megatron smiled. "It appears we have a true hybrid on our hands… a fuzor, if you will."

"Who… am I?" the creature asked as its wings draped over its shoulders.

"Why, you are one of us, of course!" Megatron greeted. "A Predacon soldier fit for duty!"

The new Predacon before them stood on all fours stoutly with the wings of an eagle on its back. Its body belonged to that of one of the wolves in the zoo's enclosures from what Scorponok could make out through the dark. As the new Predacon looked around nervously, one of the lions roared at him through the den, completely aware of the fact that he, along with the other Predacons did not belong in the zoo.

"What is your… name?" asked Megatron, attempting to get to know his new soldier better.

"I think my name is… Silverbolt!" the Predacon said slowly. "Yes… pure strong and… fast!"

It was at this moment that Megatron nearly gagged. But thanks to his uncommon level of self-control in these situations, he merely shook his head briefly as if to clear something from his head.

"Silverbolt, yessss," Megatron managed to speak out finally. "In any case, it is good to have you with us."

"I am honored, sir," Silverbolt gave a quick salute with his paw.

* * *

To Rhinox, England was exactly what the geography books had said it was. The weather was temperate, even at night, and the rolling hills really breathed life into the streamlined landscape.

"So how do you guys like it?" Luna asked.

"Prime," Optimus nodded. "England's certainly interesting for an island nation."

"We've learned in history class that's why this place is so hard to invade," said Jack. "Britain's Royal Navy has been a really good barrier."

"Aren't your parents concerned about you two coming out here alone?" Rhinox asked.

"It's not a problem," Luna explained. "We have family here. Our parents think we're on our way over there to meet them."

"An escort wouldn't be bad," Optimus recommended.

"Um, I think we can make it on our own," Jack protested.

"Don't be stupid, Jack!" Luna nudged him. "We probably do need a chaperone!"

"I gotta say," Rattrap confessed. "London ain't too bad, 'specially that big clock tower!"

"So where are you guys going after England?" asked Cheetor.

"We'll be headed off to Paris," answered Luna.

Before Luna could pronounce more of the plans for their trip, an explosion was heard from a few miles away. Optimus looked up and could make out the details of a small fire from that direction.

"How far is it from here to your relatives' house?" he asked Luna.

"About ten or more miles," Luna replied.

"Airazor," Optimus looked up towards the peregrine falcon perched on Rhinox's back. "Help escort Jack and Luna over there."

"Got it," Airazor flew into the air to keep watch over the two children as they headed off.

* * *

"Yes!" Megatron laughed as the flames surrounding the farm danced wildly in the night air. "Flee, you hairless apes! Flee before my wrath!"

Wellington, the sixth generation owner of the farm, ran as fast as his legs could carry him away from the carnage. Megatron, however, was not finished with him. With one motion of his hand, Terrorsaur and Waspinator appeared from the sky and landed before the hapless British farmer.

"What in the bloody heck do you want?" Wellington screamed in horror.

"What do you think?" Terrorsaur sneered and aimed his gun at the middle-aged man.

"Now Terrorsaur…" Megatron warned. "Remember what we agreed to?"

Terrorsaur put away his gun reluctantly and backed away. As he and Waspinator stepped aside, Silverbolt, now clad with silver armor in his robot mode, stepped forward with an apprehensive air around him.

"Think of this as an initiation ritual," Megatron told him. "Snuff out this worthless bag of organic flesh and you shall be an honorary Predacon within our ranks!"

Silverbolt stared down at the farmer, begging and cowering before him. In his mind, something was not right. The man he saw now had done nothing to him or the Predacons to incur such a wrath. If anything, he had to consult Megatron first before he decided his next course of action.

"But sir," Silverbolt turned to the Predacon leader. "He has… done nothing to us."

Megatron's optics narrowed. "_What_ did you just say?"

"This man," Silverbolt explained. "Had he done something reprehensible to us or our cause, he would have surely required the appropriate penalty. However, there appears to be no such reason to punish him."

"Uh oh," Waspinator whispered to Terrorsaur. "Doggy-bot not want to make Megatron angry…"

"Heh heh," Terrorsaur chuckled. "He's really gonna be in for it now!"

"Silverbolt…" Megatron explained in calm, yet seething tone. "You, my dear lad, are a Predacon. And part of being a Predacon is to do as your commanding officer instructs!"

"That is true," Silverbolt agreed reluctantly. "But in this case, I feel that my actions would not be right."

At this point, both Terrorsaur and Waspinator backed away from Silverbolt slowly and nervously as Megatron stomped forward angrily. Wellington also took advantage of the confusion to run away from the scene and save his own life while he still could. This time, Megatron paid no attention to the human and glared down at Silverbolt.

"Was it… something I said?" Silverbolt asked.

"Oh, it's more than just something you said!" Megatron bellowed. "No one questions me and lives!"

"Except for yours truly!" a voice from above shouted out.

"Primal!" Megatron growled.

Optimus Primal flew down from the air and decked Megatron straight in the chest with a hefty kick, sending the Predacon teetering back. As Megatron fell to the ground, Optimus charged forward but was blasted in the chest by the tyrant who had managed to regain his footing.

"Destroy him!" Megatron got up and ordered his flyers.

Before Terrorsaur or Waspinator could react, several shots rang out and sent them flying into the sky. Cheetor and Rattrap ran forward with their guns blazing, distracting the flyers from Optimus Primal's direction.

Megatron cursed inwardly at the Maximal sneak attack. He had to work fast and take out the enemy as quickly as he could while Silverbolt was still there. Otherwise, there would be no telling what other mutinous thoughts the fuzor would have.

"Time to end this," Megatron aimed his T-Rex cannon towards Rattrap.

This time, his concentration was broken utterly as a massive fist crashed into his face and sent him flying through the wall of the burning barn. Megatron slammed into a large pile of hay just in time as the entire barn collapsed down on him.

"I don't think so!" Rhinox stepped out.

"Who are you?" Silverbolt demanded. "And why have you attacked my companions?"

"My name is Optimus Primal," Optimus explained. "And we are the Maximals—"

"The Maximals!" Silverbolt exclaimed. "Megatron has spoken of you before! He has declared that you be destroyed on sight!"

"Wait a nano-klik," Optimus pressed on. "You're a Maximal too! You've been reprogrammed into a Predacon because of Megatron!"

"Lies!" Silverbolt declared. "I will hear no more of it! Stand and fight me like a true warrior, Optimus Primal!"

Optimus tried to refute that statement but it was too late. Silverbolt unsheathed a spear and attacked him viciously. He dodged the fuzor's swing and took out his own swords in the process. Arching up, he blocked Silverbolt's spear with his twin sabers and crossed blades with the fuzor.

"We don't have to do this!" Optimus looked into Silverbolt's optics.

"Then why did you attack my comrades first?" Silverbolt demanded and pushed Optimus back.

Silverbolt ran forward with every intention of running Optimus through but the Maximal leader twirled out of the way and slammed the blunt end of his sword into the back of the fuzor's head, knocking Silverbolt forward by several steps.

"This is Megatron we're talking about! What do you expect me to do?"

"Show him the proper honor any worthy foe deserves!" Silverbolt got up again. "You chose to attack him without warning!"

"Oh for crying out loud!" Optimus snarled. "Megatron's only using you!"

"Then we shall soon find out just how honorable your words are!" Silverbolt folded his wings over his shoulders and fired a salvo of feather missiles.

Optimus transformed to beast mode and tumbled out of the way. Several more missiles struck the ground near him as he flipped and leaped about to avoid them. Soon, after dodging enough of the fuzor's firepower, he transformed to robot mode and blasted into the sky to combat the aerial Predacon.

* * *

With a surge of power, Megatron smashed through the burning wood and stomped out of the fire. Very quickly, he shot Rhinox in the chest, bringing the large Maximal down. He took careful aim and shot again and again.

Rhinox rolled out of the way as the purple beams struck the ground where he had previously been. He rolled forward and drove his fist into Megatron's solar plexus. As Megatron kneeled over, Rhinox struck the tyrant directly into his chin with an uppercut, this time throwing the Predacon back.

"And stay down!" Rhinox shouted.

Waspinator, in the meantime, avoided a few shots from Cheetor's cannon and flew away from his partner's side, leaving Terrorsaur to fend against Rattrap and Cheetor by himself. He flew towards the battle between Optimus and Silverbolt, firing off several stinger missiles from his gun. One of his shots hit home and struck Optimus Primal's jet pack from behind, knocking the Maximal leader out of the sky.

"Optimus!" Rhinox shouted and turned away from Megatron.

"Let's go!" Terrorsaur shouted and flew away from the scene.

Silverbolt flew down to help Megatron up, only to have his leader push past him rudely and run off. It wasn't long before Silverbolt decided that retreating would also be in his best interests. Incidentally, it was also at that moment that Rhinox caught the falling Optimus and put him down gently to the ground.

"You okay?" asked Rhinox.

"Just Prime," Optimus coughed.

* * *

"Never question my orders again!" Megatron bellowed.

"But sir!" Silverbolt protested. "I cannot harm a civilian like that!"

This was the final straw. Megatron opened his mega-cannon and shot Silverbolt directly in the chest. The sound of the blast was enough to scare the birds from the trees into the sky. As Silverbolt clutched his chest, Megatron towered over him menacingly.

"Any more insubordination from you," threatened Megatron. "And I shall personally see to it that your wings are clipped permanently!"

"Y-Yes sir," Silverbolt finally said in defeat.

Megatron stomped off furiously but Terrorsaur and Waspinator stayed.

"You were really asking for it!" Terrorsaur remarked.

"Yes!" Waspinator agreed. "Doggy-bot anger Megatron!"

"But I meant no disrespect," Silverbolt frowned. "I would like to serve our commander better, but there are certain things he asks me to do that simply feel as if they are… not right."

"In this line of work," Terrorsaur explained. "You either do what he says or he'll dangle your spark over molten lava!"

"Best to keep on Megatron's good side," Waspinaor echoed. "Terrorsaur always learn the hard way!"

"You've incurred our leader's wrath before?" Silverbolt looked at Terrorsaur inquisitively.

"Umm," Terrorsaur struggled to answer.

"Ooh!" Waspinator giggled. "Terrorsaur always betray Megatron! Then Megatron beat Terrorsaur into bloody pulp!"

"You have attempted to betray Megatron before?" Silverbolt blinked.

"To make a long story short," Terrorsaur glared at Waspinator. "Yup!"

"And he has put up with your betrayal attempts?" Silverbolt asked.

"Oh, you know," Terrorsaur rationalized. "A few broken joints and laser blasts but nothing beyond the point of repair… besides, Megatron needs as many troops as he can get! There's no way he's getting rid of me!"

* * *

Back in Megatron's secret London headquarters, one Predacon was more nervous than ever due to new revelations he had just uncovered. Scorponok paced back and forth anxiously while awaiting his leader's return. His prospects were not looking too good currently. Once Megatron had heard what he had to say, there was no guarantee of his personal safety.

Finally, Scorponok could hear it coming closer. The echoes across the hall belonged to Megatron's strides without question.

Attempting to amass as much of his bravery as he could, Scorponok stood before the door resolutely, prepared for whatever Megatron would throw at him.

Instead of Megatron, the beaten and bruised body of Terrorsaur crashed through the wooden door first and sailed past Scorponok. Scorponok stared in shock but quickly regained his composure as Megatron entered.

"SCORPONOK!"

"Uh, yes Megatron?" Scorponok stammered.

"Pray tell," Megatron seethed. "What went wrong?"

"W-With the new recruit?" Scorponok asked nervously.

Megatron's furious glare was enough to tell the gray Predacon that he shouldn't be asking questions that he already knew the answers to.

"Well," Scorponok finally began. "Remember that programming chip I broke on the way here?"

"Yessss…"

"Well, um, I think I might've accidentally put that one in Silverbolt's stasis pod," Scorponok confessed. "There might be some traces of his old Maximal programming in him."

Megatron did not speak.

"But the good news is!" Scorponok exclaimed and held up another Predacon re-programming chip. "I've found the right chip and it isn't broken!"

"Scorponok…"

"Yes?"

"Don't take this personally but…"

"Whaddya m—AAAHHHHHH!"

* * *

Silverbolt leaned away from the wall. After all he had heard, he could scarcely believe the entire story. This entire time, he had truly been a Maximal and not a Predacon. If what Scorponok had said was true, then the Maximal Optimus Primal was right about Megatron only using him.

Slowly, amidst his confusion, Silverbolt backed away and ran away as fast as his legs could take him.

He had no idea where he was going to go but all he knew for the moment was that his place was not here.

* * *

Scorponok blinked slowly. After a minute or two of cowering, he realized that he was unscathed. The laser blast from Megatron's gun had not singed him in the least.

"There, there," Megatron told his lieutenant reassuringly. "I'm certain it was only an honest mistake on your part…"

The literally shell-shocked Predacon turned around and looked. The wall behind him had been completely decimated from the purple beam that had erupted from Megatron's gun.

"All that remains," Megatron continued. "Is a simple matter of us putting Silverbolt into stasis lock and then inserting the correct programming into him."

"That's a great idea!" Scorponok hopped up. "Then we'll have a really loyal soldier on our team!"

"Oh… my achin' noggin," Terrorsaur muttered painfully.

"Feeling better?" Megatron said in a mocking tone.

"Barely," Terrorsaur grumbled. "Where did that flying mutt go anyways?"

"Megatron to Silverbolt!" Megatron spoke into his com-link. "Do you copy?"

No answer.

"Blast!" cursed Megatron. "Where could he have gone to?"

Terrorsaur got up and rubbed his back painfully. This time, Scorponok was prepared for the worst as he shielded himself with his claws, in preparation for whatever punishment his leader was ready to dish out.

"Find our wayward fuzor," Megatron commanded. "And bring him back so that we may reprogram him once more!"

Scorponok breathed a sigh of relief. For now, he was lucky enough to have avoided Megatron's wrath.

* * *

"Cheetor!" Luna exclaimed. "Is something wrong?"

"Optimus wanted me to swing by," Cheetor panted as he raced into the garden of the Whitman residence of the English countryside. "The Preds are here in England!"

"How could that be?" Jack asked.

"Dunno," Cheetor shook his head. "But they have a new guy now."

"What kind of beast mode does he have?" inquired Jack.

"Jack!" Luna pushed her brother aside. "What kind of question is that?"

"A good one…" Jack muttered sorely.

"He's some kinda wolf dog," Cheetor answered. "With wings on his back."

"How'd that happen?" Luna blinked. "I didn't know you guys could slap together two animals."

"I didn't know that either," Cheetor confessed. "Just happened I guess."

"We'll keep you updated if we see anything," Jack promised.

"Agreed," Luna nodded. "Don't worry about us. We'll be sure to stay out of trouble."

"Ultra-gear," Cheetor smiled. "Remember to keep in touch if you need anything."

"Will do," Jack agreed.

* * *

As the fog cleared slightly from the London harbor, Silverbolt flew down at the sound of the distant foghorn. For now, he just wanted to get as far away from Megatron as possible. The thought of him being a Maximal seemed to alien to him, yet… so familiar.

What if Optimus had been right about Megatron using him? What if he really was a former Maximal now being led astray?

If that was the case, then he would have to re-evaluate everything about his character and sense of being.

Suddenly, a scream from below awakened Silverbolt from his ruminations. Without any hesitation, the fuzor flew directly towards the source of the sound.

In the corner of an alley, Silverbolt could see a mugger standing with his knife gleaming under the moonlight. The woman he had cornered huddled against the wall while calling out for someone to aid her.

"Don't make it hard on yourself," the mugger threatened. "Just hand over the bloody purse!"

"Such crass actions do not endear you to society, fiend!"

Before the mugger could turn around, two large talons gripped him by his shoulders and hurled him against a nearby trashcan. As he looked up, he saw a large wolf-like creature standing before him with a vast wingspan unlike anything he had seen before.

"W-What are you?" the mugger trembled.

"I am Silverbolt!" the fuzor responded heroically. "And I will not stand by and allow you to violate the sanctity of an innocent!"

"You're a freakshow!" cried the mugger and ran off into the fog. "Get away from me!"

With Silverbolt's keen sense of hearing, he could hear the footsteps of the man fading away into the distance. When he was sure that the robber would no longer be a threat, he turned to the woman he had saved.

"You are safe now, ma'am," Silverbolt reassured her. "That foul villain will threaten you no more."

The woman's lips trembled in fear. Silverbolt's shoulders sank in disappointment as he saw the terrified look in her eyes.

"W-Werewolf!" she shrieked and ran away as fast as she could. "Werewolf!"

"Werewolf?" Silverbolt tilted his head in confusion.

Finally, he spread his wings and flew into the night sky once more. What use was trying to help people when they shunned him like this? For the moment, he had to find a place away from the confusion he was currently facing. Almost dejectedly, Silverbolt howled mournfully as the soft winds caressed his wings.

* * *

"I've got a lock on him, Megatron," Scorponok told the Predacon leader.

"Excellent, my shell-shocked servant!" Megatron commended. Where is that treacherous fuzor headed?"

"Um, that's the hard part," Scorponok replied.

"What?" Megatron demanded.

"There's too much fog," Scorponok said, trying to adjust his vision. "My cyber-bee is having trouble keeping up with him in the air."

"Doesn't that thing have a homing signal?" Megatron asked exasperatedly.

"Oh yeah!" Scorponok recalled. "I installed it just last month!"

"Then use it!" Megatron hollered into his ear.

As Scorponok continued to adjust his vision to suit his faraway cyber-bee, Terrorsaur walked up to Megatron questioningly.

"You know," Terrorsaur suggested. "This would be a lot faster if you'd just let Waspinator and I go after the mutt!"

"And what makes you so sure you'd locate him?" Megatron looked down at Terrorsaur scornfully.

"I'll have you know," Terrorsaur declared proudly. "That I have the best tracking abilities of any flyer on Cybertron!"

"I'm sure you do," Megatron rolled his optics.

"No, Waspinator is best tracker and flyer!" the Predacon wasp butted in. "Waspinator find doggy-bot in split nano-klik!"

"Pipe down!" Terrorsaur ordered. "I'm the best there is!"

"Terrorsaur couldn't fly his way out of paper bag!" Waspinator taunted.

"Don't make me shove my gun so far up your thorax—"

"Can't you fools take this somewhere else?" Megatron groaned.

"I've found him, Megatron!" Scorponok finally lifted his head up. "My cyber-bee's got 'im!"

"Then make haste!" Megatron ordered his troops. "Tonight we fashion for ourselves a new Predacon!"

* * *

"What am I?" Silverbolt stared at his reflection in the pond. "What is my purpose in this world?"

After folding his wings back, Silverbolt scooped up a piece of dirt from the ground and stared at it intently. The trees around him bristled gently as he sat in his silent contemplation. Because of everything that had happened to him since he first came into this world, a variety of thoughts filled his mind over the events he had experienced and what they held in store for his future.

"Where is it that I stand?" Silverbolt asked. "I've sworn my allegiance to the Predacons and yet, they do not embody the principles I wish to uphold. And when I do attempt to uphold these values, I am spurned by those I wish to help!"

"You stand as a Maximal," a voice behind Silverbolt told him resolutely.

Silverbolt quickly transformed to robot mode. "Optimus Primal… what is it that you want?"

"Easy, Silverbolt," Optimus told him. "We're not here for a fight."

"I do not know if I should believe you or not," Silverbolt replied warily.

Optimus motioned towards the Maximals behind him. On cue, each of them dropped their respective weapons to the ground.

"We just want to talk," Optimus insisted.

Silverbolt breathed more easily. "Talk… this is the first time anyone has wanted to hear what I have to say,"

"We want to do more than that," Rhinox offered. "We'd like to help."

"What is there to help?" Silverbolt frowned. "I am nothing more than an outcast in this world. That woman I attempted to save earlier saw me as no more than a mere anomaly."

"In case you haven't noticed, Silverbolt," Optimus pointed out. "Talking animals aren't exactly normal here."

"Yes, I have… ascertained that fact."

"I'll be clear," Optimus told Silverbolt. "I don't know much about your background or history. But if you give us the chance, we can help you."

"I do not know what to say," Silverbolt confessed.

"But I do!"

"Megatron!" Rhinox shouted.

It was too late. A missile struck the ground where the Maximals stood, scattering them to all sides. Airazor flew into the air but several shots rang her way as well. Seeing the furious expression on Megatron's face, Silverbolt spread his wings and leaped into the sky, flying away from the scene.

"You go after Silverbolt!" Rhinox told Optimus Primal. "We'll take it from here!"

"Are you sure?" Optimus looked at the incoming Predacons.

"Just go!" Rhinox waved.

Something in Rhinox's voice snapped into play for Optimus. He activated his Prime Jets and rocketed towards the direction Silverbolt flew. In the meantime, Cheetor, Airazor, and Rattrap were exchanging shots with Scorponok and the two predacon flyers.

As Rhinox turned towards his adversaries, the Predacon leader decided to make his entrance by blasting a warning shot into the air.

"Now it's just you and me," Megatron stepped out. "Don't think I've come unprepared!"

Before Megatron could even move, a large, green fist crashed into the very frame of his nose and hammered him to the floor.

"Oh no?" Rhinox brandished his fists.

"That's what I like about you, Rhinox," Megatron wiped away the mech-fluid from his chin. "Always direct and to the point!"

"Enjoy it!" Rhinox growled. "There's more where that came from!"

"This time," Megatron hissed. "I am not so foolish as to engage you without the proper safeguards!"

* * *

The chase had taken them several cycles. Before Optimus knew it, he was trailing Silverbolt directly into London itself. Across from Big Ben, the full moon shone in full force. Silverbolt edged in closer to the clock tower and transformed to robot mode, taking out his spear in preparation.

"Stop, Silverbolt!" Optimus shouted. "We don't have to do this!"

"Why?" Silverbolt demanded. "So you can take me back and reprogram me just like Megatron did?"

"No," Optimus said more softly. "I just want to hear what you have to say."

The mournful expression on Silverbolt's face eased up. The fuzor put down his weapon and sat down on one of the clock tower's hands.

"There is so much I want to say," confessed Silverbolt. "But yet, I cannot."

Optimus came down besides him.

"Start from the beginning," Optimus requested gently. "We'll see what we can do."

"I will… try my best."

* * *

"Stay still!" Waspinator shouted. "Waspinator will scrap kitty-bot!"

"Not a chance, bug-breath!"

Cheetor leaped up and transformed to robot mode in mid-air, grabbing onto a branch and swinging up. He locked his legs around Waspinator's head and pulled down with all his might, throwing the Predacon insect head-first into the root of a tree. Cheetor flipped back onto the branch but was quickly blasted off with a shot from the ground-based Scorponok.

As Cheetor fell to the ground, another missile from Terrorsaur struck the floor beneath him, engulfing him in an explosion that sent the young Maximal crashing through the undergrowth.

"One down," Terrorsaur gloated. "Three to g—URK!"

Courtesy of Airazor, Rattrap leaped onto Terrorsaur's back, latching on tightly and using one arm to cover Terrorsaur's optics. Clawing at Rattrap's grip, Terrorsaur's jets ignited and send the two of them blasting forth. Thanks to the fact that he could still see, Rattrap leaped off the Predacon's back just in the nick of time as Terrorsaur's entire head slammed through the bark of a tree.

* * *

As Rhinox charged again, Megatron reached down and threw forth two manacles that clamped down on Rhinox's hands, tying them together with a surge of electricity. The Predacon leader smiled, realizing that he had the advantage now that Rhinox's fists were bound.

But all in due time, Megatron realized that was not the case. Rhinox swung with both his arms, striking Megatron across the chest and knocking the air out of the tyrant.

"I'll need to take this up a notch," Megatron coughed, dropping his tail vise and taking out a remote control.

Suddenly, Rhinox felt his arms buckle from under him. For some reason, his hands were being weighted down by an invisible force.

"I just added twenty tons of pressure to the manacles," Megatron explained. "I could easily add more if I so wished!"

Rhinox still made an effort to get up but this time, Megatron struck him across the head viciously with his T-Rex cannon, thumping Rhinox to the ground. Rhinox, however, would not give up and used his foot to kick Megatron ferociously in the stomach.

Megatron winced from the blow but tried his best not to show it. Instead, he kicked Rhinox across the head before he could try to attack again and began stomping down on the Maximal scientist repeatedly.

"This about evens things up" Megatron wallowed in his advantage over his opponent. "Wouldn't you say?"

* * *

"And you believe that you can help me rediscover who I am?" Silverbolt asked.

"I can't guarantee it for certain," Optimus promised. "But we'll do our best to help you through this."

"Just imagine…" Silverbolt muttered softly. "I could be just about anyone on our home planet…"

"You're not the only one," Optimus told him. "Several other of our crew members have had lapses in their memory circuits. None of them remember a thing about their past lives."

"Yes," nodded Silverbolt. "For all I know, I could have a wife and child back on Cybertron."

Optimus only nodded politely.

"Do me a great service, Optimus," Silverbolt requested. "Take me back to your base and have me reprogrammed. I may not know exactly who I am… but at least I know now where I stand."

"You've made the right decision, Silverbolt," Optimus smiled. "You won't regret it."

"I…"

"Is something wrong, Silverbolt?"

Something seemed to crack the fuzor into unconsciousness. Without a word, the optics in Silverbolt's eyes lost their color as he lost his footing and fell down from Big Ben.

"Silverbolt!"

Optimus dove down and activated his Prime Jets. He immediately caught hold of Silverbolt and flew the fuzor to safety.

* * *

With enough ramming speed, Rhinox slammed his shoulder into Megatron, forcing the two of them against the side of a hill. Using both feet, Megatron kicked Rhinox off and took out his remote control again.

"Let's see how you handle another twenty tons added to your burden!" Megatron growled.

"I don't think so!"

Airazor dove down and fired a shot from her wrist that knocked the remote out of Megatron's hands. The Predacon howled in anger and unleashed a beam of energy that blasted the female Maximal out of the sky.

As Megatron turned his attention back to Rhinox, he saw the Maximal scientist stomping down with one foot onto the remote, destroying it utterly. With a great deal of effort, Rhinox ripped his manacles apart.

"You're still weakened from the force of 20 tons!" Megatron charged. "You're finished!"

This time, Rhinox deflected a swing from the T-Rex cannon and drove his fist into Megatron's solar plexus. Megatron fell to his knees in pain and looked at Rhinox pleadingly. Undaunted, Rhinox unleashed a final punch across Megatron's jaw. A sickening crunch could be heard and for a brief nano-klik, Megatron could see birds flying around his head as he finally collapsed face-down.

"Thanks for the upper-body workout, Megatron," Rhinox huffed.

* * *

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Optimus asked.

"Absolutely, sir," Silverbolt replied. "I feel that for the time being, this continent is my calling."

A week had passed since Silverbolt was reprogrammed as a Maximal. The real reason for his collapse several days ago was because of the faulty Predacon programming chip installed in him. Now, however, he was a Maximal and he had every intention of living up to the Maximal code.

"Guess we could always use another scout," Rattrap remarked. "Never can have too much of 'em."

"If you ever need assistance, you know how to reach us," said Rhinox.

"I am most honored to be working alongside you," Silverbolt bowed his head gracefully.

"Don't be so humble," Airazor reached down to pet Silverbolt across the back of his neck. "You'll do fine out here."

"Thank you for your vote of confidence, ma'am," Silverbolt grinned.

"We'll be sure to keep you updated on whatever files we can recover," promised Optimus.

"Should you ever require my services, my friends, I will be there!" Silverbolt promised and flew off into the Parisian night sky as the Maximals waved goodbye.

After gazing into the starlit sky momentarily, Silverbolt flew down onto the top of the Notre Dame Cathedral and inspected his surroundings. He looked up at the dour-faced gargoyle next to him.

"You appear to be troubled, my friend," Silverbolt remarked jokingly.

Below, he could see clearly through the dark a priest walking away from the cathedral while a shadowy figure, with what looked like a switchblade in his hands, trailed him from behind. Whatever the stranger's intentions with the priest were, they certainly weren't benign.

"And it looks like I have my work cut out for me," Silverbolt unfolded his wings and flew down with nothing but momentum gathered from the wind.


	20. Revelations

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Revelations_

Ecclesiastes dropped to his knees before the esteemed Grand Serpent of the Order of the Vok. Though he, himself, was High Priest, Ecclesiastes still deferred to a power higher than himself within the Order.

In truth, Ecclesiastes did not mind it. After all, did religious figures of centuries long past not rely on kings to establish their power and influence? Though priests made their vows to God, their loyalty was still firmly planted in the monarchs. It was a symbiotic relationship that carried on for as long as the Order could remember. And within the Order of the Vok, the Grand Serpent was the highest possible rank one could hope to attain.

"Rise, Ecclesiastes," Temujin, Grand Serpent of the Order, commanded.

"Yes, Lord Temujin."

Temujin's face allowed itself the luxury of a smile finally. He was a large, burly man with the features that indicated an Altaic ethnicity. Not surprisingly, he had taken his name from the very birth name of Genghis Khan. Temujin stroked his beard as he walked towards Ecclesiastes.

"Are the Easter Islands ready for transmission?" asked the Grand Serpent.

"Yes," Ecclesiastes affirmed. "I will be there within the next few days to make sure everything runs smoothly."

"The Vok will arrive by the end of this calendar year," Temujin stated. "Everything is going according to the stars."

"And what of the Beast Warriors?" asked Ecclesiastes. "You've seen the footage of their doings."

"If they interfere with our agenda then I will handle them," Temujin reassured. "Even they will feel the unending wrath of the Vok."

"I have faith in your judgment, Lord Temujin," Ecclesiastes bowed again. "The Maximals and Predacons will fall before your power."

"How is Naga doing?" Temujin asked.

"That serpent woman?" Ecclesiastes scoffed. "She is doing well by all accounts."

"That's good to hear," Temujin smiled. "You have my permission to leave."

Ecclesiastes bowed once more and left the chambers of the Grand Serpent. Outside, his granddaughter, Selena, was waiting for him.

"How'd the meeting go, Grandpa?" asked the 14-year old girl.

"It went well, child," Ecclesiastes nodded. "We will be heading to Easter Island within the next few days."

"Really?" Selena asked. "But I've just gotten to know some friends at…"

"I'm sorry, Selena," Ecclesiastes apologized. "But I will need your presence there to complete certain tasks."

"But why?" Selena demanded. "We've moved from home to home and just when I start to make friends, you have to take me away!"

"It's out of my control," Ecclesiastes sighed. "When I'm gone, we will need you to act as High Priestess."

"Can't I have my own life?" Selena cried.

"When the Earth is cleansed, you will be able to choose among the best to be your companions," promised Ecclesiastes. "The time will come when you no longer need to worry about these sub-human vermin who infest our world."

"This isn't fair!" Selena yelled and ran off.

Ecclesiastes looked down. He had the entire responsibility of world salvation in his hands and he couldn't even earn the respect of his last, living bloodline. The philosopher Thomas Hobbes had been right about life. It was indeed short, nasty, and brutish.

* * *

_Two weeks later…_

"I'm getting an interesting reading from this," Optimus observed. "These statues are giving off a strange power source."

Optimus Primal stood with his companions Cheetor and Tigatron before the giant stone carvings of Easter Island. Moai statues had covered most of the island thanks to a roundabout trip around the lands. The monolithic carvings were quite fascinating with their bizarre features and granite expressions. What awed them all was the fact that the statues had stood the test of time, lasting for hundreds of years up until today.

"Should we bring one back to base?" Cheetor suggested.

"No Cheetor," Optimus shook his head. "It would be wrong of us to dislodge one of the Seven Wonders of the World, no matter how curious our sensors may be."

"I have to say," Tigatron confessed. "Though these carvings are of human origins, they have seamlessly blended into this land's natural environment."

"Whaddya suppose they stand for?" Cheetor asked. "I mean, they weren't built for nothing."

"Not sure," Optimus pondered. "Perhaps they represent deities the ancient inhabitants once worshipped…"

"Yes, that would be feasible," Tigatron agreed. "Whatever their meaning, it has to be rooted in the supernatural."

"Before most civilizations gain access to more advanced technology," Optimus explained. "They rely on mystical explanations for natural occurrences."

"Oh, you are quite the scholar, Optimus!"

"Megatron!" Optimus whirled around.

Appearing from behind a rather large moai, Megatron stepped out from behind the statue in robot mode, followed closely by Tarantulas and Blackarachnia. From the looks of it, he had been listening in on the conversation for a while.

"What are you doing here?" Optimus growled.

"Same as you, I suppose," Megatron replied. "I've gotten similar readings from these statues."

"Meaning you're here to take the stones for yourself," Tigatron snarled.

"Don't lecture me, feline!" Megatron warned. "Do you have any idea how much power emanates from these stones?"

"Oh yeah?" Cheetor transformed to robot mode. "We're not going to let you have 'em, Mega-sleeze!"

"I was hoping you'd do that!" Megatron smiled and opened fire along with Tarantulas and Blackarachnia.

Optimus and the two cats ran from the line of Predacon fire and scattered. Megatron took his target of Optimus with twin missile launchers mounted on his hips and fired two shots. The Maximal leader managed to dodge one of the missiles but the other struck him in the side, sending him crashing against one of the statues.

"You take the cats," Megatron motioned to Tarantulas and Blackarachnia. "Optimus is mine!"

"Come out, pussycats!" Blackarachnia called. "You're just prolonging the inevitable!"

Tarantulas gestured for her to remain behind him and stepped forward. As soon as he did, a large shadow leaped off from the head of a nearby moai and pounced on him, slamming him to the ground. Tigatron quickly transformed to robot mode to deal with Blackarachnia but the female Predacon reacted quickly by smashing him across the side of his head with a spinning roundhouse kick.

Just as Tigatron fell to the floor, Cheetor dove into Blackarachnia, wrestling her to the floor. Blackarachnia head-butted Cheetor off while reaching for her gun. Fortunately for Cheetor, he recovered from the blow fast enough to make a grab for the weapon as well, fumbling for it while struggling against the black widow for control.

"Give it up, cub!" Blackarachnia threatened.

"No way, eight legs!" Cheetor growled.

Meanwhile, Optimus had just gotten up from the blast. He managed to stand straight just as a large shadow fell from behind him. By the time he had turned around, it was already too late. A large moai statue came crashing down, pinning him to the ground.

"The energy source will be ours, Primal!" Megatron stepped on top of the statue, adding his own weight to the moai.

Optimus unlocked his arm-mounted blaster but Megatron struck down with his tail vise, pinning the Maximal's hand to the ground. Megatron charged his T-Rex cannon and smiled down at his trapped foe.

"Oh, I do love these suspenseful moments!" Megatron gloated.

Out of the corner of his optic, Cheetor could see what was happening while struggling against his opponent. He stomped his foot to the ground and yanked Blackarachnia's arms forward, causing her to fire a dart directly into Megatron's thigh. Angrily, Blackarachnia slammed her elbow into Cheetor's face, flooring him.

"Blackarachnia!"

"Uh oh," the black widow muttered, looking down at the weapon in her hand and then towards an irate Megatron.

The enraged tyrant hadn't seen Cheetor using the dart launcher. All he had seen was the cyber-venom filled dart in his own leg and Blackarachnia's gun in her claws. Naturally, Megatron put two and two together with the little time he had left before stasis lock could set in.

"Wait a second, Megatron," Blackarachnia pleaded. "This isn't what it looks like!"

Megatron howled angrily and unleashed the blast from his cannon directly towards her before passing out completely from the cyber-venom in his automated systems. The purple beam struck Blackarachnia directly in the chest and sent her flying into the ocean.

* * *

"Nice work, Cheetor," Optimus complimented as he and Tigatron finally ushered enough force to push the statue off.

"That spider really hits hard," Cheetor stroked his jaw.

Cheetor helped Optimus up with a hand as Tigatron transformed to beast mode to survey their battlefield.

"And it appears Megatron has dislodged something in the midst of his ravings," Tigatron waved his paw towards the ground where the moai had been displaced.

Sure enough, a secret passage way was revealed on the earth where the stone had once been. It was ancient but still usable. Several torches lit across the walls as the stairs wound down in a spiral pattern. From what could be seen, the chambers were still in good use despite the cobwebs and the dust. Optimus looked from Tigatron to Cheetor and nodded in agreement.

"Think we'll find any booby traps down there?" Cheetor asked.

"I certainly hope not," Tigatron shook his head.

"You sound as if you _want_ there to be traps," Optimus frowned.

"Sorry," Cheetor smiled embarrassedly. "I've been watching those Indiana Jones movies with Luna and Jack."

"Who?" Tigatron raised an eyebrow. It was clear to tell that he hadn't kept up with the movies of human culture as well as Cheetor.

"We'll show you the trilogy after we're done," Optimus patted Tigatron on the back. "Right now, we've got some exploring to do."

* * *

"This place is like a tomb," Tigatron shivered. "Could the native inhabitants have built this?"

Optimus brushed his hands against the hieroglyphics written on the wall. The paintings and symbols on the walls appeared to be more modern than the moai statues on the surface of the island. The walls were still lit, even though they had progressed further into the catacombs.

"What do you suppose these pictures represent?" Tigatron stared intently. "It's as if these pictures are conveying something."

"Yeah," Cheetor remarked. "And what's with these weird burning skull things?"

"Yes, they do appear to be quite numerous," Optimus scratched his chin. "Some sort of deities, perhaps?"

"They must have been powerful deities," Tigatron whispered. "To have inspired this much artwork…"

The Maximal tiger looked up at the morals across the wall. Several human figures were bowing before the strange creatures in the sky. As he trailed down the wall, several more images were revealed. In the center of the mural, seven animals could be seen surrounding one of the skull-faced deities. Tigatron took careful count. There was an ox, a monkey, a leopard, an eagle, a rat, and a tiger in what appeared to be a fearsome battle against the creature.

"This is totally weird," Cheetor stared in fascination. "It's like some kinda bizarre prophecy."

"Some of this is unnerving," Optimus concurred. "I'll give you that."

"Perhaps the symbolism is relevant in some way," Tigatron suggested.

"Really?" Optimus glanced at the picture. "How is that?"

"These six animals," Tigatron explained. "They are not unlike us."

"I can see the resemblance," Optimus grimaced. "Except I don't have a tail…"

"Yeah, and Rhinox isn't a cow," Cheetor added.

"Looks more like a water buffalo to me," Optimus commented.

"Mmm, maybe you're right," Tigatron consented. "But it still seems too coincidental that we would stumble onto a painting like this."

"Whoa, check this out!" Cheetor exclaimed.

"Oh my," Tigatron muttered.

Further down the wall was a picture of a massive tiger with elongated wings across its back. As opposed to the rest of the paintings, this picture was far more detailed and ornate than the others. Lightning across the sky was depicted across the background while over dozens of demonic monstrosities crawled down from the ground, bowing before the winged tiger.

"This… is quite chilling," Tigatron shook briefly.

"Looks almost like you, Tigatron," Cheetor complimented. "They did a real bang-up job too!"

"There's something about this picture that doesn't quite sit well with me," Tigatron shivered. "Perhaps it is just the resemblance."

"They've got you down to the whiskers," Optimus examined the picture carefully.

"Perhaps it is time we move on," Tigatron proposed cautiously. "There could be more in these caverns worth exploring."

* * *

"It is good that you've brought the vials containing the cure," Megatron chuckled. "You've redeemed yourself today, Blackarachnia."

"Thank you, Megatron," Blackarachnia bowed. "I live only to serve you."

"Yes, I'm sure you do," Megatron muttered.

"So, shall we set about exploring these caverns?" Tarantulas suggested.

"I would give the green light," Megatron replied. "But there's only just one problem…"

"And that would be?" Blackarachnia asked.

"I can't fit inside these infernal hallways!" Megatron hollered.

"Oh," Blackarachnia's shoulders sunk.

"Do not be displeased, Megatron," Tarantulas pressed on. "Blackarachnia and I could scour these caverns for you!"

"I could do that," Megatron looked down at the spiders.

"So we can go?" Blackarachnia asked eagerly.

"No," Megatron answered curtly.

"Why not?" Tarantulas demanded.

"Because **I** said so!" Megatron glared at the Predacon scientist.

Tarantulas decided not to argue the point. After all, when Megatron gave an order, it was foolish to disobey, unless of course one wanted to wake up the next day stiff and sore in the CR bath.

"This stinks," Blackarachnia whispered.

Megatron walked away from the two and stared into the faraway ocean. Not for one moment did he trust either of the spiders. Things would have been different if he had Scorponok with him. Currently, however, he was stuck with two untrustworthy minions, both of whom would stab him in the back the moment they got the chance. And unlike Terrorsaur, they were far more subtle. There was no way he could let them loose into uncharted territory.

* * *

"This must be the center of the labyrinth," Optimus walked forward. "Place looks like a temple."

Tall pillars graced the room while even more elaborate decorations hung from the ceilings like wallpaper. Even more pronounced moai statues littered across the room with their penetrating eyes and grotesque expressions. The bones of cattle and sheep also scattered around the floor. It appeared that ritual animal sacrifices had taken place here at some point or another.

"More like a crypt," Tigatron stepped over the skull of an ox.

"More specifically, your crypt!"

"You!" Optimus glared.

"Surprised to see me, Optimus?" Ecclesiastes smiled. "You should have known our paths would cross again!"

"What are you doing down here?" demanded Optimus.

"Planning the final countdown before Earth is cleansed of its infestation," Ecclesiastes replied. "It should not come as a surprise to you."

"You mentioned the Vok before," Optimus demanded. "Just what exactly are they?"

"They are the masters of this world!" answered Ecclesiastes. "And when they arrive, total Armageddon will be the outcome."

"I'm beginning to understand," Tigatron acknowledged. "The Vok must be the skeletal figures drawn all over this temple."

"You are correct, man eater," Ecclesiastes looked at Tigatron. "Are they not portrayed quite vividly?"

"Let's just take this guy already!" Cheetor whispered to Optimus impatiently.

"Alright," Optimus nodded. "But circle him slowly. Who knows what tricks he has up his sleeve."

Tigatron and Cheetor paced themselves around Ecclesiastes slowly and quietly. Their movements, however, did not escape the careful eyes of the old man.

"Begone!" Ecclesiastes waved both hands in a flash.

A searing blaze of light enveloped both Cheetor and Tigatron sooner than they could react properly. Before Optimus Primal's very optics, they vanished into thin air. Ecclesiastes grinned malevolently after seeing the look on Primal's face.

* * *

"Oooh…" Cheetor groaned. "That felt like a landslide."

Dragging himself back up, the younger Maximal held himself momentarily against a moai statue for support. When his head had cleared, he got up on both feet and turned on his night vision. Down in the pit he had fallen into, there were no fires burning on the walls to guide him.

"Finally… you awake!"

"Who's there?" Cheetor called out.

"I know not what you are… but I assure you none who enter into my domain will leave with their lives!"

A sudden blow knocked Cheetor face flat to the floor. At the sound of a whirling blade, he quickly rolled aside as a large gash was violently and inexplicably slashed across the ground.

Cheetor looked up at his assailant. "Who the heck are you?"

"Naga is what my masters call me," the creature hissed. "You are not like the othersss who have incurred their wrath."

"Noticed that, huh?"

Cheetor closed in on her. With a better view of his attacker, he could see that she was a fearsome lizard woman clothed in rags. A scimitar hung from her belt while a prehensile tongue slid back and forth between her razor sharp teeth. The look in her eyes was best described as ravenous.

"Geez, how does Optimus do it again?" Cheetor recalled. "Um… I come in peace?"

Naga hissed and angrily and slashed at him, missing Cheetor by tip of his helmet. The young Maximal leaped back and took out his gut gun. The reptoid zoomed in on him and sliced Cheetor's gun in half to the cat's surprise.

"Whoa… that's one nasty sword!"

Wordlessly, Naga attacked him again with several thrusts. Cheetor ducked behind a pillar but the blade cleaved through the column like a knife through hot butter.

The next thing Cheetor knew were both of Naga's feet kicking into his chest and sending him hurtling next to a short moai. As Naga launched herself into the air with her scimitar spinning rapidly, Cheetor grabbed the moai with both hands and threw it, striking Naga in the stomach and knocking her to the ground.

"What are you?" Cheetor walked over to the fallen reptilian.

Naga's eyes sprang back to life, using her tail to swipe Cheetor off his feet. Whatever she was, the lizard woman appeared to be strong, strong enough to lift up to at least two tons.

The green-skinned creature pounced on top of Cheetor, biting down on his arm with up to 1000 pounds of pressure. Utilizing much effort, Cheetor got up and swung his arm back, throwing Naga against the wall. Looking down at his wounded arm, Cheetor snarled angrily and transformed to beast mode, slamming into the hazed Naga and pinning her to the floor.

"Alright, lizard lips!" Cheetor growled. "What did you jump me for?"

"It's not possible!" Naga hissed, taking a good look at Cheetor's beast mode for the first time. "You are one of the holy beastsss!"

"The what?"

"Once the stars are aligned, you and your kind will bring peace upon this world!" Naga exclaimed.

Shaken by the sudden change in her attitude, Cheetor got off of the reptloid. This time, Naga did not retaliate. She stood upright and stared down at Cheetor in fascination.

"He is the leopard…" Naga whispered. "Brave… determined… with great things in store for him in his future…"

"Um, I'm actually a cheetah," Cheetor corrected.

To Cheetor's sudden shock, Naga kneeled before him and bowed gracefully. She dropped her scimitar and stared at him with great reverence.

"You may yet save us all from the wrath of the Vok," Naga spoke deferentially.

"You can, um, tell me all about it," Cheetor transformed to robot mode. "Think you can, uh, lead me back to the main room of this temple? I got a few friends waiting for me up there."

"As you wish," Naga's yellow eyes darted up and down in submission.

* * *

"Nnnngh," Tigatron moaned softly. "I've had better landings."

"I thought I'd never see a white tiger up close."

Tigatron tilted his head to the side. Before him was a young girl, not much older than fifteen.

"Who are you?" Tigatron asked.

"My name is Selena," the girl replied. "I had a feeling you could talk like the others."

"You've encountered us before?" Tigatron asked.

"More or less," Selena bobbed her head. "You're not from our solar system, are you?"

"Not exactly," Tigatron answered. "What is a child like you doing down in this underground temple?"

"It's more than a temple," Selena smiled. "It's also a signal device for us to make contact with the Vok."

"The Vok…" Tigatron asked. "What exactly are they?"

"Grandpa must've told you already," Selena told him. "They own this planet, every fiber and every animal!"

"Including life itself," Tigatron finished.

"Absolutely!" Selena beamed.

"I would enjoy your company," Tigatron confessed. "But right now, I must assist my comrades. Could you show me their whereabouts, if you happen to know?"

"Um, can't do that just yet," Selena said. "I've gotten a message from someone important… he should be arriving at any time."

"Greetings, Cybertronian," a face materialized from out of thin air.

"By the Matrix!" Tigatron cried. "What are you?"

"In my circles, I am known as Akkad," the ghostly image replied. "Normally, it is not within our jurisdiction to appear like this on Earth… but your presence simply warranted my curious intrusion."

"What is the meaning of this?" Tigatron demanded.

"The meaning of what?" Akkad asked simply.

"Why is it that you wish to destroy all life on Earth?" Tigatron growled.

"Because it is the natural order of things," Akkad answered. "Evolutionary succession is a concept key to all forms of life. There always comes a time when a species grows far too bloated and inadaptable to survive any longer. That is when natural selection comes in."

"W-Wait a minute…" Selena stammered. "I thought you were going to spare the select few good people of Earth."

"I'm sorry, my dear," Akkad answered. "I am afraid the high council has changed its mind. Give or take a century, your descendents will turn back to sin and exploitation once more."

"But… we were supposed to be the chosen," Selena looked as if she were ready to cry.

"I apologize for this," Akkad gazed at Selena sincerely. "But I am in agreement with our council."

* * *

"Where are Cheetor and Tigatron?" Optimus demanded.

"I've taken them to a better place," Ecclesiastes waved absently.

"That thing you used," Optimus transformed to robot mode. "That was no sorcery! That was transwarp technology! You beamed them away from here with those pads!"

"Don't concern yourself with their fates, Optimus," Ecclesiastes cautioned. "You should worry more about your own!"

"Bring them back!" Optimus ordered.

With a snap of his fingers, Ecclesiastes summoned several of his acolytes. Darting forward, they slid out of the shadows and surrounded Optimus.

"Hiding behind your minions?" Optimus taunted.

"Hardly," Ecclesiastes turned away. "They are to keep you from forcing your will on me through brute force. After all, a beast like you couldn't possibly comprehend refined dialogue such as my own."

"If you want to play it that way, fine," Optimus huffed. "These so-called Vok… are they really coming?"

"It is a guarantee," Ecclesiastes responded. "By the end of this calendar year, they will make themselves known."

"And how do you know this?"

"Look around you, Optimus Primal. The signs are everywhere."

"I was never one for fortunetelling. Mind telling me how?"

"Ecological devastation, global terrorism, and the increasing possibilities of nuclear war," Ecclesiasstes informed. "The more mankind believes itself to be the masters of all living things, the more they bring the wrath of the Vok upon them."

"And they're really going to arrive by the end of this year?"

"Need I repeat myself more often, Optimus Primal?"

"Yeah, maybe you do," Optimus drew himself to full height.

"No matter what you do, my masters will still arrive," Ecclesiastes gloated. "No amount of chest thumping on your part will change that."

"Fine," Optimus switched back to beast mode. "Then bring back Tigatron and Cheetor. We're leaving and when the time comes, we'll deal with the Vok accordingly."

"You misunderstand me," Ecclesiastes looked Optimus directly in the optic. "I have no intentions whatsoever of allowing you or your friends to leave!"

* * *

"So that's how you got down here?" Cheetor asked as he and Naga walked up the stairways.

"The Earth was once numerous with my kind," Naga told him. "After decades of warfare, the Vok favored humanity over my people. Eventually, we were driven underground, destined to be nothing more than urban legendsss."

"I guess the Order were the only people who knew about you," Cheetor offered.

"We were employed as servants and assassins," Naga replied. "Over time, our numbers dwindled as more and more humans occupied this world."

"Are there more of your kind out there?"

"No, I am the last of my kind for all intents and purposes."

"I'm… sorry."

"Do not be," Naga chided. "You and your companions have a large role to play in the fate of this world."

"Guess we do," Cheetor acknowledged. "With Megatron pulling something big almost every month, we've got our hands full."

"I refer to the Vok," Naga corrected. "By the end of the year, they will come."

"Will… they really arrive by then?" Cheetor asked apprehensively.

"It has been prophesized in the murals," Naga pointed out. "You and the other holy beasts may be the only chance left for ussss."

"Holy beasts?"

"Yes, archetypal guardians representing the strongest of beasts from all continents," Naga's tongue slid out. "My people always did have faith in you… even to our bitter last."

* * *

"You're wrong," Tigatron glared at Akkad. "There is still hope for humanity and the Earth."

"An advanced being such as you would speak in favor of them?" Akkad asked skeptically.

"Yes," Tigatron glanced over at the fearful Selena.

"So be it, Tigatron," Akkad's voice grew low and menacing. "But you have yet to convince me."

"If you launch an attack on Earth," Tigatron enlightened. "You will also cause the deaths of numerous plant and animal species, most of whom have nothing to do with the current destruction of Earth's environments."

"Exceptional point," Akkad contorted his face into what looked like a frown. "But my mind remains unmoved."

"What must I do?" Tigatron growled.

"Open your mind to me," Akkad suggested. "This way, I will truly peer into the depths of your connection to this world and whether or not it merits mercy on our behalf."

"Tigatron…" Selena whispered. "You don't have to do this. Just get on your spaceship and go. I'll tell grandpa about the news."

"I advise you to take the child's advice," Akkad advised. "Most civilized worlds would not give a second thought to Earth's destruction."

"Huh," Tigatron smiled. "Like you, my opinion remains unmoved."

"You are willing to go through with this all for an insignificant speck in the universe?"

"It is my world just as much as it is hers," Tigatron gestured to Selena.

"So be it," Akkad gazed into Tigatron's optics as a mystical energy swirled around the room.

Now, it was Akkad's turn to be flustered. One look into Tigatron's subconscious and conscious minds was enough to tell him about everything. The beauty of the Earth and the companionship of his Maximal cohorts were on full display. The rivers, the trees, the vast oceans, and sparkling deserts were everything Akkad had expected and more. The truth was, despite his millennia's worth of life, he had never before seen Earth's bountiful wilderness.

"This truly is paradise…" Akkad whispered.

"What is this?" Tigatron demanded, his eyes still glowing from the aural connection they shared.

"Wait… this was not supposed to have happened!" Akkad cried.

A black temporal rift was forming between the two of them, one that crackled with dangerous amounts of electricity. From that rift, a demonic, skeletal face could be seen with an unending look of malice. More and more electrons gathered around the energy rift as Tigatron looked on helplessly. Finally, Akkad severed the psychic connection between himself and the Maximal, cutting off all energy to the rift. Without another word, the image of Akkad vanished just as mysteriously as he had appeared.

With an unearthly shriek, the energy rift coalesced into a single bolt of energy that blasted through the ceiling, burrowing through layer upon layer of dirt and concrete to burst through the ground altogether.

* * *

"Why can't we go in yet?" demanded Blackarachnia.

"Because Scorponok and Waspinator have yet to arrive," Megatron grumbled. "And where are they? I only radioed them a mega-cycle ago!"

"Then stop wasting time and let us down there," Blackarachnia whispered to herself.

"Impatient, aren't we?" Tarantulas teased.

"Wouldn't you be?" Blackarachnia whispered back.

"I can always come back at a more convenient time," Tarantulas reminded her. "After all, my autonomy is guaranteed far more than yours."

Then, something in her sensors went off. It came as only a small warning from her personal computer but soon, she realized that something was dangerously wrong.

"Did you sense that?" Blackarachnia suddenly put her dampeners on full alert.

"Sense what?" Megatron yawned.

"What is it with she-spiders and seeing connections where there are none?" Tarantulas kicked the dirt beneath his feet.

"I'm telling you," Blackarachnia cautioned. "My sensors are telling me there's something big headed our way from some kind of direction…"

"North, west, east, or south?" Megatron demanded.

"I… I don't know," Blackarachnia admitted.

"Then why is it a cause for concern?" Megatron sat down grumpily.

Tarantulas leaped up. "She's right, Megatron! It's coming our way from underneath!"

"Underneath, you say?" Megatron got up.

Before the Predacon leader could question his scientist any further, a powerful green blast of energy erupted from the ground, setting off a surge that struck all three Predacons and forced them to the ground in agony. As their bodies writhed in pain from the raw energy given off by the blast, the bolt of immense power shot off into the night sky. With a final convulsion, Megatron fell on his back only seconds after Tarantulas and Blackarachnia had.

* * *

"You cannot defeat me, Primal!" Ecclesiastes unleashed another wave of energy from his hand. "My powers are beyond yours!"

Optimus dodged another bolt of energy and transformed to beast mode. As he did, Ecclesiastes pulled both hands together and sent an even bigger surge that struck Optimus in the mid-section, sending him crashing against a pillar.

With another blast, Ecclesiastes quickly disabled the Maximal commander's arm-mounted rifle.

"Agh!" Optimus cried as a powerful beam directed from Ecclesiastes' hand blasted him in his chest armor, slowly weakening him.

Confidently, Ecclesiastes walked over to the damaged Optimus and raised his hand for the final attack.

"This ends now!" Ecclesiastes cried.

"Not yet, old timer!"

Ecclesiastes felt the wind being knocked out of him as Cheetor tackled him from the behind. The young Maximal quickly restrained Ecclesiastes but the high priest sent a bolt of energy surging through Cheetor, weakening him sufficiently. Ecclesiastes raised his hands once more to continue his assault but Cheetor reached into his left sleeve and tore something off along with a large piece of his clothing, throwing it to the side.

"Wires, huh?" Optimus got up groggily. "The powers you've had were no sorcery; they were the products of advanced technology!"

"Knowing a magician's trick does not necessarily diminish his act," Ecclesiastes pointed his right hand towards Optimus and fired.

What Ecclesiastes did not count on was Cheetor. The young Maximal grabbed him by the feet, pulling the old man off balance. As a result, the thermo-blaster underneath his garments was exposed to Optimus in an instant, allowing him to pinpoint the exact source of his power.

Unsheathing his blade, Optimus swiftly deflected the blast back to its originator, striking Ecclesiastes in the wrist and destroying his power source completely. Ecclesiastes held his injured hand in surprise as Tigatron, Naga, and Selena appeared at the front door.

"It's over, Ecclesiastes," Optimus recommended. "Stand down now."

"You haven't won this!" Ecclesiastes shouted. "Even if you kill me now, the Vok will still arrive by the end of this year!"

"Then we'll be ready," Optimus said. "Count on it."

Without another word, Optimus left with his companions, including Naga. The four of them left the room as Ecclesiastes cursed silently. Eventually, his granddaughter Selena sat besides him to comfort her grandfather.

Finally, Ecclesiastes spoke.

"So, did that serpent Naga finally decide to betray us?"

"No, grandpa," Selena replied hurriedly. "It's not like that."

"Then what?"

"Grandpa, there's something you need to know."

Ecclesiastes scrutinized his granddaughter's face carefully. In all the years he had known her, she had never once lied to him. Honesty and integrity were a fundamental aspect to their family relationship. The look on her face was dead serious. Whatever she had to say to him was not something he could brush aside.

"Then speak, child."

* * *

"Make no mistake," Naga told the three Maximals through the cool, night air. "By the end of this year, they will come."

"She's right," Tigatron said to Optimus and Cheetor. "For a brief moment, I was able to get close enough to one of them."

"This doesn't sound too good," Cheetor stammered. "W-What if we're not prepared for them?"

"Cheetor has a point," Optimus said forebodingly. "We currently have seven Maximals, not a planet-wide army. Under the circumstances, it may be difficult for so few of us to fend off an interplanetary invasion."

"Such doubtsss are unbecoming of the holy beasts," Naga hissed lightly. "When the time comes, you must look inside yourselves for the true victory you wish to achieve. After all, did the Greeks not defeat the Persians even when faced with greater odds?"

"And the Vok," Tigatron asked Naga. "Do they have any weaknesses you could tell us about?"

"You will only know when the right moment comes to pass," Naga answered cryptically.

"Well that's just Prime," Optimus remarked. "Megatron's still on the loose and now we have to worry about doomsday on the horizon."

"My people have believed in the holy beasts for centuries upon centuries," Naga scolded. "It is unbecoming of our guardians to have so little self-worth."

"Are you going to be alright?" Cheetor asked.

"Do not worry about me," Naga smiled sadly. "The times have chosen humanity to achieve dominion. I have come to termssss with that a long time ago."

"What'll we do now?" Cheetor asked gloomily.

"The only thing we can do," Optimus replied with more conviction. "Train ourselves for the right moment and find as many stasis pods as we can."

"Well spoken, my friend," Tigatron smiled.

"Yeah!" Cheetor cried. "Way to go, Bigbot! We can take 'em!"

"But first, let's get back to base for some rest," Optimus breathed slowly. "We could all use it after this busy day."

"Wanna come with u—" Cheetor turned to Naga, only to realize that she had disappeared as mysteriously as she had appeared.

"Come," Tigatron said. "Naga has chosen her path. Now it is time that we face ours."

* * *

"Imagine that," Megatron turned off his binoculars. "An invasion by the end of this year… by the supposed creators of this planet..."

"You don't honestly believe that, do you?" Blackarachnia scowled.

Megatron ignored her. He put on his T-Rex cannon once more and motioned for his two troops to follow him. Reluctantly, Blackarachnia trailed behind him along with Tarantulas.

"I'm not entirely sure myself the Vok are myth," Tarantulas said. "Considering the massive displays of power we've seen."

"You too?" Blackarachnia groaned.

"I am only keeping an open mind," shrugged Tarantulas.

"While the Maximals are off preparing themselves as the sacrificial lambs to these aliens," Megatron smirked. "I have a bit of planning to do myself."

"As do I," Tarantulas snickered. "Heh heh… as do I."

_The End. For now._


	21. Terminal

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Terminal_

"Is the loot secure?" Claymore demanded.

"All ready to go, boss," Miles, his assistant replied.

"Good, the police will be here any minute."

Paul Claymore straightened his suit by lifting up his zipper. Any minute now, the police would be at the scene of the crime. But thanks to the nifty new gadgets afforded to him by his current boss, Claymore was certain they'd be no match for him.

"Get on the helicopter!" Claymore ordered. "We'll be out of here in no time."

Before Miles could even set foot on the chopper that had landed on the top of the roof, a small missile struck the tail end of the helicopter, destroying its rotary blades and separating them from the helicopter itself.

"What was that?" Miles cried.

Claymore's eyes widened. A bird-like robot appeared in the air before them. From the looks of it, the robot was a she.

"Put the loot down, nice and slow," Airazor told them.

Miles quickly did as he was told. Claymore, on the other hand, looked at Airazor apprehensively. With a quick jerk of his jacket, he revealed a black jumpsuit, covered to the bone with armaments. Before Airazor could react, Claymore hurled a grenade at her that exploded in a flash of light, blinding her and forcing her to land.

"Megatron prepared me for an encounter like this," Claymore sneered as he took out his laser pistol and aimed it at the hapless Airazor.

"Not so fast!"

A plasma shot whizzed forward and blasted the gun out of Claymore's hand. The mercenary turned around to face a well-armed Rattrap.

"Give it up and maybe I'll go easy on ya's!" Rattrap waved with a motion of his pistol.

"You've got me," Claymore lifted his hands up.

By the time Rattrap saw it, it was too late. Two darts erupted from the launchers strapped to Claymore's knees. They embedded themselves into Rattrap's legs and sent a powerful dose of cyber-venom into the diminutive Maximal.

"Pays to be prepared," Claymore smirked.

With his self-assurance growing, Claymore pressed down on the button for his jet pack, igniting it to send himself into the air.

"I'd love to continue this but right now, I've got other commitments," Claymore flew up.

He only flew a few feet before slamming chest-first into a large hair arm.

"Going somewhere?" Optimus demanded.

Without giving Claymore a chance to escape, Optimus grabbed the jetpack on his back and tore it off, hurling it into the air where it exploded. He flew down and lifted the mercenary up by his suit.

"You've been Megatron's chief exporter," Optimus accused.

"And what if I am?" Claymore spat. "I make my fortune off the guy."

Optimus Primal wanted to question the man further but Claymore would not have it. The mercenary grabbed a piece of equipment on his suit and planted it directly on the Maximal leader's chest. Five metal tentacles erupted from the device and wrapped themselves around Optimus, allowing Claymore the chance to pry Primal's fingers off of him.

Before Claymore could make a run for it, a golden cheetah pounced on him. Claymore quickly grabbed onto his extendable bo staff and slammed it into Cheetor.

Cheetor leaped off and transformed to robot mode. Claymore charged and hit him two times across the head with the staff. Cheetor tried to make a grab for Claymore but the mercenary bounded away and threw up to ten spinning stars at the young Maximals. Several missed but one cut Cheetor across the shoulder, drawing mech fluid.

Watching Cheetor growl in pain, Claymore grew slightly more overconfident. He ran forward and extended his bo staff to the ground, leaping into the air with every purpose of slamming his feet into the Maximal's head.

This was his mistake. Cheetor grabbed Claymore's leg and threw him to the ground. As Claymore got up, Cheetor slammed his fist across the man's jaw, knocking him cold with one blow. Even though Cheetor had pulled his punch, Claymore still went down like a rag doll.

"Nice job, Cheetor," Airazor complimented, getting up and shaking off the effects of temporary blindness

"It was nothing," Cheetor smiled.

As the Maximals tied Claymore up, they did not notice his accomplice, Miles, escaping from the scene.

* * *

"Who here can tell me why the Greeks were able to defeat the Persians?" Mr. Jones, Luna and Jack's history teacher, asked.

Gregory Jones stood at 6'2 compared to most of the class. He was a middle-aged African American man who had completed his studies at the local college years ago. Right now, he was content to live out the rest of his days peacefully in the Crimson City High School teaching AP World History. As he expected, Susan Eiling, a blonde pig-tailed girl, was the first to raise her hands.

"The Greeks were fighting for their homes and their way of live?" Susan suggested.

"You're on to something, Susan," Mr. Jones praised. "But not quite."

Susan lowered her hand with a disappointed look on her face. At seeing her friend's displeasure, Luna patted her on the back for support.

"Surely some of you have done the readings for last night?" Mr. Jones stood there, waiting for an answer.

"Because the Greeks were manly men?" Jack suggested to the laughter of the class.

"You're on to something," Jones admitted to everyone's surprise.

"I think I know," Luna raised her hand.

"Yes, Luna?"

"It was because the Greeks were better armed and better equipped," Luna explained. "Not to mention most of them were battle-hardened from fighting with each other so much. And from a geographic perspective, the Persians were unaccustomed to fighting in such mountainous areas. The Greeks were able to outsmart and thus, outfight the Persians."

"You got it, Luna," Mr. Jones smiled.

"You had to beat me to it as usual," Susan joked.

"What can I say?" Luna flung her hair back. "It isn't easy being perfect."

"Well aren't you little miss sunshine today?" Jack coughed.

"Be quiet, Jack," Susan told him laughingly. "You're just jealous because you didn't do any readings."

"I had soccer practice!" Jack protested. "I was so stiff and sore I could barely sit on my desk."

"You'll have to manage your time more wisely," Luna suggested. "I'm in track and I always seem to find the opportunity."

"Anyways," Mr. Jones continued. "I hope you kids are ready for today's pep rally. Our speaker is none other than the District Attorney Van Dyne."

"Ho hum," Jack sighed. "Another politician here for our votes…"

"Don't think of it that way, Jack," Luna nudged him as Susan giggled. "You might be interning for the guy someday."

"Yeah, like that'll ever happen," Jack muttered.

* * *

Michael Van Dyne straightened his tie as he stared into the assembly of students. To his left was one crowd and to his right was another. Normally, he was not a big fan of adolescents but in order to boost his public image, he had to make these trips every once in a while. By the time the cheerleaders were done with their routines, it would be his turn to speak for roughly half an hour before school ended.

"Greetings," he finally spoke into the microphone. "What a nice looking group of students!"

Back in the stands, Jack was bored out of his mind while Luna listened on intently.

"You know," Van Dyne spoke. "Ever since I was young, my parents always emphasized the importance of education. And today, I'm here to pass on those values as well."

"He's certainly a good speaker," Luna observed. "Not bad looking either."

"Only you'd find a guy like him attractive," Jack rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Jack," Luna said dreamily. "He's not that old."

"He's still in his late 30s," Jack commented. "Old enough to be our dad."

"Quit worry, baby brother," Luna reassured. "I'm not really into him like that."

"That's good to hear… wait a minute!" Jack protested. "I'm not THAT much younger than you!"

"Yes you are!" Luna insisted.

"I was only born a few seconds after you!"

"Do you two bicker like this all the time?" Susan asked.

"Only on Sundays," Jack grumbled.

"And I would like to say," Van Dyne's words suddenly reached the siblings. "Without those generous donations from Megatron Industries, our forests and lakes would not be as clear and as pristine as they are now!"

"Did you hear that?" Jack looked at Luna. "This guy's bought out by Megatron!"

"I heard it alright," Luna replied. "But what's his real connection?"

"I don't know, but we should find out."

"You're not saying…"

"After the speech, we follow the guy."

* * *

"What if you're wrong, Jack?" Luna pedaled her bike slowly behind her brother. "What if your hunch turned out to be bogus?"

"No way, sis," Jack maintained. "He's got some sort of connection to Megatron and I'm gonna find out!"

"His connection may not even be that big," Luna reminded. "He could just be an underling who hasn't even met his master."

"With someone as big as Van Dyne, Megatron's bound to have met him personally at least once."

Luna stopped her bike by the side of the warehouse where they had seen Van Dyne's limousine halt. Jack did the same and quickly dismounted, leaving his backpack on the ground. Hesitantly, Luna did the same and followed her brother to where they could spy on the District Attorney through a window on the building.

* * *

"Ah, Van Dyne," Megatron smiled. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"What else could I do but pay a visit to my biggest benefactor?" Van Dyne took off his coat. "Those voting booths of yours worked wonders!"

"Yes, I would know a thing or two about rigged elections," Megatron chuckled. "Especially having to endure years of Maximal rule!"

"Ooh, Waspinator never got to vote!"

"Be glad you didn't, insect," Megatron scolded. "Your vote wouldn't have counted anyways."

"So how's the airship coming along?" Van Dyne asked.

"See for yourself," Blackarachnia pressed down on a lever.

Beneath them, the ground opened up and a massive ship arose from underneath. It had a sleek, black look all about. Missile launchers could be monitored from every angle of its elongated wings. On top, a small glass dome was seen, big enough to house a Cybertronian.

"Impressive," Van Dyne stroked his chin. "What can it do?"

"Aside from housing armaments powerful enough to level your entire city," Megatron explained confidently. "It has a tracking device able to detect the spark signature of any Maximal within a fifty mile radius!"

"Does this baby have a name?" Van Dyne walked over to the ship.

"We decided on _Cryotek_," Scorponok told him. "Well… it was really Megatron's decision."

"Cryotek, huh?" Van Dyne glanced at Megatron. "How'd you decide on that name?"

"Yeah, we never even had a say in naming it!" Blackarachnia added. "What's the deal?"

"I've christened this ship after my beloved mentor Cryotek," Megatron told them. "He was a wise old Predacon, able to bestow upon me foundational wisdoms I still utilize today!"

"What's one of the things he told you?" asked Van Dyne.

"If the opportunity arises," Megatron smiled. "Seize it."

"Cryotek sounds like my kinda guy," Van Dyne complimented.

* * *

"Did you see that?" Jack whispered. "We've got to warn Optimus!"

"We'd better do it quick," Luna gazed through the window a second time.

Quickly, Jack took out the communicator Cheetor had given him a long time ago. This was perhaps the only time he had ever used it for an emergency. Before long, a small connection was made and Jack took the opportunity to speak into the device.

"Jack to Maximal base," the teen spoke. "We were snooping around this warehouse until we saw Megatron. He's planning something big with some kind of jet. I don't know what he's going to use it for but it can't be for something good."

"Think it got through?" Luna asked.

"I really hope so," Jack wiped away some sweat. "Imagine if we were caught just a few minutes later."

"I can imagine," Luna admitted. "If the message didn't get through, we'll have to go to Optimus ourselves."

"Ooh, fleshy-bots know about Optimus Primal?"

"They've found us!" Jack cried. "Run!"

The two teenagers got up and ran as fast as they could with Waspinator trailing not too far behind. Despite the pair running with all their might, the chase finally ended as Waspinator grabbed them by their collars.

"What are fleshy-bots doing here?" Waspinator demanded. "What do fleshy-bots know about Optimus Primal?"

* * *

"So, the Maximals have befriended the denizens of this planet," Megatron muttered. "This could prove most useful, yeeessssss…"

"Let us go, Mega-chump!" Jack threatened. "Or the Maximals will come and whoop your sorry tin cans!"

"I think not," Megatron glared at Jack. "You're going to tell me the location of their ship or else your lives will forfeit! Waspinator mentioned that you were connected with the Maximals."

"No way, we're not going to tell you anything!" Luna yelled.

"Oh no?" Megatron snapped his fingers.

In an instant, Blackarachnia and Scorponok aimed their respective weapons at the teenagers. Jack looked at his sister nervously. Whether or not they would shoot was entirely dependent upon Megatron's orders. And right now, Luna prayed that they would not fire on them.

"Wait a minute!" Van Dyne stood in front of the Predacons. "I think I recognize these kids!"

"Stand aside, human!" Blackarachnia twitched in agitation. "I need to blow off some steam!"

"Yeah, Megatron wants these kids eliminated!" Scorponok added.

"Wait," Megatron ordered the two to stop. "I want to hear what Van Dyne has to say."

"Today I'd given a speech at a local high school," explained Van Dyne. "I think I saw these two kids in the audience."

"And?" Megatron demanded.

"And they're my constituents!" Van Dyne finished. "You can't just off my supporters! They might vote for me in a future political endeavor!"

"Who said we supported you?" Jack growled. "You're just a dirty politician!"

"Look," Van Dyne requested to Megatron. "Just let me handle this and if I can't, you can have 'em."

"You have five cycles," Megatron cautioned.

"And make 'em snappy!" Blackarachnia added.

"Look, kids," Van Dyne leaned down to face Jack and Luna. "Umm, what were your names again?"

"Why should we tell you?" Luna spat.

Whatever the case, it did not really seem that Van Dyne cared about their actual names so much as he wanted their support. The man appeared to be more interested in converting them than saving them from the Predacons. Van Dyne brushed his hair back and smiled his most charming smile ever.

"Look, if you kids promise to leave this place and not tell anyone about us," Van Dyne promised. "We'll just forget the whole thing ever happened."

"Forget it!" Jack exclaimed. "Once Optimus and the others get here, they'll kick the collective butts of you and your Predhead friends!"

"Just as I suspected!" Megatron got in front of Van Dyne. "These children are connected to the Maximals!"

"What're we gonna do now?" Scorponok asked.

"We use them as bait, of course," Megatron responded.

* * *

"Is this where the signal came from?" Cheetor whispered.

"Think so," Rattrap nodded. "Came from 'dis location."

Both Maximals were currently in beast mode while sneaking into the darkened warehouse. Almost an hour ago, they had received a weak transmission from the communicator they had given Jack. Though the message was gargled, they could still make out certain key words such as "Megatron" and "trouble."

"What do you think they were trying to say to us?" asked Cheetor.

"I dunno," Rattrap shrugged. "But it sounded like something with ol' Megsy."

"We should be careful," Cheetor noted. "They might even have Jack and Luna held hostage."

"Correct you are, Maximals!" a loud voice bellowed as the lights flared open.

"Megatron!" Cheetor growled and transformed to robot mode. "Let Jack and Luna go!"

"I could, couldn't I?" Megatron dangled the two children helplessly before the Maximals. "But where's the fun in that?"

"Incoming!" Rattrap yelled.

A red missile struck the ground where Cheetor and Rattrap stood, throwing them both off the ground. Cheetor skidded across the floor while Rattrap was knocked into the air. As the young Maximal landed, Scorponok closed in on Cheetor with his claws clicking in anticipation.

Regaining consciousness quickly, Cheetor tripped his foot out and swept Scorponok off his feet. He made a grab for the grey Predacon but Scorponok quickly used one of his claws to bash Cheetor across the face, knocking the cat away.

"Two for the price of one," Blackarachnia aimed all the machine guns on her arm towards the fighters.

"I don't think so, sistah!"

Rattrap swung Blackarachnia around and slammed his fist into her chin with an uppercut that knocked the wind out of her and slammed her back-first to the ground.

"You won't get away with that, vermin!" Blackarachnia got up and began firing wildly.

With his survival instincts kicking in immediately, Rattrap dodged the line of fire and leaped behind a crate. Blackarachnia continued firing on him with her bullets, slowly but surely tearing away at the box. Rattrap glanced around rapidly. Finally, he saw a fire extinguisher lying to the side. The diminutive Maximal grabbed it and gave it a kick, bouncing it off against another crate to having it roll towards Blackarachnia.

The she-spider took little notice of the extinguisher until it touched her foot. As she looked down, Rattrap leaped out from behind the crate and fired a shot, setting off the extinguisher with an explosion that engulfed her and blew her away several feet into the air until she crashed into several more crates.

"'Dem spiders never learn," Rattrap shook his head.

"And neither do rodents like you!"

A purple beam hit Rattrap in the chest and blasted him directly into unconsciousness.

Cheetor in the meanwhile, was struggling against Scorponok. The small Predacon was clearly not an opponent to be underestimated. As Cheetor held Scorponok's claws at bay, the Predacon's tail was thrusting at his head. With each attempted stab, Cheetor had to move his head to the sides just to avoid the venom on Scorponok's tail. Finally, he was forced against the pipelines.

"I have you now!" Scorponok cried.

The tail came down just as Cheetor moved his head in time. The stinger on Scorponok's tail struck the pipeline, setting off a blast of hot air that smacked Scorponok directly in his eyes. As the grey

Predacon howled in pain, Cheetor used both feet to kick Scorponok, causing his tail to snap off simultaneously. Swiftly, Cheetor grabbed both of Scorponok's arms and pinned him to the ground.

"Stop struggling and you'll make it easier on yourself, clawful!" Cheetor warned.

Scorponok only smiled triumphantly. It took a second for Cheetor to register what was going on before a powerful purple beam struck his back and knocked him out.

* * *

"So, how was it that you found my lair?" Megatron demanded, staring at his four prisoners who were surrounded by an electro-magnetic force field.

"We followed you!" Luna glared at Michael Van Dyne, who whistled innocently. "Jack suspected you were up to no good!"

"Now now," Van Dyne ushered. "Business is business…"

"This is getting tiresome," Blackarachnia huffed. "Are we gonna waste them or what?"

"Not yet," Megatron shushed her. "I still have plans for these fools."

"We'll use 'em as bait?" Scorponok suggested.

"Precisely," Megatron smiled.

"Who knew the Maximals had a couple of kids under their belts," Blackarachnia ruminated. "To think we never found out."

"Optimus must have kept connections with them sparse at best," Megatron figured. "That way, he could reduce the likelihood of us finding them."

"He did a heck of a job," Blackarachnia confessed.

"So what do we do now?" Scorponok asked.

"Yes, Waspinator needs something to do," Waspinator crooned.

"Wait a minute," Megatron told them. "I've got an incoming transmission."

"From who?" asked Blackarachnia.

"Silence!" Megatron bellowed. "It's from that incompetent Claymore!"

In anger, Megatron flipped on his com-link to hear what his incapacitated employee had to say.

"Speak, Claymore!" Megatron bellowed.

"I'm in a bind, Megatron!" Claymore's voice came over fuzzily over the com-link. "I'll be spending ten to twenty if you don't bail me out!"

"Pray tell me, Claymore," Megatron growled. "Why should I care?"

"I did good work for you, boss!" Claymore insisted. "No one's loaded more canisters of explosives than me!"

"And yet, a few days ago," Megatron sneered. "You were defeated by the Maximals despite the preparation I gave you."

"I was caught off guard!" Claymore protested.

"By whom, may I ask?" Megatron rolled his optics.

"I dunno," Claymore answered. "It was that Maximal who looked like a leopard."

"Cheetor?" Megatrons' eyes widened.

Blackarachnia couldn't help but laugh. All in time, Scorponok and Waspinator joined in with her.

"I don't know," Claymore told him. "It's not like I remembered their names."

"You lost to _**Cheetor**_?" Megatron demanded once more.

"What is this?" Claymore appeared to be getting frustrated as well. "Are you gonna help me or not?"

Almost immediately, Megatron cut the connection and shuddered deeply.

"Let that be a lesson to all of you!" he warned his minions.

"We got it," Blackarachnia chuckled.

"Yes, Waspinator will never lose to kitty-bot!"

"Oh do be quiet," Megatron narrowed his glare to Waspinator who immediately yelped and got back in line.

"Come on!" Van Dyne stood up at full height. "Was it really necessary abandoning him like that?"

"What did you say?" Megatron stared down at Van Dyne.

"That Claymore fellow," Van Dyne said. "Was it really necessary leaving him to rot in a jail cell? I mean, he could have helped you in the future."

"Let's get one thing straight, Van Dyne," Megatron towered over the human. "Megatron Industries yields only the most efficient of outcomes. Mistakes and inept behavior will not be tolerated!"

After the gesture, Van Dyne backed off considerably. He was not one to question an 8 foot robot who could crush him with a simple motion. Besides, he was a rational human being, not a suicidal fool.

"The other Maximals will come!" Luna told them. "Then you'll be sorry."

"That's exactly what I'm counting on, my dear," Megatron smirked. "As for you, Van Dyne, you may go."

"Huh?"

"Your tenure with me is over," Megatron repeated. "Leave now before I change my mind."

"O-Okay…"

Nervously, Van Dyne walked away from the Predacons.

"You know, Blackarachnia," Megatron said curiously. "I've always wondered what a dose of cyber-venom would do to a human body."

"Let's find out then," Blackarachnia grinned and took out her crossbow.

* * *

"Got any plans?" Jack asked the group dejectedly.

"Afraid not," Cheetor hung his head low.

"We can't give up yet," Luna maintained. "We'll think of something."

"Didn't you say Megatron had an airship?" Cheetor asked.

"We overheard something like it," Jack replied.

"We're not sure," Luna said uncertainly. "But I think Megatron said it had some kind of radar for detecting Maximal sparks."

"Just great…" Cheetor sighed.

"What're you doing, Rattrap?" asked Jack.

"Settin' the charges," explained Rattrap. "Them Preds are too busy on the lower floor with their ship. We'll escape and warn 'da others."

"But how?" Luna wondered out loud.

"These charges of mine can absorb electricity like a sponge," Rattrap continued. "Just be sure 'ta run when I tell ya!"

* * *

"Did you get Rattrap and Cheetor's signals?" asked Optimus.

"We did," Tigatron replied as Airazor nodded.

"The last thing we heard was something about an airship," Rhinox cautioned. "We'll need to be careful."

"What happened to Rattrap and Cheetor?" asked Airazor.

"Last thing we heard," Rhinox told her. "They were going after Jack and Luna. I just hope they were able to stay safe."

"We'll head to the warehouse on my signal," Optimus acknowledged. "But be careful. Who knows what traps Megatron has set…"

* * *

The sound of a nearby explosion was enough to rattle Megatron out of his work. Dropping his wrench, he concentrated on the sound intently. Waspinator, Scorponok, and Blackarachnia did the same.

"What was that?" Megatron demanded.

"I believe the other Maximals are here," Blackarachnia answered.

"It can't be," Megatron growled. "The outside sensors would have tipped me off already of that!"

"Can't hurt to check it out," Scorponok offered.

"You two stay with the ship," Megatron ordered the two. "Waspinator and I will investigate the sound."

After the platform elevated them to the first floor of the warehouse, Waspinator saw very precisely a shot in the air that struck him in the chest and knocked him out.

"Give it up, Megajerk!" Cheetor aimed his gun at Megatron. "You're outnumbered!"

"You foolish whelp!" Megatron snarled. "Do you really think the likes of you is enough to stop me?"

"He ain't alone, Barney!" Rattrap appeared from the side with his gun trained on the Predacon.

"This is interesting," Megatron smiled. "But the two of you lack power. What makes you think you'll be enough to stop me?"

"This!" Cheetor cried and fired.

"No!" Rattrap shouted. He had not planned on Cheetor being trigger-happy so soon.

Megatron saw the shot coming and deflected it with his tail vise. He fired back with his own blast that struck the floor near Cheetor and send the young Maximal soaring back against a metal rail.

Rattrap cursed inwardly and fired several times. Unfortunately, his firepower wasn't as strong. Megatron lifted up his T-Rex cannon and tail vise, blocking the shots and charging forward.

The smaller Cybertronian leaped out of the way as Megatron transformed to beast mode in mid-charge and stomped his foot down on where Rattrap stood.

Firing again, Rattrap landed one of his shots directly on Megatron's side. Megatron grunted in pain but lashed out with one foot and kicked Rattrap to the side.

"Pathetic vermin," Megatron said smugly.

"Eat slag, Megatron!" Cheetor, in beast mode, leaped towards Megatron in mid-air with claws extended.

Megatron shifted his foot to the right and slammed his tail into Cheetor's mid-section, knocking the Maximal away.

"Cats don't always land on their feet," Megatron commented sarcastically.

"There they are!"

Megatron whirled around. At the entrance of the warehouse were Optimus, Rhinox, Tigatron, and Airazor. All of them had their guns trained on him.

"Give it up, Megatron," Optimus warned. "You're outnumbered."

"Very well," Megatron raised both arms in the air. "I accept your terms of surrender."

"This is too easy," Tigatron said suspiciously.

"Megatron just giving up like that?" Airazor was apprehensive as well.

The Maximals' doubts were not allayed. Even as Megatron held his hands in the air, the missile launchers mounted on his legs fired twice, destroying the ceiling overhead and sending several tons of rubble crashing down on the four Maximals.

"Fools," Megatron muttered contemptuously.

From out of the corner of his eye, however, Megatron could see the Maximals struggling to remove the debris. Rhinox had broken free and was in the process of unearthing Tigatron and Airazor from the rocks. Optimus, too, was breaking loose from the wreckage as well.

With an angry bellow, Megatron fired a missile point-blank from his T-Rex cannon, catching all four of the Maximals in the ensuing explosion and sending them flying in different directions.

"That about tidies things up," Megatron smiled.

"Not quite, Mega-jerk!"

"You again!" Megatron growled.

"We ain't down yet!" Rattrap stood defiantly before the tyrant.

"Your bravery will cost you your life!" Megatron hissed and clamped his T-Rex jaws around the Maximal.

"Yaaahhh!" Rattrap screamed as Megatron tightened the death grip.

"Any last words, vermin?" taunted Megatron as he pulled Rattrap closer to his face.

"Yeah… 'DIS!"

In the few nano-kliks he had, Megatron did not even see it coming. Rattrap thrust his hand out and poked Megatron in the eyes with both fingers. Roaring in immense pain, the Predacon leader dropped Rattrap and began thrashing about violently. Before Megatron could regain his vision, a shot from Cheetor's cannon hit him in the chest-plate and sent him smashing against the floor.

By the time Megatron could see, he noticed almost immediately how Rattrap's pistol was directed towards his forehead.

"End of the road, Barney," Rattrap jabbed.

"Oh no?" Megatron sneered. "Blackarachnia! Scorponok!"

As if beckoned by its master, the underneath floor opened up just a few feet away from the Maximals and Predacons. The dark abyss soon shined brightly as a sleek black airship appeared from out of the blackness. On both wings were glass domes, meant to house the gunners. Blackarachnia was on the right end while Scorponok was on the left. Right beneath their respective domes were two cannons capable of firing turbo lasers powerful enough to level a building in a matter of seconds.

"Meet the Cryotek!" Megatron laughed triumphantly.

Without hesitation, both Blackarachnia and Scorponok opened fire with their individual turbo lasers. Rattrap and Cheetor had to run in opposite directions to keep from being fried instantly.

Scorponok aimed the Cryotek's laser towards the fallen Optimus but Cheetor quickly leaped in the way, distracting him. After Cheetor ran off once more, Scorponok continued pursuing the cat in a spitfire of heavy lasers.

* * *

"This is bad," Jack looked down at the scene from the second floor. "There's gotta be something we can do."

"I remember!" Luna exclaimed. "Remember what Mr. Jones said about the Greeks and the Persians?"

"Yeah," Jack admitted. "But what does that have to do with—"

"The Maximals can turn the ship's strength against itself!" Luna told him. "Look carefully at it. See any weaknesses?"

"Now that you mention it…" Jack muttered.

* * *

Despite his best efforts at hit-and-run, Rattrap was slowly being worn down by the persistence of the Cryotek. With its abilities at discerning the exact location of a Maximal's spark, the Cryotek had instantly nullified any chances of hiding. To make things worse, the ship's armor could not be penetrated by conventional firepower.

"Rattrap!" a voice from above called.

"Luna?" Rattrap looked up in disbelief.

"The glass domes with the Preds are the ship's weakness!" Luna shouted. "The rest is up to you and Cheetor!"

Rattrap dodged another spat of lasers and looked at the young Maximal. Cheetor had heard what Luna said as well. An idea began forming in Cheetor's head soon after.

"Keep 'em busy!" Cheetor told Rattrap and ran off. "I know what to do!"

"Oh great," Rattrap muttered and began running again. "Give me all 'da hard work!"

Cheetor bounded off quickly until he reached the unconscious Tigatron. Carefully, he took Tigatron's specially patented "gut gun" and set its charges as fast as he could.

"Don't worry, Big Cat," Cheetor reassured. "I'll give it back in a little while."

Rattrap, in the meantime, had leaped on top of one of the wings. He bounced several futile shots off of Scorponok's protective glass before the Predacon turned the turbo-cannon around, slamming the hilt of the cannon into Rattrap's head, knocking the diminutive Maximal down.

Before either Predacon could do anything, two blue blasts appeared out of nowhere and covered Blackarachnia's glass dome completely with ice.

"I can't see!" Blackarachnia shrieked, firing off several turbo lasers in every direction.

Unfortunately for Scorponok, one of those shots struck his dome and destroyed it completely, sending his charred body into the air as his turbo laser exploded, ripping the Cryotek's left wing off from the pressure. Another of the shots hit the ground beneath Megatron and sent the Predacon flying into the distance with a loud, angry bellow. And just as Waspinator had entered the building humming a happy song, one of the stray blasts hit him as well.

Finally, after destroying almost half the Cryotek, Blackarachnia blasted her way out of her dome with a missile and swung away to safety.

"You okay, Optimus?" Cheetor helped up his leader.

"We've got to get the others out of here," Optimus said.

None of the Maximals, who were now stirring from their unconscious state, needed to be told twice. As they ran out of the building, Optimus turned on his Prime Jets and flew up to the third floor, grabbing Luna and Jack before flying out of the place.

In mere seconds, the Cryotek exploded, taking out the entire compound in a gorgeous display of fire.

* * *

"Nice work, you two," Optimus complimented. "Your quick thinking probably saved our lives."

"Yeah, not bad," Rattrap patted Jack on the shoulder. "Fer a couple 'a brats."

"Rattrap!" Rhinox slapped Rattrap gently across the back of his head.

"We just paid attention in class," Jack said innocuously. "Nothing to it, really…"

"You mean **I** paid attention in class," Luna corrected. "You didn't even remember what Mr. Jones said in history."

"You gotta show me some of your textbooks," Cheetor said excitedly. "I'm dying to know what's in there."

"You'd want to do that?" Jack asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah," Cheetor answered honestly.

"He's never taken world history before, remember?" Luna prodded Jack.

"Oh yeah," Jack recalled.

"Perhaps we would all be better suited if more people in this world were like you," Tigatron told the two teens. "Maybe then we would not have to be in hiding."

"Don't worry," Luna put a hand on Tigatron's arm. "The day will come where you guys will no longer have to hide yourselves from the rest of the world."

"In the meantime," Jack looked up towards Optimus. "Does this mean we're a part of the team now?"

"Umm, no," Optimus answered flatly. "Sorry, you know how it is."

"Why not?" Jack asked blankly.

"Jack, you moron!" Luna gave him a shove. "You know fighting Predacons is out of your league!"

"Oh yeah," Jack's head hung down.

"Chin up, Jack!" Cheetor reassured. "We're still going over to your place tonight for that new game of yours."

"Oh yeah!" Jack's moods were lifted up high. "Let's not wait too long! The sun is just setting!"

"You coming with us, RT?" Cheetor asked.

"Yeah, yeah," Rattrap groaned. "Might as well…"

As soon as Cheetor, Rattrap, and Jack ran off into the sunset, Luna took after them as well.

"We're doing four-player this time!" she called after them. "I'm joining you guys this time!"

Optimus looked at the four fading into the distance and smiled. "I wish I were young again."

"Don't we all," Rhinox chuckled. "Don't we all…"

_The End._


	22. The Beast Within

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_The Beast Within_

"You're sure they'll show up?" Blackarachnia demanded.

"I'm counting on it," Tarantulas stared down at the chronometer on his arm.

Blackarachnia skulked around impatiently. She had been in the factory with Tarantulas for several megacycles already. The stasis pod they had in the middle of the room was empty and Tarantulas had told her explicitly that she was not to touch it. This, unfortunately, only served to arouse her interest more. When exactly would Tarantulas fill her in on the scoop?

"So what do you have planned this time?" Blackarachnia asked. "New explosives? New cyber-venom?"

"Not quite," Tarantulas replied. "It's something you'll find out once my plan swings into action."

"You never share your plans with me," Blackarachnia complained. "And I've been your lab partner ever since I came online."

"There are just some things you shouldn't know," Tarantulas told her dismissively.

"Tell me then," Blackarachnia hissed.

"Alright," Tarantulas agreed. "Did you know that I got that stasis pod over there from South America?"

"It landed in South America?" Blackarachnia blinked. "What happened to the protoform inside?"

"He's on his way, heh heh," Tarantulas chuckled. "He'll never miss an opportunity to be with his _Queen._"

"Um, what?" Blackarachnia looked more confused than ever.

"You'll find out soon enough," Tarantulas waved. "Ah, and here are our guests."

The front doors to the factory swung open. Optimus and the rest of the Maximals, sans Tigatron and Silverbolt, came in with their weapons on full alert. One glance at the stasis pod was all they needed to confirm their suspicions.

"Optimus Primal," Tarantulas sneered from above. "And you've brought the cavalry."

"Are you crazy?" Blackarachnia glared at Tarantulas. "We don't have backup against these Maximals!"

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong," Tarantulas told her in a hushed voice.

"What have you done with the protoform?" Rhinox demanded after examining the pod.

Tarantulas grabbed on to the ladder and slid down until he was on the same ground with the Maximals. He took out his gun and dropped it as Cheetor and Rattrap aimed their weapons at him.

"I've done nothing I can assure you," Tarantulas said. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he were to show up soon."

"What do you mean?" Optimus looked at Tarantulas suspiciously.

A tremendous explosion split the wall in two. Airazor looked in horror as flames burst out from the detonation in a narrow path. Through the flames, a large fire ant walked out on all six legs after breaking the wall open with his powerful mandibles. He took one look at the stasis pod and shrieked with displeasure.

"My Queen! You are unharmed!"

"Inferno!" Optimus cried.

"You again, Primal!" Inferno cried. "And you've brought your warrior drones!"

"They are the ones, Inferno!" Tarantulas pointed to the Maximals quickly. "They are the thieves who have kidnapped your beloved Queen!"

"Bah! You will all burn!" Inferno cried and transformed to robot mode.

Now standing well over 7 feet tall, Inferno roared angrily and charged at the Maximals, knocking Rattrap, Cheetor, and Airazor out of the way before slamming Optimus against the wall.

"You shall suffer grievously for this insult!" Inferno reached for Optimus Primal's throat.

"Tell me something new," Optimus grappled against the fire ant.

Behind them, Rhinox came up and raised both hands in the air, ready to smash down on Inferno's head. Before he could bring them down, the rotors on Inferno's thorax split open and a powerful jet of fire struck Rhinox dead in the chest, hurling him back several yards.

Inferno smiled sadistically and lifted Optimus over his head just as Cheetor and Rattrap charged him. Without remorse, he threw the Maximal leader into the smaller Maximals, knocking them all down.

"Stop this, Inferno!" Airazor fired a shot that grazed the fire ant across the shoulder.

Inferno rubbed the scratch across his own body briefly before turning and firing at the Maximal falcon. Airazor dodged the shots until one of them hit the ceiling above her, bringing one of the support beams down on her back.

"None of you fools are a match for my power!" Inferno declared triumphantly.

"Wanna bet?"

Inferno dodged a punch that came from behind him and grabbed Rhinox, tossing him to the ground. Rhinox charged again. Inferno came back with two punches that forced Rhinox back momentarily. The Maximal scientist, however, recovered from the blows and struck Inferno across the face without pulling any of his punches. Dazed from the hit, Inferno staggered back and was immediately put into a headlock by Optimus Primal.

Cheetor, Rattrap, and Airazor grabbed on to his arms and legs while Rhinox pinned him down by his body. This was the chance Tarantulas had been looking for. Reaching into his leg compartment, he grabbed a vial and threw it.

The vial exploded upon hitting Rhinox. The contents of the bottle erupted in a fume that covered all the Maximals including Inferno. Soon, all the Maximals were quivering and shaking. Inferno saw his chance and threw all his opponents off with a great burst of strength.

"Impossible!" Tarantulas cried. "Why is he not affected?"

Inferno transformed to beast mode and crawled over to his stasis pod in reverence while Tarantulas looked down at the Maximals.

"There's only two more of you left, isn't there?" he scoffed. "But no matter, they will be captured all in good time."

"What have you… done to us?" Airazor demanded as red electricity lined her body.

"It's a rare disease found only on the Cybertronian colonies on Moonbase Theta," Tarantulas explained and took out a gun with a vial loaded into it. "It will collapse a spark in mere megacycles. But I, on the other hand, have the cure!"

"Then perhaps you would care to share it!"

Tarantulas, in his gloating, did not expect any more visitors for the day. By the time he lifted his head up, Silverbolt flew down from the ceiling and kicked him in the chest, knocking him back. Instantly, the winged Maximal caught the vial that had been lost from Tarantulas' grip.

"Fear not, my friends," Silverbolt went up to his companions and made sure to give each of them a shot with the vial. "Your current condition will be reversed and you will be back to normal soon enough."

The red electricity that had lined the Maximals disappeared. Silverbolt helped Optimus up and looked at his leader with consternation.

"Optimus, sir," Silverbolt asked nervously. "What has happened to your eyes?"

Instead of the warm, friendly gaze in his optics, the look in Optimus's eyes was exposed with pure savagery. With a low, guttural snort, Optimus slammed his fist into Silverbolt's chin, knocking the fuzor into the arms of Rhinox.

"Rhinox," Silverbolt turned his head. "What has gotten into—"

Rhinox, along with the others, had that same, eerie crimson glow in their optics. The larger Maximal grabbed Silverbolt from behind and lifted him up. He began pulling on Silverbolt's wings by their root on his back with every intention of ripping the fuzor's wings off. Reacting quickly, Silverbolt flipped around and kicked Rhinox in the back, sending the green Maximal hurtling into Cheetor and Rattrap.

"I was going to make the Maximals suffer originally," Tarantulas chuckled. "But now it seems that you've only sped up my plans."

"What do you mean, villain?" Silverbolt demanded.

"The 'cure' I had only contained the other portion of the compound," Tarantulas explained. "The feral aspects of the Maximals' beast modes have been spread out across their circuitry thanks to you!"

"Turn them back!" Silverbolt aimed his wing missile at Tarantulas.

"I don't think they want to go back to being normal," Tarantulas looked over to see the Maximals subduing and beating down Inferno. "Wouldn't you say?"

Silverbolt looked at Tarantulas and then over at the Maximals. With all options open in his head, he finally decided to make a quick judgment call and put the vial in his sub-space compartment. He soared away from Tarantulas and fired several shots from the air to scatter the now-rabid Maximals. Swooping down low, Silverbolt grabbed onto Inferno and flew him out of the industrial complex.

* * *

"I'm impressed," Blackarachnia said to Tarantulas. "Your plan really did work."

"But not to my satisfaction," Tarantulas groaned. "Did you see how Inferno was immune to the effects of my concoction?"

"Big deal," Blackarachnia snorted. "Five Maximals is still better than none."

Tarantulas pressed down on a lever to increase the amount of sedative gases in the cages he had created for the Maximals. Now that their minds were feral, it was not a wise idea to keep them awake for extended periods of time.

"Tigatron is still out there," Tarantulas muttered. "And so is that wretched fuzor!"

"You'll get them too," Blackarachnia patted Tarantulas across the back. "Right now, you should just chill out."

"It's a tempting offer," Tarantulas said sourly. "But no."

"And you're really that miffed you didn't catch all the Maximals?" Blackarachnia raised an eyebrow."

"I had plans for eight brainwashed Maximals," Tarantulas sighed. "Now it's only down to five."

"Were you going to turn them in to Megatron?" Blackarachnia questioned.

"Heavens, no!" Tarantulas shook his head furiously. "I would not render my services onto that saurian unless I absolutely had to!"

"You know, I was thinking of something else," Blackarachnia cooed.

"And what might that be?"

"We give Megatron a little call."

"A bid for each Maximal?"

"Not at all," Blackarachnia continued. "We offer him the present of having five captured Maximals for him to reprogram as Predacons."

"And?"

"And once Megatron shows up, we unleash all of them on old grape face! Then the Predacons will be ours to lead along with our entourage of Maximals!"

"You know," Tarantulas put his arms around Blackarachnia. "I like the way you think!"

* * *

Silverbolt carefully set the battered and unconscious Inferno against a boulder close to his proximity. The fire ant had taken quite the beating from all five Maximals. Like with most Cybertronians, however, the nanites were working inside Inferno and repairing the damages he had sustained.

Not knowing what to do, Silverbolt sat down. He had come in from Europe when he got a transmission from Optimus telling him about the location of another stasis pod. Privately, he wondered if Inferno was the protoform within that pod. Right now, a new virus from Tarantulas had infected his comrades unleashing their most savage instincts. There was no telling what it would do to them given enough time.

"I assume you are the new Maximal recruit," a deep, throaty voice from behind him greeted.

Silverbolt turned around to face a white Siberian tiger. He stood nervously until his censors confirmed that the unit before him was indeed a Maximal.

"Yes," Silverbolt confirmed. "And who might you be, my friend?"

"Tigatron," the tiger nodded. "I got the transmission from Optimus and came as fast as I could."

"Then you know about the stasis pod?" Silverbolt asked.

"More or less," Tigatron replied. "What has happened to the others?"

"They were infected by a new virus Tarantulas had developed," Silverbolt lowered his head. "I have yet to see the full effects of it."

"And this must be Inferno," Tigatron glanced at the fire ant warily.

"That is his name?" Silverbolt inquired.

"It can't be anyone else," Tigatron transformed to robot mode. "I know of him through what Optimus had told me."

"And what did Optimus say?"

"That he's a raving lunatic," Tigatron looked at Inferno cautiously.

"Surely Optimus and Inferno had a misunderstanding of some sort," Silverbolt scratched his head. "Perhaps we have all been quick to judge."

"We'll find out when he wakes up," observed Tigatron.

Inferno's eyes flared up. The nanites within his system had repaired him up to a satisfactory point. Though he had not recovered completely, he leaped back on his feet and drew his gun. He looked at both Tigatron and Silverbolt suspiciously.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "State your purposes!"

"Easy now," Silverbolt raised his hands in a gesture of goodwill. "We do not mean you any harm."

"Oh?" Inferno's voice tinged with sarcasm. "And why does your companion not feel the same?"

Silverbolt looked at Tigatron. The white tiger had his own gun trained on Inferno. It was clear that the Maximal operative from Siberia did not trust Inferno one bit and possibly with good reason, considering Inferno's infamous temperament.

"Perhaps if we were to show him we do not mean any harm, he would trust us," Silverbolt suggested to Tigatron.

"Speak for yourself," Tigatron growled.

After a few tense cycles had passed, Inferno put his gun down and cursed angrily.

"Bah!" he scowled. "I have no time to deal with the likes of you commoners when the fate of my Queen is still uncertain!"

"Your Queen?" Tigatron and Silverbolt asked simultaneously.

"Yes, she is a magnificent sight to behold!" Inferno smiled, revealing his sharp teeth. "It had to have been Optimus Primal or that scurrilous spider who kidnapped her!"

Neither Tigatron nor Silverbolt knew what to say. Though their scanners of Inferno revealed that he was not a Predacon, his attitude and actions thus far seemed to indicate otherwise. His behavior to them was appalling at best but now, they were far more confused about his colorful choice of words.

"You don't suppose he's talking about Airazor, do you?" Tigatron asked Silverbolt who could have sworn he heard a twinge of jealousy in the striped Maximal's voice.

Silverbolt only shrugged and gave no answer. Airazor appeared to be the most obvious answer but for the moment, it was better that they now jump to conclusions. After all, the lives of their comrades were hanging in the balance. They still did not know what Tarantulas had in store for them.

Silverbolt thought fast. "Perhaps we can help each other, Inferno."

"What?" Inferno cried.

"You help us rescue our comrades," Silverbolt told him. "And in return, we will help you find your, um, Queen."

"Fah!" Inferno scoffed. "Help the likes of Optimus Primal?"

"Let's try this again," Tigatron added, putting a new spin on the question. "You help us _defeat Tarantulas_ and in return, we shall help retrieve your Queen."

Inferno thought hard about the question. In only about nano-klik, he finally made up his mind.

"Very well," Inferno agreed. "But know this, drones. Your treaty does not bind me. Should you fail to uphold your promise, your lives will forfeit!"

* * *

"You want a piece of me?" Optimus shouted. "Come and get some, horn head!"

"You think I'm afraid of you?" Rhinox growled. "I'll make mincemeat outta you!"

From across their cages, Optimus and Rhinox were yelling and hurling insults back and forth. Cheetor paced around nervously in his cage hissing and snapping, crashing against the bars every now and then in a vain attempt to break free.

"Hey short stuff," Airazor called to Rattrap. "Aren't you supposed to be the handyman of our team? Why don't you break us out already? Or are you just all washed up?"

"Back off, sist'ah!" Rattrap hissed. "You think I ain't afraid to hit girls?"

"Day in and day out, I gotta listen to your speeches!" Rhinox told Optimus brutally. "When I take over, I'll do what you've never had the chrome bearings to do and take over Cybertron!"

"Why don't you come say that to my face?" Optimus insulted. "Oh, that's right. You can't even break out of your cage!"

This only served to aggravate Rhinox further. Clasping both hands, he slammed repeatedly against his cage only to have an electrical shock surge through him every time, knocking him down again.

"My, you've really outdone yourself this time, Tarantulas," the image of Megatron on the computer screen smiled.

A few minutes ago, Tarantulas had made sure to contact Megatron about what he had accomplished. The first thing Megatron had demanded was proof. After getting the exact location, Megatron had sent out a video connection to get in touch with his leading scientist.

Currently, Megatron was very impressed with Tarantulas's work and how he had managed to infect five of the Maximals with his virus.

"And that fool Silverbolt helped you accomplish this?" Megatron grinned.

"He believed he was helping his comrades," Tarantulas smirked. "The gullible fool."

"You've done well, Tarantulas," Megatron complimented. "I will be there by tomorrow evening to check up on your progress. Megatron, out."

After the connection with Megatron was cut, Tarantulas turned to Blackarachnia gleefully.

"That tyrant does not suspect a thing," he said to her happily. "When he shows up, we shall allow the Maximals to tear him to shreds! Heh heh heh…"

"It's all thanks to my suggestion!" Blackarachnia chuckled. "Hah hah…"

"And I couldn't have done it without you!" Tarantulas raised his glass of energon gin up in the air. "A toast to the death of Megatron!"

"A toast!" Blackarachnia lifted her gin up and saluted.

Just then, the security alarms went off. Tarantulas cursed silently that his moment of celebration had been interrupted. Turning around, he pressed down on the button to ascertain the threat.

"It's him!" Tarantulas snarled after looking at the radar. "That fuzor is within the vicinity!"

"Silverbolt?" Blackarachnia blinked. "Send Optimus to get him then."

"No, I have something better in store."

"What's that?"

Tarantulas grabbed onto a lever and pulled. The next thing Blackarachnia knew was Airazor's cage being raised high into the air as the roof above her opened up. Once Silverbolt was seen in view, Tarantulas pressed down on another button to open her cage and send her flying into the air.

"Why are you sending her?" Blackarachnia asked curiously. "Why not just send Optimus?"

"Because," Tarantulas answered, "I have monitored Silverbolt's activities in Western and Central Europe. He is loathe to harm any member of the female species whether they are human or Cybertronian."

"So he's going to let himself get beat up by a femme-bot?" Blackarachnia snickered.

"Mmm, pretty much," Tarantulas affirmed.

* * *

Silverbolt had come prepared. He knew that one of the fliers would be sent to personally greet him. With Airazor zooming towards him, he turned and began flying away.

The female Maximal, however, opened fire as soon as she could. Silverbolt had to duck and weave through her blasts while flying away from her. He was fairly certain that she could fly as fast as Mach 3 under the right conditions. In her current status, however, her mind was under the influence of something that brought out only a primordial rage.

"Stay still and let me clip your wings, dog boy!" Airazor shouted.

Airazor's voice had dropped in volume. Instead of her usual sweet, chirpy voice, Airazor now had a macabre, sadistic facet to her tone.

"You are not thinking straight, ma'am," Silverbolt informed her as he dodged a dart that zipped past his neck. "Tarantulas has placed you under his unholy influence."

By the time they were away from the base that Tarantulas had set up, Silverbolt turned around to face her in mid-air. Airazor paused momentarily, confused as to why Silverbolt had decided to stop fleeing from her. She quickly snapped out of it, though, and began firing again. Silverbolt raised one wing over his head and deflected a few of the dart missiles with a flap.

The next thing Silverbolt knew, Airazor had driven her fist directly into his snout.

"You… hit me!" Silverbolt looked genuinely surprised.

"What were you expecting?" Airazor taunted. "A friendly pat on the back?"

Airazor began attacking him again, this time with flurries of punches. Silverbolt had to deflect each and every one of them as fast as he could. Finally, he caught one of her punches and twisted her arm behind her back.

"I will not strike you, my lady," Silverbolt informed her. "No matter how much you may wish to harm me."

"Cute," Airazor snarled and broke free of his grip.

The Maximal falcon backflipped in the air and came down with heel kick that struck Silverbolt square on the top of his head, sending him plummeting down into the trees below.

"Now to put the bird dog to sleep," Airazor hooted and dove down.

* * *

"Where could he have gone?" Airazor complained, snapping through several branches.

She could tell that Silverbolt had gone this direction. The fuzor had left an entire trail for her to follow, consisting of broken branches and paw prints in the dirt. By all logic, it should not be taking her this long to find him.

She did not know why but a strong instinctive desire to kill and maim was washing through her system. Airazor felt it a bit strange since she had never felt such sensations before but she did not question it. Right now, there was still a terrible thirst for violence to quench and it would be best to do it as quickly as possible. Letting go of her quarry was simply out of the equation.

"Come out, bird dog!" she called. "You can't get far!"

"No, ma'am," Silverbolt appeared before her with his hands in the air. "I certainly cannot."

"This is too easy," Airazor sighed disappointedly and raised her hands to fire.

"You are correct," Silverbolt confirmed. "Tigatron, now!"

The next thing Airazor became aware of was a large, white tiger pouncing on top of her.

* * *

"What is this?" Inferno drew back. "This is not the Queen!"

"You mean to say Airazor is not the Queen you were mentioning?" Silverbolt inquired. He held Airazor in his arms.

"Fool!" Inferno pushed past Silverbolt. "My Queen is more illustrious than this peasant before you!"

"I think you're out of line!" Tigatron growled.

"The only one who is out of line is you, cat!" Inferno drew his gun. "You drones have failed to return with my Queen!"

"We'll see about that," Tigatron reached for his own gun.

Silverbolt quickly set Airazor down and came between the two. He had to do something to placate the tiger and fire ant before they could scrap each other.

"Come now," Silverbolt told them in a reassuring voice. "Surely we can work something out."

"Step out of the way, half-breed!" Inferno warned.

"Don't interfere with this, Silverbolt," Tigatron told him as well. "This is between the two of us."

"We could use his help," Silverbolt told him. "If the rest of our feral comrades fight as fiercely as Airazor, it could be a very difficult battle for us."

Now it was Inferno's turn to be confused by Silverbolt's actions. The fuzor was actually saying that they needed _his_ help? Why on Earth would he, Inferno, even contemplate helping the wolf and the tiger along with the likes of Optimus Primal?

"Help you?" Inferno snorted. "Fah!"

"Give us time," Silverbolt pleaded. "First we will need to find a cure to reverse the conditions of our comrades. Then we may storm Tarantulas's lair to rescue them along with your Queen."

Inferno was most amused by this offer. Did the Maximal knight really believe he could truly offer Inferno something that he'd take? Was the fool so full of self-confidence that he believed he could talk his way out of any situation?

"Very well," the fire ant agreed at last. "But return here within twenty-four megacycles and not one klik later. Otherwise, I shall raze the Maximals and the spider to the ground!"

The red Transformer turned his back to Tigatron and Silverbolt. With an eerie mechanical cry, he blasted off into the sky.

* * *

"This base is spacious indeed," Silverbolt commented as he entered into the Axalon with Tigatron and an unconscious Airazor.

"I come by every now and then," Tigatron replied.

"We need to find a cure for their condition," Silverbolt placed Airazor within the CR chamber. "Inferno only gave us twenty-four megacycles."

"We'll have to think of something fast," Tigatron said. "I've gone through the same thing before."

"You mean to say that your beast mode got the better of you?"

"On a few occasions, yes," Tigatron answered.

"How did you conquer it?"

"Through the support of my friends," Tigatron answered. "And a whole lot of self-control."

"You must have gone through a lot," Silverbolt remarked.

"I sometimes do," Tigatron confessed. "But when I'm in the wild away from civilization, I let loose more."

"What do you mean?" Silverbolt's voice dripped with naiveté.

"When I'm taking time off from scout patrol, I hunt."

"What is it like?" Silverbolt asked curiously.

"It's a feeling unlike any other," Tigatron explained. "You have the wind on your back, dust on your hindquarters, and prey in your vision."

All this was very fascinating to Silverbolt. In Europe, he had observed the flora and fauna from a distance. He had not, however, taken part in any hunting of those animals. To him, Tigatron was an interesting character, someone whose connection with nature awed and roused him.

"Do you suppose you could show me your location sometime?" Silverbolt asked.

"Mmm, sounds feasible," Tigatron agreed.

"In the meantime," Silverbolt took out the gun from his sub-space compartment. "I have saved this from my battle against Tarantulas."

"What is it?"

"It's the vial used to poison our comrades," Silverbolt replied. "Perhaps we may use it to further our goal."

"Yes, if we analyze it carefully, we can discover a cure."

"I will admit, I have neither Rhinox nor Tarantulas's skill in science," confessed Silverbolt.

"Don't worry," Tigatron assured him. "I don't either but… we'll work something out."

* * *

In what seemed like a millennia, the doors finally opened before Airazor, allowing light to flood in. She was not entirely sure she remembered what just happened but she did have some vague memories of an aerial battle between herself and Silverbolt. Why she even engaged in such a conflict escaped her at the moment but she was certain whatever had gone on between them as not on purpose.

"Are you alright?" Tigatron helped her out.

"I think so," Airazor replied. "What just happened?"

"The cure worked!" Silverbolt exclaimed. "We are fortuitous today!"

"What cure?" asked Airazor.

"Tarantulas hit you and the others with a chemical compound," Tigatron explained. "It allowed for your beastial instincts to overwhelm most of your circuitry."

"Whoa," Airazor looked up. "What was that like?"

"Your aerial skills are most impressive," Silverbolt remarked. "I could barely reach your speeds in the air."

"Um, thanks," Airazor smiled sheepishly. "And, uh, sorry for attacking you."

"It is not a problem, ma'am," Silverbolt grinned. "I am only glad I could be of service."

"We finally found the cure to reverse your condition," Tigatron told her. "It took us well over 23 mega-cycles."

"How long was I in the CR chamber?" asked Airazor.

"Oh, about 24 mega-cycles or so," Silverbolt replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh no," Tigatron muttered.

Realization dawned upon Silverbolt as well. They were going to be late with their rendezvous with Inferno. The fire ant was going to go ballistic if they didn't show up in time.

* * *

"Let us out, Tarantulas!" Optimus banged against his cage. "We want blood and we want it now!"

"These Maximals are just aching to get out, aren't they?" Blackarachnia glanced at Tarantulas.

The two spiders were watching from a distance. Optimus, Rhinox, Cheetor, and Rattrap were growing more and more restless. The howling and the roaring had started up again several hours after they had fallen asleep due to fatigue. But Tarantulas did not lose any sleep over it. It wouldn't be long before Megatron would show up and they could unleash the feral Maximals upon him.

"Grrr," Cheetor growled. "Let us out now, web-breath!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that just yet," Tarantulas called out to all four Maximals.

"Why not?" Rattrap taunted. "Afraid we's gonna make mincemeat outta you?"

For emphasis, Rattrap took out a small energon dagger out from his sub-space compartments and slashed it against his cage a few times.

"When we get outta here," Rhinox promised. "It's not going to be pretty."

"I'm well aware of that fact," Tarantulas sneered. "But save it for later. We'll have a guest visiting us in a short while."

"Yo Tarantulas," Blackarachnia informed. "Our grid scanners are picking up a spark signature coming closer and closer to us."

"Is it Megatron?" Tarantulas demanded.

"No, but its spark is powerful and potent," she replied. "That leaves only one answer."

"Inferno," Tarantulas verified.

* * *

Inferno made no attempt to enter into the factory quietly. He blasted the door down with one shot from his gun and entered, clanking his heels against the ground noisily. He had come for his Queen

and there would be no stopping him. Whether it was that blasted spider or Optimus and his worker drones, nothing would be able to stand in his way. He was certain of that.

Sure enough, his Queen lay in the center of the room, remote and undisturbed. She had not a scratch or dent on her. Inferno was relieved to see that she was alright, despite being a prisoner.

"My Queen!" Inferno cried. "I have come for you!"

No answer. As far as Inferno could tell, the Queen was still in a state of shock after being held captive for so long. He blasted forward with his propellers until he was close by her side again.

Instinctively, he ducked a punch aimed at his head. Rhinox was coming after him with both arms swinging.

"So, it is to be war between us?" Inferno bared his teeth.

"Hurrr… die!" Rhinox shouted.

Up above, Tarantulas was taking quick note of this. The speech patterns of the Maximals were becoming less and less sophisticated as the virus took over their system. Sentences, on their part, were shortening more and more while more primitive terminology was being utilized.

Inferno leaped into the air as Rhinox charged and delivered a crushing kick to the back of the rhino's head, sending the large green Maximal crashing to the floor. He flew into the air with full intentions to shoot Rhinox when Optimus came down from nowhere and threw his sword, entangling it in Inferno's propellers, destroying them instantly and sending the fire ant sprawling against the side of the wall.

Inferno regained his balance just as Optimus leaped at him from the air. Reacting automatically, he slammed his shoulder into Optimus's solar plexus and used both arms to hurl him into Rhinox.

"You're no match for me!" Inferno yelled. "All enemies of the colony will burn!"

"Raaarrrr!"

Both Cheetor, in beast mode, and Rattrap, in robot mode, leaped on top of Inferno, biting and clawing at him. Fortunately for the crazed warrior, his armor was strong enough to withstand such assaults. Crying out in anger, Inferno grabbed both Maximals and threw them off.

Unfortunately for Inferno, Optimus and Rhinox bore into him within a nano-klik, slamming both their fists into his face and knocking him flat on his back.

"Kill…" Rhinox grunted.

"Destroy…" echoed Optimus.

"Those are my words," Inferno wiped the mech-fluid away from his chin. "You have no right to say them!"

"They do now," Tarantulas announced from above. "Optimus, Rhinox… destroy the interloper!"

"No!"

"Blast!" Tarantulas cried. "Not those three!"

Silverbolt leaped onto Optimus and grabbed him from behind while Tigatron pounced onto Rhinox's back, knocking him down.

"Optimus, sir!" Silverbolt cried. "You mustn't!"

Optimus broke free of Silverbolt and slammed his fist into the fuzor's face. Rhinox swung at Tigatron in turn but the striped Maximal ducked and came back with three quick blows of his own and an uppercut that knocked Rhinox on his back.

"Silverbolt!" Tigatron called. "The cure!"

The crazed Maximal leader transformed to beast mode and planted both arms to the ground firmly. He swung forth and kicked Tigatron with both feet, punting Tigatron in the chest. As Tigatron fell back, Rhinox caught the striped Maximal by the neck and held him up in a vice-like grip. Tigatron struggled but could not free himself from the Maximal scientist's clutch. Optimus, in the meantime, grabbed onto a crate and flew up, throwing it down and sending it crashing into Silverbolt.

Airazor carefully tiptoed behind Cheetor and Rattrap. She raised her a small gun, carefully inserted with the vial. She only had one chance to do it and if she couldn't, the cure may become irreversible.

Without hesitation, she leaped out and got Cheetor in a chokehold, dipping the vial into his shoulder and allowing all of its contents to pour into the young Maximal.

"No!" Tarantulas cried. "This isn't supposed to be happening!"

"I could go down there," Blackarachnia suggested.

"Do not interfere!" Tarantulas warned. "Rattrap will take care of her!"

Airazor quickly flew out of the way as Rattrap slashed at her with his energon blade. The winged Maximal quickly fired a shot that knocked the blade out of his clasp. She then came down behind him with a shot from the serum. Rattrap, too, collapsed from the cure working its way through his system.

"You were saying?" Blackarachnia eyed Tarantulas warily.

"I, um…"

Optimus grabbed Silverbolt by both wings and kicked him in the back with both feet like he did with Tigatron, sending the fuzor crashing against Tigatron, whom Rhinox had thrown as well. The two Maximals looked helplessly as Rhinox and Optimus closed in on them. Just as Optimus drew his swords and Rhinox took out his chain guns, a large plasma blast struck the ground where they stood, sending them both hurtling in opposite directions.

Silverbolt looked up. It had been Inferno who fired the shot that he saved them both. Without hesitation, Silverbolt and Tigatron drew their respective serums and ran to the large Maximals. Silverbolt shot a quick dose of the serum into Rhinox while Tigatron did the same with Optimus. After receiving the shot, Optimus howled angrily backhanded Tigatron off while Rhinox grunted and punched Silverbolt in the snout to knock him away.

Both commander and scientist rose to their feet dazedly. With the serum working its way through them, it was difficult for them to stand straight or to walk. Tigatron and Silverbolt quickly went over and helped steady them.

"Are you alright?" Tigatron asked.

"What happened?" Optimus blinked.

"We shall explain once we get you back to base," Silverbolt patted Optimus on the back.

* * *

"Curses!" Tarantulas growled. "Blackarachnia, go down there and finish them while they are still weak!"

"Um," Blackarachnia noticed two red eyes in the shadows behind them. "I think you'd better take care of it yourself."

"What do you mean?" Tarantulas demanded.

"See ya, legs!" Blackarachnia fired her grappling hook into the ceiling and swung away.

"Treacherous widow!" Tarantulas screamed. "It seems I have to do everything myself!"

"You are the one who put the Queen in danger!" an accusing voice behind him spat.

"I-Inferno!" Tarantulas stammered. "It was the Maximals who kidnapped your Queen and placed her in captivity!"

Inferno appeared before Tarantulas in the light where the Predacon scientist could see him. The pyromaniac set his stasis pod down and drew his gun, brandishing it menacingly for the Predacon to view.

"I've come to take back what is mine," Inferno informed the hapless Tarantulas. "But before then, I have some unfinished business with the likes of you!"

"No, Inferno…" Tarantulas pleaded. "You have it all wrong. There's been a misunderstanding between us!"

"I'll hear no more!" Inferno pulled down on the trigger and unleashed a volley of fire. "Burn, spider! BURRRRNNN!"

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

"Then Inferno was the one who helped you?" Optimus asked skeptically.

"As hard as it is to believe," Tigatron nodded. "Yes, he was."

Optimus looked at Rhinox, Cheetor, and Rattrap. The other Maximals only shrugged it off.

"Anything's possible," Rhinox ventured.

"Thanks for saving us, Big Cat," Cheetor said. "You guys really pulled through for us."

"Don't thank me," Tigatron smiled. "Thank Silverbolt. If it weren't for him pacifying the tensions between me and Inferno, we may not have made it in time with the cure."

"It was nothing," Silverbolt chuckled. "Inferno was the one who saved us all, ironically…"

"Well, my work is done," Tigatron saluted his comrades and headed to the exit hatch. "Farewell, my friends."

"Tigatron, wait," Airazor went after him.

"Yes?"

"You could drop by more often," Airazor suggested.

"Hmm, I'll take that to mind," Tigatron agreed. "It is pleasant being around this base but for now, I must take my leave."

"She's right, you know," Silverbolt appeared next to Airazor. "Most of my duties are in Europe but I still make the effort to visit here as often as I can."

"Yeah, Tigatron," Cheetor agreed. "It would be nice having you around here more often."

Tigatron transformed back to robot mode and faced them. His expressions remained unreadable for a second but finally burst into a grin.

"Very well," Tigatron relented. "Three days a week I think I can squeeze in."

"It was truly an honor working with you, my friend," Silverbolt extended his hand.

"Likewise," Tigatron shook it firmly.

_The End._


	23. Double Dose

**Beast Wars: Symmetries **

_Double Dose _

In their three months of dating, Aaron and Sarah had seen better days. What was supposed to have been a simple going-out had turned into a hostage situation they had never pictured themselves in.

While walking downtown, Aaron had taken a sudden interest in the sounds he had heard coming from a nearby building. It was on his request that Sarah went with him, despite both their reservations. It was supposed to have been an adventure. Now that several thugs had ambushed and taken them captive from behind, it had turned into a high-stakes game for their very lives.

"Your wallets," Lashley, the black arms dealer before them, requested.

He was a muscular black man who stood at around six foot tall with the tattoo of a serpent decorating his right arm. He was also the head operative of this smuggling ring.

Nervously, Aaron took his out. Sarah did the same.

"Here you go," Aaron handed his over to the thugs. "Just let us go now. We didn't mean to stumble into this deal!"

"Of course you didn't," Lashley informed them. "You were just two college brats out for a night of fun."

"Y-You're right about that," Sarah concurred. "We're not going to tell anyone about this! College students don't care about this mercenary business! We just want to know when our next ramen meal is cooked!"

"Yes, I remember going to college," Lashley stroked his chin. "It never did work out for me."

"So you'll let us go?" Aaron asked nervously.

"Unfortunately I stand to make a lot of money out of these new weapons I've just received," Lashley told them in a good-humored manner. "And it just so happens that I can't be connected to this in any way."

"Oh no," Sarah muttered. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"I'm afraid I can't leave witnesses running around with my secret," Lashley turned around and walked away. "Finish them off."

"You got it, Mr. Lashley," one of the goons pointed his gun at the two young adults.

Before the thug could fire, an enormous dark shape leaped out from behind the shadows and slammed into him, knocking the criminal accomplice down. After getting a good look, Aaron and Sarah realized that it was a gorilla that had just saved their lives.

"Is that a…" Sarah gasped.

"Whoa, check it out!" Aaron exclaimed.

The gorilla pried the guns out of the hands of two other thugs and snapped them rather easily. Lashley turned around just in time as two big cats leaped out from behind the crates and pounced on

two more of his henchman. Just as it seemed the situation couldn't get stranger, the two big cats leaped up into the air and transformed into what appeared to be actual robots

Lashley was furious now that his operations had been stopped.

"Finish those animals!" he ordered.

But it was no good. In an instant, they were all out cold on the floor. Now he had nothing to turn to except escape. Before he could run, however, a pair of steel-like talons grabbed him by the shoulders and lifted him up, throwing him into a pile of crates.

"You really know how to show a girl a good time," Sarah complained to Aaron bitterly.

"What do you mean?"

"You almost got us killed! Let's get out of here while we still can!" Sarah dragged onto his sleeve as the two ran off towards the exit.

"Looks like humans still aren't used to us," Optimus remarked.

"Hey, there's no shame in being like the Ninja Turtles!" Cheetor protested.

"We did save the lives of those two," Airazor flew down and transformed to robot mode. "Isn't that what counts?"

"Not to mention we stopped the new shipments of weaponry Megatron had," Tigatron nodded.

"Think we'll find anything good in here?" Cheetor asked as he walked over towards the broken crates and began digging inside for their contents.

"Be careful Cheetor," Optimus cautioned his young lieutenant. "Those weapons are state-of-the-art dangerous."

"Hey, isn't this Cybertronian?"

"Hmm?"

Cheetor took out one of the devices and handed it over to Optimus. It was a detonator with Cybertronian writings inscribed on it. It was no mere Cybertronian, however. It appeared to be an ancient form of hieroglyphics used on Cybertron in times long past.

"Interesting," Optimus observed.

"What could it be?" Tigatron asked.

"There's only one way to find out," confirmed Optimus.

* * *

For some reason, Megatron was in a lethargic mood. He had let his minions have the day off while he lounged back for the entire afternoon, sitting on his chair and watching television while his paperwork went undone.

Still, he supposed that they had to be complete at some point. But right now, he simply wasn't in the right spirits to do it. The possible reason for his bad mood was most likely because of the shipments that he had just lost due to Maximal interference.

"Why must I be surrounded by incompetents?" Megatron allowed himself a brief moment of concentration to complain.

"Like they say, it takes one to know one."

"What?" Megatron growled.

From out of his office window, Optimus Primal smashed through the glass, followed by Airazor, Tigatron, Cheetor, and Rattrap.

"You!" Megatron growled into his microphone. "Predacons! Get in here this instant!"

Then he slapped himself mentally. He had given his minions the day off. None of them stuck around out at the mansion when they had a day off.

"I disabled 'yer alarm system too," Rattrap tossed a bundle of cables towards Megatron's desk, only to be greeted by the tyrant's scowl.

"What is the meaning for this intrusion?" Megatron snapped.

Optimus held a bag over his shoulders. He walked over, hoisted the bag up, and dumped the contents down onto Megatron's table.

"I suppose these belong to you?" Optimus asked.

"Yes, they do," Megatron replied angrily. All of the weapons had been disabled beforehand.

Then it caught his notice.

"This…" Megatron picked up the one detonator that caught his eye. "I did not manufacture this!"

"Right, and cheetahs don't really have spots," Cheetor rolled his optics. "How stupid do you think we are, Mega-dweeb?"

"Where did you get this?" Megatron demanded.

"Doesn't it belong to you?" Tigatron asked.

"Far from it, my striped feline!" Megatron exclaimed. "This is ancient Cybertronian! Something that I have no knowledge of!"

"You mean… of all these weapons in here, this detonator doesn't belong to you?" Optimus looked skeptical.

"Why should it?" Megatron sneered. "None of the Predacons, including myself, even understand this gibberish!"

"So, 'da plot thickens," Rattrap commented sarcastically.

"Get out of here," Megatron ordered.

Optimus did not say anything. Megatron, on the other hand, could tell that this new revelation was also surprising to the Maximal leader. Instead of getting going on with the interrogation, Optimus turned towards his troops and motioned them to go. One by one, they left through the window.

"We'll be keeping an eye on you," warned Optimus.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from the great Optimus Primal," Megatron told his archenemy sarcastically.

After Optimus had left, Megatron turned his attention back to the piles of paperwork he had. It was going to be a _long_ night after all.

"You hide your intentions well, Megatron."

Megatron whirled around and pointed his blaster towards the intruder. He was dressed in a large trenchcoat, though body armor could be seen beneath the coat in the form of metal boots and gloves.

"And you might be?" demanded Megatron.

"My name is Sentinel," the figure replied. "And I believe there is much we can do to help each other."

* * *

"Are you serious?" Blackarachnia asked. "That's Sentinel?"

"Mmm," Megatron nodded.

Across the spacious living room, the being known as Sentinel stood quietly in the corner of the fireplace like a hawk as Megatron and the Predacons discussed their current situation. So far, none of the Predacons had any unified opinion on the matter at hand.

"So, uh, can we really trust this guy?" asked Terrorsaur.

"I think we should accept his help," said Scorponok. "Think of all the plans he could provide us with on the Maximals."

"Hello?" Blackarachnia waved her claw in front of Scorponok's face. "Have you been oblivious to the creepy vibes this guy's been giving off? He doesn't seem trustworthy to me."

"Maybe we can just sic' Sentinel on the Maximals," Terrorsaur suggested. "Let 'em take each other out. That should be easy enough."

"Waspinator agree with Terrorsaur," the insectile Predacon nodded. "Stupid Maximals never see Sentinel coming!"

"But what if he turns on us?" Blackarachnia pointed out. "If he turned on the Maximals, he'll easily do the same to the Predacons."

"Hmm, good point," Terrorsaur appeared to agree.

"As good as this discussion can get, I think we should leave the decision up to Megatron," Scorponok looked up. "Right, boss?"

"Correct Scorponok," Megatron huffed out his chest to demonstrate the authority he held over the others. "As much as I value your opinions, fellow Predacons, it does not necessarily mean that I take them into consideration."

"Thanks for reminding us this isn't a democracy," Blackarachnia grumbled.

"Nor would you want to live under one anyways," Megatron reminded her. "Leave democracy to the Maximals, Miss Arachnia."

"Eh," shrugged Terrorsaur. "As long as it means we get to blast the Maximals to spare parts, we should go for it."

"Waspinator's sentiments exactly!" buzzed Waspinator. "Use Sentinel to rip new waste disposal units for Maximals!"

"Of course, the exact decision to make is up to me!" Megatron stood up again. "And I have reached the verdict that Sentinel's assistance will aid our goals most sumptuously!"

After clearing his throat, Megatron walked over to Sentinel to report on his group's decision.

"Sentinel, my good friend," Megatron smiled. "We have decided to accept your gracious offer."

"Splendid," Sentinel replied emotionlessly. "The plan will be set in motion by tomorrow."

"And what, er, plan would that be?" asked Megatron, clearly not expecting something so soon.

"I have set a trap for the Maximals far ahead of schedule," explained Sentinel. "The plan entails the manipulation of their emotional circuitry. By now, their raw, expressive programming seems to have allayed all logic and rationale aside."

"Um, in plain Cybertronian?" Megatron requested.

"In the forests, there is an empty stasis pod I have placed strategically," Sentinel told the Predacon leader. "By tomorrow, it will give off a signal to warn the Maximal sensors of a new protoform within their location. And when that time comes, we will strike."

"I like the way you think, Sentinel," Megatron told the supercomputer.

"All will go according to plan," Sentinel agreed.

"Pardon me for asking this, Sentinel," Megatron looked at his new partner-in-crime. "But why is it that you have not allowed me a more… central role in this plan?"

"Patience my friend," reassured Sentinel. "For when the time comes, you will be allowed the coup de grace with Optimus Primal."

"I like the sound of that, yesss," Megatron's expression seemed to grow fonder.

"I have a feeling nothing good will come of this," Blackarachnia whispered to Scorponok.

"Relax," Scorponok patted her on the shoulder condescendingly. "Megatron knows what he's getting into."

"Don't patronize me," Blackarachnia glared at him. "If Sentinel could turn on the Maximals so easily, just think of how he'll pull one over us."

"Pffft," Scorponok shrugged. "Even if Sentinel does turn on us, Megatron will have something up his sleeve."

As Megatron and Sentinel continued their discussions, Blackarachnia looked at the supercomputer with increasing unease and suspicion. Notably, neither Terrorsaur nor Waspinator seemed overly concerned with the situation. Scorponok, obviously enough, had full faith in the Predacon leader. It was times like this Blackarachnia wished she were in charge of the team.

* * *

"You getting 'dis, Rhinox?" Rattrap burst into the central room.

"Oh yeah," Rhinox nodded with Optimus and Cheetor at his side. "New stasis pod at Point Fifty Three Gamma."

"What beast mode do you suppose the new guy's gonna get?" Cheetor asked enthusiastically.

"Well," Rhinox looked into the database. "According to the files, there are owls, black bears, deer, pumas, otters, beavers, and red tailed hawks around the area."

"Here's to hoping our new recruit's a puma!" Cheetor announced. "We could use another cat around the base."

"Eh, I don't know how long I could stand the hairballs around the Axalon," Rattrap grimaced. "I'd hope for a beaver."

"Maybe the new recruit will be an owl of hawk," Airazor said hopefully. "Another aerial recruit would be helpful… not to mention the company I could have on patrols."

"Mmm," Tigatron relaxed his head. "Whatever form the new Maximal assumes, we should all do our part to make him or her feel at home."

"I agree," Optimus got up. "Rhinox, how close is the stasis pod to our proximity?"

"Roughly twenty to thirty miles," confirmed the Maximal scientist. "Getting there shouldn't take too long."

"Sounds good," Optimus said. "Cheetor, Rattrap, Airazor. You're with me."

As soon as the four Maximals left through the main hatch, Rhinox closed down the computer and sighed.

"Is something wrong, my friend?" asked Tigatron.

"Oh, it's just something in the past that I regret," Rhinox confessed.

"You're not talking about—"

"Yeah, Sentinel."

"There is a certain beauty to creating something and breathing life to it," Tigatron said. "You add bits and pieces of yourself to it in addition. But when it turns out not to have been the product you wanted, disappointment often follows."

"I almost got us killed just because I gave free will to that hunk of junk," Rhinox shook his head.

"True, but you learned an important lesson in the process," Tigatron, in beast mode, sat next to Rhinox's chair. "The act of giving life to something is not to be taken lightly. Once you come to terms with that, the potential wonders you can create in the future become much more likely."

Rhinox chuckled. "What would we do without our resident philosopher?"

"I shudder to think," Tigatron smiled.

* * *

"The pod should be in this location," Optimus said as he set Cheetor down. Likewise, Airazor also lowered Rattrap to the ground.

The forests around them were tranquil and relatively undisturbed. Trees reached dizzying heights as birds chirped merrily on the branches. The one goal the Maximals had in mind, however, was the stasis pod.

"All is quiet on 'da western front…" Rattrap said softly.

"Huh?" Airazor inquired.

"Eh, just saying 'dat we may face a Pred ambush sooner or later," explained the diminutive Maximal.

"Must you always think so negatively?" asked Airazor.

"I see the pod just a few yards from here," Optimus told the group after zooming in across the terrain with his vision.

Just then, a missile from above came down and exploded on impact, immediately scattering all four Maximals. As the four fallen soldiers looked up, the silhouettes of Terrorsaur and Waspinator could be seen flying away.

"See, told ya so!" Rattrap shouted.

"Shut up, Rattrap!" the three other Maximals yelled.

"Sheesh," Rattrap shook his head. "Tough audience…"

As the group took out their weapons, a shadowy figure leaped down from the trees and kicked Optimus Primal, knocking him down. The attacker was instantly revealed to be Blackarachnia but Optimus quickly waved the other Maximals to go.

"Don't worry about me!" Optimus ordered. "Get to the stasis pod!"

At that, Cheetor, Rattrap, and Airazor bounded towards the direction of the pod.

"Your funeral," Blackarachnia shrugged.

"Stand down, Blackarachnia," warned Optimus. "We won't let you turn the new Maximal into a Predacon!"

"Then try getting through me first," hissed the black widow spider.

* * *

"We got it now," Rattrap reported to Rhinox on his com-link.

"All we gotta do is reprogram this baby and out pops a new Maximal!" Cheetor quickly transformed to robot mode.

"Wait a minute," Airazor took hold of Cheetor's arm. "What's that thing?"

As indicated by the aerial Maximal, two metal tentacles had sprouted out of the lid of the stasis pod as fog emerged from its opening. Curiously, the tentacles crawled forward until they sprang out and grabbed Cheetor by both legs and hoisted him up into the air, slamming him into a nearby tree.

Airazor and Rattrap quickly readied their guns as the stasis pod opened to reveal a strange figure sheathed in grey battle armor with a blazing red optic at the center of his head. The metal whips that had previously emerged returned to his wrists where they had emerged. He was about the size of an ordinary human, being only a few inches taller than Rattrap.

"I got a baaaad feelin' about 'dis," Rattrap muttered.

* * *

The Maximal leader quickly raised his forearm to block a swing from the female Predacon. Blackarachnia spun around swiftly and with a sweeping kick, tripped Optimus to the ground. Optimus quickly rolled out of the way as Blackarachnia slammed her boot down on where his head used to be.

The two combatants studied each other intently. Both were aware of the other's skill in that instant. After a nano-klik or two had passed between them, Optimus Primal drew his swords and charged.

Blackarachnia quickly avoided a forward thrust by Optimus and kicked the sword immediately out of his hand. She leaped up and caught it, bringing the sword down towards the Maximal's head only for Optimus to deflect it with a parry of his own. The two attacked each other one more, striking and deflecting until Optimus gained the upper hand and flipped the sword out of Blackarachnia's claw with a swift maneuver he had learned while sparring against his combat instructors back on Cybertron. The blade flew out of her hands and embedded itself against a tree.

The black widow threw a roundhouse kick at Optimus only for Primal to blast into the air with his jets and somersault next to the tree where he tore his sword out from the bark and went on the assault again. Blackarachnia back flipped out of the way as Optimus slashed at her and took out her gun, firing a missile at the gorilla.

With one upward slash, Optimus deflected the cyber venom-soaked missile and sliced it into two. He leaped forward and struck Blackarachnia with three consecutive slashes.

When the dust settled, Blackarachnia remained standing. Soon enough, however, the leg-mounted machine guns on both her arms fell off in addition to front segment of her crossbow.

After getting a good glance of the expression on Blackarachnia's face, Optimus calmly sheathed his swords back into his sub-space compartments once more.

"You—" cursed Blackarachnia.

Blackarachnia charged angrily but Optimus leaped up. He grabbed onto a tree branch and kicked Blackarachnia in the stomach, knocking the female Predacon to the dirt.

"I think now would be a good time for you to clear out," Optimus warned her.

Blackarachnia sat up and glared at him angrily. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Sentinel stepping out of the brushes with the unconscious bodies of Rattrap, Cheetor, and Airazor.

"Greetings, Optimus!" Megatron also stepped out into the clear. "I see Blackarachnia was gracious enough to greet you with full honors."

"Megatron!" Optimus shouted. "What have you done with the new protoform?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'll be acquainted with him soon enough," smiled Megatron.

Before Optimus could react, a red laser struck him from behind at full force. The intensity of the blast seared his back and forced him to his knees. As Optimus managed to turn around, another beam hit him once more and sent him caroling into stasis lock.

* * *

"Ugh…" Rattrap groaned. "What 'da heck just happened?"

Soon enough, he realized that he was unable to move even the slightest. Some sort of stasis field bound his body; it held him in place fully. The only things available to him were his thoughts, his voice, and a few facial expressions.

"Yo," Rattrap called to the other Maximals whose bodies were also constricted. "You guys awake?"

"Just barely," Airazor groaned. "I don't even remember what hit us…"

"I do," Optimus growled as Megatron entered into the room with Sentinel, Waspinator, and Terrorsaur.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Terrorsaur gloated.

"Ya know, when I get 'dis joint," Rattrap hissed. "You're really gonna regret 'dis!"

"Ooh, Waspinator is trembling!" Waspinator chuckled. "What rat-bot going to do?"

"Once we get outta here, we're gonna make cat chow out of you!" threatened Cheetor.

"The only thing that's gonna become chow is you, pussy cat!" Terrorsaur mocked.

"You're really gonna become teriyaki chicken on a stick once I get through wit' you," Rattrap told Terrorsaur.

"The only thing that's gonna be served tonight is rat-on-a-stick, haha!" Terrorsaur laughed and pointed his gun at Rattrap's head together with Waspinator. "Ready, Waspinator?"

It was in that moment that Megatron knocked the two fliers aside furiously.

"No, you fools!" Megatron growled. "I want them alive and unscathed… for the moment."

"What do you plan on doing with them?" asked Sentinel. "It would be a simple matter to destroy them here and now."

"Oh Sentinel," Megatron grinned widely. "Where is your sense of conclusion? I want to use these Maximals as bait to lure in the others!"

"I begin to understand the rationale…" Sentinel replied.

"And you were correct, Sentinel," Megatron told his new partner-in-crime. "There is indeed much we can learn from each other. In fact, I'd like to make you a central part of my new plan."

"Which details?"

"Once I have Rhinox in my grasp, you will have the honor of finishing him," Megatron explained. "That is what you want, isn't it?"

"Yes, very much so," Sentinel looked thoughtful.

"And you shall have your opportunity," Megatron informed the supercomputer. "All that remains now is for me to inform you of my new plans."

"Please do," Sentinel motioned for Megatron to follow him.

After Megatron and Sentinel left, the four Maximals finally found the courage to speak again.

"Check this out," Cheetor murmured. "How did Megatron get involved with Sentinel?"

"Best bet is email," Rattrap joked.

"Somehow Sentinel's gotten into contact with Megatron," Optimus deduced. "And if our checkered history with him is any indication, Sentinel has no intention of truly helping Megatron out either."

"So what'll we do?" asked Rattrap. "Help Megs out? That ain't ever worked out before…"

"We could always hope that they take each other out," suggested Airazor.

"Possibly," Optimus agreed. "Rattrap, is there any gadget you have that could get us out of here?"

"Nope," Rattrap replied. "Can't budge an inch, outside of makin' smiley faces."

"Prime," Optimus muttered.

"Guess we'd better count on Megatron and Sentinel taking each other out, huh?" Cheetor asked.

"That would be our best bet," Airazor agreed.

* * *

"Incoming transmission," the Maximal computer beeped.

"Hmm," Rhinox stroked his chin. "They must've gotten the new recruit."

Sitting back down at the main computer, Rhinox switched it on while Tigatron joined with him.

"Greetings, Rhinox," a familiar voice greeted him. "It has been a while since the two of us have met."

"Sentinel!" Rhinox recognized the voice immediately. "Only you would know our transmission!"

"I have come before you to discuss a matter of great importance."

"Oh?" Rhinox asked sarcastically.

"Come to PIER Fifteen at the harbor within the next two megacycles," Sentinel instructed. "It is there that you shall board the luxury cruiser known as the SS Predacon."

"Why are you telling me this?" demanded Rhinox.

"Because I have your friends," Sentinel replied calmly and emotionlessly. "Unless you wish to see them again, you shall do as I have instructed."

"Alright then…" Rhinox glared at Sentinel. "The stasis pod was empty, wasn't it? You were the one setting the whole thing up!"

"Very perceptive of you," acknowledged Sentinel. "You Maximals are so tainted by emotion. The loss of a potential comrade to the Predacon faction stirs something within you that I cannot even comprehend."

"It's called compassion," Tigatron told Sentinel angrily. "Look it up sometime."

"I have," Sentinel informed him. "But it is a concept that has no meaning to me. As it stands, you may either appear before me or your friends will perish."

With that, Sentinel cut the connection. Rhinox and Tigatron glanced at each other warily.

"We know it's gonna be a trap," Rhinox said.

"What other choice do we have?" Tigatron contemplated. "Sentinel will surely kill Optimus, Cheetor, and the others if we do not follow his instructions."

"Then we gotta do what we gotta do," Rhinox stood up resolutely.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to go out for this?" asked Sarah. "We were supposed to go to the movies with Amy and the others."

"Yeah babe," Aaron acknowledged as he hoisted the anchor aboard his yacht. "But this'll be so much better."

"I dunno," Sarah shrugged. "I did promise Amy I'd meet up with her and Josh."

"But we're going on something even more," Aaron reminded her. "We're going on an adventure on the high seas, remember?"

"It does sound tempting…" admitted Sarah.

"Besides, Josh and Amy would probably want to go alone for that chick flick anyways," Aaron joked.

"Hey, I enjoy those kinds of movies!" Sarah punched Aaron in the arm playfully.

"Now what do you say we wrap things up on shore and head out?" suggested Aaron.

"Sounds good to me," Sarah agreed.

"Oh yeah, and just in case we don't make it back," said Aaron half jokingly. "Plant one on me for the road."

Just as Sarah leaned in for the kiss, a bizarre, mechanical laughter was heard from above in the luxury cruiser that floated next to them.

"It seems that I shall never understand the complexities of human emotion," said what appeared to be a man on top of the ship.

"Who's this guy?" Aaron looked up.

From the man's wrists, a red laser beam suddenly emerged and shot down, blasting through their hull and going through the decks before destroying the yacht. Sarah and Aaron quickly grasped the situation and leaped off their yacht onto the bridge just as their personal ship started to sink.

"You know…" Aaron said nervously. "Maybe we _should_ meet up with Josh and Amy at the movies…"

"G-Good idea," Sarah agreed as the two college students ran off.

"Was that really necessary?" asked Megatron.

"You feel sorry for these humans?" asked Sentinel. "I would not have expected such behavior from you."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Megatron frowned. "It's just that I believe my company manufactured that brand of yachts. You understand the time and money that went into building such things."

"No," Sentinel replied plainly. "I do not."

Megatron grimaced. He was beginning to like Sentinel less and less. Soon enough, however, he would not have to put up with the supercomputer much longer. Or at least that was what he hoped.

Megatron put a hand on Sentinel's shoulder. "What do you say we go up to await the appearance of Rhinox? It would be so much more entertaining that way."

"Yes, let us do that," Sentinel concurred.

What Sentinel did not notice was Megatron's hand planting a small chip on his back. In his self-confidence, he did not feel that the subtle touch held any importance. To him, it was simply strange behavior by the tyrant.

* * *

"You almost got it?" asked Cheetor.

"Hold 'yer horses, kid," Rattrap muttered. "I'm almost there…"

Now that the stasis fields were no longer there to restrain nearly all their movements, the energy bonds that simply held their arms gave the Maximals much more leeway to move the rest of their bodies freely, with the obvious exception of their hands.

Finally, Rattrap's wrist manipulations took effect. The energy bond around his arm disappeared as the small device that generated the bond clattered to the floor harmlessly.

"Great job, RT!" complimented Airazor.

Rattrap flipped his lock pick skillfully in the air as he smiled. "I also happen 'ta be a master lock pick and escape artist."

"Is there anything you can't do?" joked Optimus.

"I can't make a banana split, if that's what you were wondering, boss monkey," Rattrap ribbed.

"Okay, our turn," Cheetor requested.

"Yeah, yeah," Rattrap muttered. "Hang on there for a nano-klik…"

After a few kliks of lock picking, the energy bonds that held Cheetor, Airazor, and Optimus also came off. Optimus got up and stretched his body fully.

"Time to kick some slag," Optimus's expressions grew serious.

"I'm with you all the way, Bigbot!" Cheetor agreed and charged his gut gun.

"Whoa, I think this ship is moving!" exclaimed Airazor.

"Hmm, better get out there before it sets sail too far from land," Optimus told his teammates.

* * *

"So Sentinel," Megatron sat down on the table and sipped his energon gin. "The time for mincing words is over. What is it that you really want?"

"I was afraid you'd never ask," Sentinel said with a touch of scorn to his voice. "I'm afraid my goals are far more complex than you could ever imagine!"

"Try me," Megatron shrugged.

"The true purpose of my assistance is to dispose of you and the Maximals," explained Sentinel. "After this, I shall return to our homeworld with your ship. I intend to download my core processors into the heart of Cybertron itself! It is there that I shall merge with the planet and become a living god!"

"I'm so sorry to disappoint," Megatron got up.

Sentinel raised his wrist laser and aimed it at the Predacon. "And what can you possibly do about it?"

Megatron did not reply but merely pressed down on the remote he secretly held. The chip of Sentinel's shoulder dug in and drilled its way through the armor. In an instant, electrical sparks surged across Sentinel as a new viral system overtook the supercomputer's processors. Try as he might, Sentinel could not fire on or attack Megatron in any way, shape, or form.

"Megatron!" a familiar voice cried out as the cabin door was kicked down. Optimus, Rattrap, Cheetor, and Airazor all had their weapons trained on the two.

"You cannot do this to me!" Sentinel cried. "I am Sentinel! I am invincible!"

"I was aware of your treachery from the beginning," Megatron told the supercomputer. "But now you have new objectives, Sentinel. Destroy the Maximals!"

Sentinel quickly turned towards the Maximals and opened fire. Cheetor attacked first only for the metal whips to emerge from Sentinel's wrists and knock the young Maximal into the table. Airazor flew down but Sentinel merely leaped up and grabbed her by the foot, throwing her against the side of the cabin.

Seeing his opportunity, Megatron took the chance to escape and walk down the steps for his getaway boat.

* * *

"Now to let those fools destroy each other," chuckled Megatron as he neared his escape boat.

"Megatron!" a voice behind him roared.

Just as the tyrant turned around, Tigatron, in beast mode, leaped out from the top of the stairs and raked Megatron across the face viciously. As Megatron howled in pain, Tigatron landed on all fours neatly. The Predacon roared angrily after seeing the claw marks across his face on a glass window. Megatron charged but Tigatron quickly leaped over him and bounded away swiftly. As Megatron raised his T-Rex cannon to fire, the large frame of Rhinox in animal form smashed into him horn-first and knocked him off the side of the ship into the raging waters below.

"Blast you!" shouted Megatron as he fell into the sea.

* * *

Sentinel grabbed onto Airazor and threw her into Rattrap. Rattrap stumbled back onto the balcony but refrained from falling altogether. A split second later, the body of Cheetor crashed into him and knocked him over the edge.

As Rattrap fell, two strong arms suddenly caught him. Rattrap looked up to be greeted by a familiar sight.

"Rhinox!" exclaimed the rodent. "Am I glad 'ta see you!"

"Thank me later," Rhinox informed him. "Right now we've got Sentinel to worry about."

At the scene of the battle, Optimus sliced at Sentinel only for the powerful robot to dodge the swings with relative ease. Sentinel's speed and agility were impressive as he leaped over a crossing slash and

shot out his metal tentacles, wrapping them around Primal's swords. Quickly, Sentinel leaped up and came down with a drill kick that sent Optimus crashing to the hardwood floor.

Tigatron, in beast mode, pounced Sentinel and pinned him to the floor. Reacting speedily, Sentinel wrapped his hand around Tigatron's throat and sent a powerful surge of electricity into the Maximal. Gripping on tightly, Sentinel got up and held Tigatron sadistically with the choke, seemingly enjoying every bit of the striped Transformer's howls of anguish.

"Put him down!" Rhinox cried and smashed Sentinel in the face with a punch that knocked Sentinel head first into the window of the cabin.

Sentinel got up and twisted his head back into proper position. Very rapidly, the metal whip appeared again and sliced Rhinox across the chest, causing the Maximal scientist to cry out in pain and fall back.

"You cannot defeat me!" Sentinel cried while simultaneously trying to fight off the virus in his body. "You barely held your own against me the last time we met! I have no pain circuitry to speak of! I feel no injuries! I am the ultimate life form!"

"It's the six of us against one of him," Optimus told his team. "What do you say?"

Just then, a blast struck Sentinel in the back and sent him sprawling forward. It turned out that Rattrap had just shot Sentinel from behind right after the supercomputer's bragging.

"I say _no-pain-no-gain_," Rattrap commented sarcastically as he blew away the smoke from his gun.

The rest of the Maximals took advantage of the distraction to fire upon Sentinel. The supercomputer dodged a missile from Airazor but a shot from Cheetor's gut gun struck the ground where he stood and sent him off balance. With that, Tigatron leaped out again and used his claws to tear Sentinel across the back, ripping out copious amounts of metal and wiring.

As Sentinel stood up straight again after the initial assault, Optimus slashed him with one fresh sweep, beheading the robot cleanly.

But it was not quite over. Just as Sentinel's head fell to the floor, his chest opened up to reveal a red cavity that glowed with power. Optimus cried out as a powerful beam struck him in the chest and knocked him away. Sentinel hit unleashed several blasts onto Maximals until smoke seemed to cover the entire ship.

After the smoke cleared, Rhinox was the first to emerge with his chain guns.

"_Hasta la vista_, Sentinel," Rhinox declared.

Without hesitation, he unleashed the full power of his weapon and blasted Sentinel with every bullet round he had until the limbs of the supercomputer fell off and Sentinel's central core shut down from the sheer damage Rhinox had inflicted on his now-ravaged and bullet-ridden body. After being thoroughly pulverized, the body of Sentinel fell to the floor as smoke rose into the air.

* * *

"Alas, poor Sentinel!" Rattrap held up the decapitated head of the supercomputer. "We hardly knew ya!"

"Could you put that away?" requested Airazor. "That's kind of… morbid."

"Not to mention disturbing!" added Cheetor.

"Oh come on!" Rattrap protested. "Don't you louses have any sense of drama? Besides, it's not as if the guy's actually dead. He'll probably prop up next time in some brand new suit of armor."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Optimus noted. "Unless we find Sentinel's source, we could be fighting an endless battle against him."

"Yo Cheetor!" Rattrap kicked the head of Sentinel towards the younger Maximal. "Catch!"

"Ewww!" Cheetor batted the head aside. "You'll pay for that, cheesebreath!"

As Cheetor chased after Rattrap, Tigatron shook his head and smiled.

"Whatever the future holds," smiled Tigatron. "We'll be ready if Sentinel does return."

"Are you alright?" Optimus looked at Rhinox with concern.

"Yeah," Rhinox returned with a big grin. "No use crying over spilled milk. When we get back to base, I'd like to show you some of my new inventions."

"Sounds good," Optimus nodded. "I'd like to see what's in your new inventory."

"You'll probably like the new ion disrupter I've constructed," Rhinox continued. "In addition to the new processor I've created that can harvest and process energon with 70 percent more efficiency with less of the waste that would come from ordinary compacting."

And so it was. Though the threat of Sentinel still loomed above the horizon, the Maximals would be prepared for the future.

Rhinox merely smiled inwardly. There would be plenty of time for him to rectify his mistake in creating Sentinel. For now, there was still so much more that he could do for his teammates, all in the name of science.

_Fin._


	24. Twilight of the Gods Pt 1

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Twilight of the Gods _

_Part I_

"5…4…3…2…1!"

Cheers erupted across the television set as the New Year's finally arrived in New York City. The joyous occasion, however, was marked by apprehension on the part of the Maximals and understandably so.

It was the Year of the Vok. More precisely, it was the year that the Vok would come to Earth to destroy it. While Cheetor, Tigatron, and Optimus were on the Easter Islands, they had received a prophecy about the impending alien invasion and the exact date it would occur.

"Okay, nuthin's happening so far," Rattrap pointed out.

"They could come at any minute now," Optimus warned the group. "They may show up on our sensors at any moment. We have to be prepared for this."

"I could try a high altitude scanner for Earth's atmosphere," suggested Rhinox. "But that may take up to two megacycles."

"Do what you can, old friend," Optimus recommended. "Airazor, you and I are going on patrol for any possible signs."

"Got it," Airazor got up and left with Optimus.

"Do you really think we'll be going up against an entire armada?" asked Cheetor nervously. "I-I don't think I've ever gone through anything like this."

It was plain to the rest of the Maximals how dire their situation was and how frightened they all were, despite some reluctance to openly admit it. Cheetor's question, however, made everyone realize their anxiousness.

"It will be alright, Little Cat," Tigatron put a comforting paw on Cheetor. "We will persevere, I promise."

"Yeah," Rattrap promised. "Ain't no aliens gonna scare us, right?"

Wrong. The possibility of an entire fleet coming to decimate earth was still frightening to the Maximals. As Rhinox looked down, he noticed his hand shaking. It was going to be a long and difficult day, to say the least.

"Think the day'll squeak by with no problems?" asked Rattrap.

"By Primus, I hope so," replied Rhinox.

* * *

Optimus flew through the air with Airazor at his side. So far, there had been no sign of any invading fleet. Even with her further seeing vision, Airazor could not pinpoint any noticeable signs of alien spacecrafts. Their search had turned up nothing as they flew across the mountainous range.

"I'm not even sure why we're doing this," confessed Optimus. "Based on one little prophecy that could turn out to be nothing at all. I'm beginning to wonder if these aliens even exist."

"Tigatron did meet up with that one alien in the temple," Airazor replied. "Maybe this isn't as crazy as we think it is."

"Let's hope so," said Optimus. "If they do come, everything will be at stake."

"Incoming!" Airazor shouted suddenly.

A missile flew past them and exploded in midair. Another soon followed and the explosion from it rocked both Optimus and Airazor, knocking them both from the sky.

"What is that?" Airazor shouted.

Both Maximals flew down. Situated at the top of a plateau was Ecclesiastes with a bazooka pointed towards them both. His granddaughter Selena was also at his side. Optimus signaled to Airazor who flew to one side just as Ecclesiastes fired another round. The Maximal falcon zoomed past the blast and kicked the gun out of the old man's hands while Selena gasped.

"You again!" Optimus shouted.

"Are you really so surprised to see me at this point?" Ecclesiastes smirked.

"Not really," replied the Maximal gorilla. "I had a feeling I'd be seeing you soon."

"Correct," Ecclesiastes nodded. "Do you know why I have called you to attention?"

"To help your Vok buddies turn this planet into a crispy waffle?" Airazor pointed her wrist missile at the elderly man.

"No, as much as it pains me to say it, I require your assistance," admitted Ecclesiastes.

"You sure had a funny way of getting our attention," remarked Airazor.

"It was the only way," Ecclesiastes told her. "I needed some way to notify you of my demands."

"And why exactly do you get to be the one making demands," Optimus crossed his arms.

"Because we both share the same goal now," Ecclesiastes warned. "We both wish to save this planet from the cleansing of the entire human race."

"But why should we even trust you?" Airazor gripped Ecclesiastes by his robes. "You and your pals tried to attack us before."

"I am the only source of information you have available on the Vok themselves in addition to the Order of the Vok," Ecclesiastes told her. "Harm me and you shall learn nothing as apocalypse on Earth unfolds!"

"My grandpa's not kidding!" Selena urged. "I know you haven't been the best of friends but you have to trust him this time!"

Optimus and Airazor still did not look convinced. Then from the blackness of the night, a meteor fell. It came down as bright as a shooting star and struck the ground near the plateau. Optimus beckoned to Airazor to keep watch over Ecclesiastes as he flew up and zoomed in on the site landing with his in-built binoculars.

From the meteor, six pairs of legs emerged. Soon enough, the rock erupted into a shell of sparking metal. A bizarre insectile creature came into light soon enough and crawled towards the direction of Crimson City. After seeing this, Optimus flew back to where Ecclesiastes and Airazor were at.

"Just what exactly was that?" demanded Optimus.

"It has begun," Ecclesiastes informed him. "If you do not believe me, home in one of the radio waves with your advanced radar. It should be all over the news at this point."

It was at that precise moment that Rhinox's voice came in through Optimus Primal's com-link.

"Bad news, Optimus," said Rhinox's voice. "All major news stations are reporting the landing of insect-like creatures that are now attacking the major cities of the Americas, Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia. It's happening all across the world! They're finally here!"

"Stay at base and wait for my further instructions," Optimus told him. "I'll be back with you as soon as I can."

"Was I not correct?" smiled Ecclesiastes.

"Tell us everything you know," Optimus told him.

"Very well," Ecclesiastes agreed. "But you must promise to keep my granddaughter safe along with the entire world."

"We'll do what we can," nodded the Maximal commander.

* * *

"Chaos, destruction, and mayhem," Megatron leaned back into his seat and smiled. "The end of the world really is here."

"These aliens are showin' up all over the world!" Scorponok exclaimed. "They're everywhere!"

"Doom rain from the skies!" Waspinator cried. "What will Predacons do? Waspinator too young to die!"

"Silence!" Megatron scowled. "Whatever is going on, there must be some sort of explanation."

"Yeah," Blackarachnia said. "The way I see it, these aliens aren't here for oil and cookies. Once they have their way, the human problem is gonna become _our_ problem."

"But what do we do about it?" Terrorsaur demanded. "We aren't going to fight them, are we?"

"Hey, who knows what they're here for," Blackarachnia told the perched pterodactyl Predacon. "I say we don't take any chances."

Megatron stroked his chin thoughtfully. He had not expected an alien invasion of this degree at all even though he had seen signs of their presence on Earth before. Now, he was faced with the difficult

decision to make on what their next course of action could be. Privately, he was thankful that he operated on an oligarchic Predacon system where he, and only he, had the final say in decisions and not any of his troops. He shuddered to think the chaos he would face under a more Maximal system of governance.

"Megatron!" Tarantulas burst into the door and interrupted them. "You must come quick to the laboratory!"

"What is it?" demanded Megatron.

"The Seven Wonders of the World!" Tarantulas panted. "They are beacons sending signals into space for the Vok!"

"Come quickly!" Megatron beckoned his soldiers.

After arriving at Tarantulas' lab after a few minutes, all the Predacons gasped at what they were seeing on the screen. All the current Seven Wonders were broadcasting their messages to the aliens through enormous beams of light that shot into the sky. Around them, the drones sent in by the invading force crawled all over the areas. What could also be seen were human soldiers trying their best to fight off the invaders to little success, given the sheer numbers and strength of the alien robots.

"Tarantulas!" Megatron asked. "Which location is the closest to us?"

"Chichen Izta," replied Tarantulas. "It is a Mayan Temple within Mexico."

"Predacons!" Megatron ordered. "We depart this instant!"

"Ooh," Waspinator moaned. "Waspinator not want to get scrapped by aliens…"

"I'll say," Terrorsaur agreed. "They look kinda tough."

"Quit complaining!" Scorponok told them. "We're going and that's final!"

"Who died to make Scorponok king?" Waspinator grunted.

Megatron shot Terrorsaur and Waspinator an angry glare. As expected, that was enough to snap them back to attention and listen to their leader.

* * *

"We have most grievous news, my lord," the acolyte bowed before Temujin, the Grand Serpent of the Vok. "Ecclesiastes has betrayed us. He has chosen to aid the Transformers over us."

"Has he now?" Temujin raised an eyebrow. "What could possibly make that old fool turn on us?"

In truth, Temujin was much, MUCH older than Ecclesiastes despite having the appearance of a man in his physical prime. The acolyte, however, knew better than to point this out and contradict his master. Though he had given his life to the Order, he still valued his own neck just enough to want to save it whenever he could help it.

"Remember how a few months ago he came back and made much noise about the Vok coming back to destroy all life on Earth?" the acolyte asked. "And how he said that we would be wiped out indiscriminately?"

"Yes, I recall that," Temujin replied. "At first, I didn't really take him seriously."

"He is more than serious, my lord," the acolyte bowed slightly once more. "He wishes to stop the Vok from their sacred duties."

"Impossible," Temujin snarled. "What fool could possibly try to stop the day of cleansing through spreading his lies? The day that Earth is forever transformed back to its original, pristine state?"

"These robots would, my lord," the acolyte replied with his head hanging low. "They would put an end to everything that the Vok have worked towards."

"Then we must stop them!" Temujin declared. "Assemble my elite!"

"We are already here, father," a voice from behind the Grand Serpent said passively.

"Ah, Lance, my boy," Temujin's expressions grew more cheerful. "I see you're ready for duty already. And how about your siblings?"

"We too are prepared," a blonde young woman stepped out of the shadows along with a larger, more imposing Russian man. "What is it that you wish for us to do?"

"Sonia, my dear," Temujin greeted warmly. "You're looking quite beautiful today. And Rurik, I see you're as imposing and as powerful as you've always been."

"The day of cleansing has arrived, father," Sonia replied. "This is what you've trained us for. We are yours to command."

"I agree," Rurik said in a much deeper tone. "We would give our lives for this cause."

"None shall stand in our way!" Lance gripped his hand into a fist. "The Vok will have their day of vengeance!"

"Then let us depart, my children!" Temujin declared. "We shall punish the traitor Ecclesiastes and put his newfound allies to the holy flame!"

The three young warriors assembled by Temujin raised their fists to the air in accordance and left with their master and adopted father.

* * *

"By Primus…" Rhinox gasped.

The entire city was swarming with Vok drones. The six-legged creatures moved quickly for their size. What also helped them in their path of destruction was the laser mounted on their backs, blasting anything in sight that appeared to be the major infrastructure of the area. Now, the entire city had already been evacuated with law enforcement being unable to withstand the brutal alien assaults.

"Yeah, it's gone from bad to worse…" Cheetor muttered.

"We will find a way to stop it… somehow," Tigatron promised.

"I've radioed Silverbolt," added Rattrap. "Da bird dog should be on his way in a while."

"Temujin and his forces will most likely find us soon," Ecclesiastes gripped Selena's hand. "You must be careful."

"Yes, he's no laughing matter," Selena added. "He's been alive for centuries."

"You said he was the leader of your Order," Tigatron looked at the old man.

"He is perhaps the greatest warrior alive!" Ecclesiastes acknowledged. "You will not find an easy victory over him, if you find victory at all."

"Greatest _human_ warrior alive, you mean," Airazor glared at him. "Sorry to burst your bubble but we're made of sturdier stuff."

"Do not underestimate him or his warriors," warned the elderly man. "He has been infused with the power of the Vok, in far greater degrees than I have."

"You've only had technology as your so-called magic," Optimus corrected. "I've seen the trick wiring you've used. How do you expect us to believe this man has some sort of mystical prowess?"

Before Ecclesiastes could reply, a Vok drone appeared from behind him, with its leg raised in the air ready to strike down on the old man. Optimus quickly pushed Ecclesiastes out of the way just as the metal leg struck the Maximal commander across the face and knocked him away into a piece of rubble.

Rhinox quickly spun around and took out his chain guns. Firing methodically, he riddled the Vok drone with bullets until the creature was unable to stand anymore.

From its place, three more Vok drones appeared and attacked Rhinox, throwing the green robot back with several well-placed laser blasts. Seeing no way out of their situation, the rest of the Maximals took out their weapons and fought back.

* * *

"What is this?" Inferno peered through the jungle brush in beast mode. "I have met these peasants before."

The fire ant had traveled miles upon miles in search of answers. Everywhere he went seemed to be in the same condition. Strange creatures of unknown origins had invaded the lands that he had cultivated. Like angels, they came from the sky but like demons, they ravaged the land all about them, destroying humans, animals, trees, and buildings alike. They were indiscriminate in their destruction; the essence of their very actions confused even Inferno.

He had scoured the land but all he had seen was mindless destruction. What he hoped to do was find the other Transformers on the planet, Maximal or Predacon. Inferno wished desperately that they had the answers but deep down, he doubted it. He had traveled this far and found one temple with a beacon of light flashing into the sky. Some part of him knew instinctively that it had something to do with the invasion from the sky.

Now though, he was watching intently as a black jet flew down. Soon enough, the doors opened to reveal the Predacons. Whatever the reason was that they were here, he would soon pry the answers out of them through force if he had to.

Megatron was the first to step out of his ship, soon followed by the other Predacons.

"Move out Predacons," Megatron ordered. "What we seek is inside that temple!"

"Stand your ground!" Inferno leaped out of the bushes with both guns in his hands. "You fools will explain this situation immediately!"

"We have no time for this!" Megatron scowled. "Blackarachnia, destroy him!"

While Megatron and the remaining Predacons ventured into the Chichen Izta temple, Blackarachnia flipped into the air and landed neatly before the fire ant. She ducked down to avoid a swipe by the larger Transformer and kicked Inferno in the lower leg in hopes of taking him down. Unfortunately, it did not have the intended effect, as Inferno's legs were too thick and coated with metal for her to injure quickly. She then leaped up and kicked both guns out of his hands with a spinning wheel kick. Howling angrily, Inferno brought both hands to the ground, slamming at Blackarachnia only for her to roll away quickly.

Blackarachnia whipped out her gun and fired a missile towards the enraged pyromaniac who caught it with one grasp.

"You fool!" Blackarachnia sneered. "The barbs on that hook are coated with cyber-venom."

Immediately, Inferno felt the effects. He threw the missile to the ground but it was too late. Grogginess set in instantly as his world seemed to swirl in around him. Somehow, he was surprised that he could even stand still. He rushed forward clumsily in hopes of taking down the smaller femme-bot as expediently as he could.

That would not be the case as Blackarachnia made clear to him. She flipped up and kicked Inferno across the chin, knocking the pyromaniacal robot on his back. Inferno gasped as Blackarachnia flipped into the air and landed violently with her knee to his solar plexus. As Inferno coughed painfully, Blackarachnia took the opportunity to kick him across the side of his head. Inferno would not give up, however, and grabbed her by the leg, dragging her down and swinging her into a rock with his still-great strength. The black widow Transformer got up again and used the machine guns on her legs to pelt the red Transformer with bullets just as he charged again. Inferno ignored the pain and tackled her, attempting to wrestle her to the ground.

Undauntedly, Blackarachnia slammed her knee into his chin, forcing the pyromaniac back once more. With another kick to the weakened Transformer's chest, Blackarachnia sent Inferno skidding back.

"I hate ants," she muttered as she moved in for the kill.

Inferno felt the cyber-venom coursing through his body and threatening him with stasis lock. Weakly, he felt something behind his back. Luckily for him, it was his own gun. As Blackarachnia leaped into the air once more, Inferno quickly raised his cannon and fired, striking the black widow mid-air with a blast and sending her crashing into a Mayan statue, smashing it into several pieces as her body connected with cold, hard stone.

"Royalty…" Inferno muttered. "I will not fail you…"

With one final cough, Inferno fell on both knees from the amount of cyber-venom that had built up in his system. Though he was still functional and conscious, he realized very well that he would not be able to move much for a while. He quickly shut down the higher functions in his cortex to allow for a speedier recovery time. From here on out, it would be the job of his nanites to finish up on internal repairs.

* * *

With one missile, Scorponok destroyed the Vok drone standing before the gate that would lead them into the inner chamber of the temple. He and the other Predacons had tracked through the temple for

several cycles. The hieroglyphics on the walls glowed with a radiant energy that surprised them all. There would be no telling if they would meet the aliens in this area or not. That was why Scorponok was on his guard.

"Open the door," commanded Megatron.

Terrorsaur and Waspinator complied, both grabbing on hilt of the door and dragging it open to reveal the central chamber.

"It's magnificent," Megatron's face was filled with awe. "Such raw and potent power…"

The light that glowed at the center of the temple was still shooting up into the sky. Tarantulas, too, was awed by the sight. Inwardly, he promised himself that neither Megatron nor the Maximals would uncover the secret of the aliens. It was he, Tarantulas, who would take full advantage of the invasion to uncover the power of the Vok.

"Tarantulas," Megatron looked at his chief scientist. "Scan this place and notify me of your findings as soon as you are finished. We may not have much time to dawdle."

"Immediately, Megatron," Tarantulas bowed and took out his instruments.

"Waspinator have bad feeling about this," shuddered Waspinator. "Not want to end up scrapped by aliens."

"We'll get out of this," Scorponok said confidently. "When has Megatron ever let us down?"

"Want me to prepare a list?" Terrorsaur replied.

"You know," Scorponok turned to Terrorsaur. "I never did like you and your voice, but there are times when you can be a good soldier."

"Really?" Terrorsaur was taken aback. "I am?"

"Only when you're not trying to overthrow Megatron," nodded Scorponok. "You want Waspinator have both been a great help to our cause. Just wanted you to know that in case we don't come out of this alive."

"I-I… thanks," Terrorsaur said. "Guess you ain't so bad yourself when you're not being a total blockhead."

"Waspinator propose toast to greatest Predacons who ever lived!" Waspinator raised his hand to the center. Both Terrorsaur and Scorponok also raised their respective hand and claw to tap Waspinator's hand and join him in the salute.

* * *

Deep in the farthest ends of the solar system, the long journey of the space faring travelers was finally coming to a close. Moving slowly and portentously, the planet-buster trekked across the coldness of space towards its final destination of Earth.

The crew was also ready for their mission. Though Earth had been once one of the Vok's proudest accomplishments several millennia ago, it had now regarded as an utter failure. Chief among the reasons for their coming was the plague of mankind. For too long, man had polluted, waged war, and

corrupted the very planet he lived on. This behavior had finally been brought to the Vok's attention after several thousands of years. And finally, it would end on this day.

"General Lagash," the ethereal, yet haunting face of the Vok High Executor Akkad asked. "What are your thoughts on our mission?"

Unlike the two Vok who were ethereal and almost intangible in their appearance, General Lagash had taken on a physical appearance for the mission in order to pilot their spaceship. He was a lower ranking Vok than his two masters but a powerful warrior nonetheless. Before answering, he considered his response.

"May I be granted full permission to speak?" asked Lagash.

"Yes," Akkad acknowledged.

"I believe that this mission is not necessary," Lagash chose his wording carefully. "There is still time for the humans to learn and with the right guidance, they can become a prosperous and enlightened race. However, despite my personal feelings on the matter, I will still carry out this mission however you wish."

"I see," Akkad said. "In truth, I myself have been questioning the need for us to destroy Earth as of late."

"You can't be serious, uncle," Mashu, the other Vok floating besides Akkad, stated. "The Earthlings have proven unworthy of our continued support. They must be destroyed."

"Perhaps," Akkad replied. "Perhaps not. As of late, I have seen evidence that there may be hope for Earth."

"You can't be referring to your experience with the one known as Tigatron," Mashu protested. "What you saw was only what he wanted you to see! He was giving a biased account!"

"What I received from Tigatron was real and unadulterated," Akkad told his nephew.

"Do not forget our mission, uncle," warned Mashu. "You know why you were sent on this mission."

"Yes… yes, I do," Akkad replied. "We all do."

"Then don't be a wishy-washy old fool," Mashu told him. "We will do our duty and remember what comes after the cleansing."

"Yes," Akkad said wearily. "Re-create Earth and all its creatures."

"If I may, my lords," Lagash added. "This practice has gone on for several millennia in our culture. It is likely what Earth undergoes will be no different."

"I agree with Lagash," Mashu said. "It is the natural order of things. Without it, there would be chaos in our universe."

"Then let us continue on with our quest," Akkad conceded. "It is there that we shall make our final decision."

* * *

"These creatures," Luna said to Jack. "They're not Megatron's doing."

The siblings were sitting together in a refugee camp the government had evacuated them to with their parents. Though it was clearly far from danger, the two still had trouble adjusting to what was happening. One minute they were at school and the next minute, they were being evacuated because of an alien invasion.

"What makes you say that?" asked Jack.

"Because they're all over the world," Luna replied. "No way Megatron could've manufactured so many of these things."

"Think they're something entirely new?" asked Jack.

"I know it," Luna confirmed.

"How do you suppose the Maximals are doing?"

"I'm not sure…"

"Hey, cheer up," Jack told her encouragingly. "If I know anything about Optimus and the gang, it's that they always pull through."

Luna still did not look fully convinced. Jack saw this as an opportunity for him to continue on.

"Look, they've saved the world dozens of times without anyone but us knowing about it," Jack told her. "If it weren't for them, we'd be living as slaves or worse under someone like Megatron or Sentinel."

"I guess you're right," admitted Luna. "But still, this is a full-blown alien invasion by who-knows-what."

"Like a wise man said," Jack told her. "There's a first time for everything."

"That _wise man_ is you, right?" chuckled Luna.

"Nah, I just heard it yesterday on TV," Jack informed her.

"Until the Maximals get this fixed, what're we gonna do?" asked Luna.

"Hmm, got any ideas?"

"Not really."

The two teenagers looked around at the other refugees that surrounded them. Some were their neighbors while others were their friends and family members. Soon, they saw what they wanted.

"There's Brad Watkins," Luna said to Jack. "I've been crushing on this guy since the beginning of our freshman year."

"I see Jill Stacey a few feet ahead of me," Jack told his sister. "I sit next to her in art class."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Why not?" Jack smiled. "It may be the end of the world as we know it. Who says we can't get a date by tonight?"

"Good luck, bro," Luna hugged Jack.

"You too, sis."

* * *

After fighting off what seemed to be legions upon legions of Vok drones, the Maximals moved on through the city in hopes of seeking higher ground in order to get away from the oncoming hordes. Turning around an alley, the weary Maximals leaped over the fence to cross over onto the main street of the city that appeared to be empty.

Ecclesiastes dismounted from Tigatron while Selena got off of Cheetor's back. At this point, all of the Maximals were in beast mode.

The high priest of the Vok shuddered. "They are here, I can sense it."

"Who?" Cheetor asked.

"Temujin and his Elite Guard," Ecclesiastes replied. "They will do everything they can to stop you. You must be careful."

"Ecclesiastes, you old coot! I never thought you'd have the gall to do this to the very Order that housed and fed you and your granddaughter."

The Maximals looked up. On top of a short building were four figures. Three of them were in ornate, armored costumes based on a mixture of alien designs and ethnic qualities found in different cultures across the world. The leader of the four, assumed to be Temujin, wore a regal, Mongolian outfit while holding an elaborate golden war staff covered with twin dragons. The four figures quickly leapt off the building to greet the Maximals.

"And you must be the Maximals we've heard so much about," Temujin surveyed each and every one of the Transformers carefully. "My men have been keeping an eye on your activities."

Optimus was the first to step forth. "You're the key to this invasion. It has something to do with you, doesn't it?"

"Me?" Temujin frowned. "Hardly. I'm only one catalyst. But the Vok themselves are the ones who hold dominion over the fate of this planet."

"Then you can help us stop it!"

"And why would I want to do that?"

"Because six billion lives are at stake!" Optimus warned. "And who knows how many other life forms?"

"And?"

"That's what I'm trying to say!" Optimus told Temujin in frustration. "The Vok are here to wipe out all life on Earth, everything! They're not here to thin the herd and then leave. They're here to destroy every living soul!"

"Preposterous," Temujin scoffed. "We know of our destinies. After the great awakening, we, the Order of the Vok, will rebuild this world and bring order to it once more. I can assure you, it _will_ come to pass!"

"Don't be a fool!" Optimus shouted. "We've made contact with them! They won't show any mercy, not even to you!"

"Clearly, they will not listen to reason," Tigatron walked up next to Optimus. "They are set in their ways."

Rattrap loaded the ammo into his gun. "I agree wit' Stripes! If they ain't gonna do it our way, it's gonna be 'da highway!"

"Enough talk, more action!" Cheetor hissed.

"Cheetor, wait!" Optimus shouted.

The young cheetah bounded forward towards Temujin. As he closed the gap between himself and the Order of the Vok, the female warrior clad in pink armor leaped over Temujin and struck Cheetor across the neck with a spinning crescent kick that sent the young Maximal flying head-first into a pile of rubble.

"Guess this means we won't be friends," quipped Temujin. "Lance! Sonia! Rurik! Attack!"

Immediately, the blue and green clad warriors joined the fray and began their assault.

Rhinox clashed with the larger green armored warrior, Rurik. Rurik swung first, his armored glove connecting with Rhinox's face. Rhinox was sent back a few steps but quickly regained his composure.

Thanks to the mystical properties of his armor, Rurik was now powerful enough to stand toe to toe with a Cybertronian.

Cheetor got up and faced Lance who stood before him. The young Maximal growled and transformed to beast mode. Lance unsheathed the katana from his back but did not attack Cheetor directly. Rather, he stood patiently for three seconds before a hovering motorcycle zoomed in from behind a building. The young man backflipped into the air on top of his hover bike and charged. Cheetor moved but not quickly enough. One slash from Lance's katana sliced through his shoulder, causing sparks to sputter out. As Cheetor fell to the ground, he did not have much time to recover. A grappling hook shot out from beneath Lance's hover bike and wrapped itself around the cat's leg, grabbing hold and lifting the Maximal into the air.

"Cheetor!" Tigatron shouted. He moved in to save Cheetor but a powerful energy blast struck the ground in front of him, stopping the white tiger on his tracks.

"You're not going anywhere, Tigatron," Temujin pointed his staff towards the Maximal. "The party's just beginning."

From behind the human, Tigatron could see Airazor flying towards him. Just as she was about to grab on to him, Temujin twirled his staff around and struck her directly in the midsection, sending a powerful bolt of energy into her and causing her to cry out. After having decided that he was through, Temujin used the staff to flip her body overhead and throw her. Moving quickly, Tigatron transformed to beast mode and caught Airazor before her body could hit the pavement.

"Are you alright?" asked Tigatron.

"I feel like… slag," muttered Airazor. "Go get 'im for me…"

Tigatron set her down gently against a building. "Do not worry, the one who hurt you will pay dearly!"

Temujin raced forth quickly and leaped up, kicking Optimus in the chest and knocking the Maximal leader down. Optimus leaped back up to his feet and transformed to robot mode. He unsheathed both swords and blocked a swing by Temujin's war staff. For a human, Temujin was actually quite good, Optimus had to grudgingly admit. He held his own against a Transformer… perhaps a little too well…

With his quick reflexes, Temujin flipped away from Optimus just when it seemed the Maximal would overpower him. He ducked rapidly as Tigatron, with claws extended, came at him overhead with a powerful slash, missing him narrowly. Temujin then held up his war staff. Dark energies swirled around it as the atmosphere around the combatants seemed to grow colder.

With his staff, Temujin raised it into the air, summoning a bubble of energy surrounding by blue electricity that surrounded Tigatron, effectively trapping him in place.

"I'll get to you soon enough," Temujin said. "For now, I want the leader."

* * *

Rattrap ducked as another shuriken flew towards his head. The battle between him and Sonia had moved towards one of the abandoned buildings in the street not far from where Optimus and the others were battling the other members of the Order. Though he could not see what was going on, Rattrap prayed that his friends were okay.

But now he had another problem. The female warrior Sonia had every bit of the aim he had when it came to long range weapons. To make things more complicated, she was graced with talents in more than guns. From the bow and arrows mounted on her back, she was also adept at the variety of throwing weapons she had used on him including ninja stars, shurikens, and even a boomerang she had mounted on her hip.

Rolling out of the way, Rattrap returned fire. Sonia somersaulted over him and threw two shurikens which Rattrap avoided just barely. They grazed his back, causing him to grunt in pain.

"You should give it up, rat," sneered Sonia. "The Vok will come and they will purify this planet. You should take your companions and leave Earth."

"No thanks," replied Rattrap promptly. "I'm good."

"You'll regret your insolence, rodent filth," Sonia charged.

Rattrap quickly threw a punch at the oncoming Sonia. The young woman dodged it thanks to the mystically enhanced armor she was wearing and flipped Rattrap on his back with a sweeping kick. She took out another of her throwing knives and launched it towards his face. Through the narrow corner of his optics, Rattrap saw it coming and managed to catch the knife just as the blade nearly penetrated his face by mere inches.

Sonia somersaulted away onto an unused SUV model after several back flips. She then took out a three other shurikens, balancing them delicately between her palm and her fingers. Launching them without hesitation, she also set free the boomerang she held and then took out her bow.

Rattrap returned fire and blew the three shurikens out of the air, tilting his head just in time to avoid the boomerang. It was at this moment that Sonia unleashed the arrow she had, striking the gun in Rattrap's hand with pin-point accuracy and pinning it against a wall. It was also at that moment the

boomerang she threw came sailing back and struck Rattrap in the back, exploding on contact and knocking the diminutive Maximal down.

"End of the line, rat," Sonia took out another high-powered arrow.

* * *

"Nothing will stop the Vok!" Lance shouted as his hover bike carried Cheetor across the air. "Not even you, feline!"

"We'll see about that!" Cheetor took out his gun and fired several shots at Lance.

To avoid the shots, Lance swirled his bike back and forth. Finally, he swerved his back in mid-air, throwing Cheetor into the side of a building. As he watched the cheetah's hand emerge from the rubble, Lance pressed down on the main controls, unleashing two missiles which slammed into the building and sent up to three floors crashing down to ground level.

After surveying the carnage, Lance landed his hover bike to the ground and zoomed in with his enhanced lens. From the dirtied and collapsed rubble, he could see the hand of Cheetor sticking out. Lance dismounted from his bike and unsheathed one of the two swords mounted on his back. They were made of titanium alloys sharpened to a fraction of a molecule, sharp enough to cut through most forms of steel.

Now was the moment Lance had been waiting for. It was his chance to prove his skills as a warrior to his adopted father Temujin and for him to carry out the will of the Vok. There would be nothing to stop him and his ascension to a higher purpose once he presented the head of Cheetor to the Order. Perhaps there was the chance that his comrades had not yet finished off the other Beast Warriors. There would always be the opportunity for him to show up Sonia and Rurik in case they did not succeed. But for the moment, he had to concentrate on the task at hand.

"Now to claim my prize," Lance walked towards the downed Cheetor.

* * *

"You don't know what you're doing!" Rhinox attempted to reason with the green-clad warrior Rurik as the two combatants locked hands in hopes of dominating one another.

"On the contrary, this is what I was raised to do!" Rurik cried as he flipped Rhinox over and kicked him into a nearby tree, snapping it in two.

Meanwhile, Optimus was heavily involved in his battle against Temujin. The heavily built Mongolian man quickly flipped one of the swords out of Optimus Primal's hands and struck the Maximal across the chest three times with the upper part of his war staff, causing sparks to fly out. Optimus reached out and tried to grab Temujin the but allegedly ancient warrior used his quick reflexes to dodge the punch and maneuver the arm behind Optimus, flipping the Maximal on his back. As Optimus made another swipe for Temujin, the Order's leader leaped away just in time.

"Now to finish this," Temujin held up his war staff as it cracked with power.

Optimus got back up but could not avoid the oncoming blast in time. The beam of pure energy struck Optimus and sent him hurtling into a street lamp.

"I hate to have to do this to beings as advanced as yourselves," Temujin told the downed Maximal gorilla. "But I really have a schedule to maintain."

Charging his war staff once more, Temujin walked towards the fallen Optimus slowly and methodically.

* * *

"It's worked!" Tarantulas exclaimed. "The vortex has changed the basic molecular structure of my spider drones!"

"Excellent!" Megatron boomed. "We begin this now!"

"This early?" asked Scorponok. "But what about the risks?"

"One must always take risks in the pursuit of power," Megatron said. "Scorponok, Tarantulas… come with me."

For a moment, Scorponok looked unsure. But after special consideration, he relented and followed his leader. There was no disobeying Megatron at this point, after all. Tarantulas, on the other hand, did so only because of the potential the swirling vortex represented.

Immediately as they stepped into the swirling energies, they noticed their own bodies glowing from the power of vortex. Megatron was the first to feel the transformation to his body. Scorponok shuddered, confused at what was going on but Tarantulas grasped him by the arm, preventing him stepping outside of the energy.

"You'll thank me for this later," Tarantulas snickered.

Terrorsaur and Waspinator watched the scene in awe but before either of them could make a move to step inside the energy themselves, the vortex swirled into the sky and disappeared, leaving three darkened but still familiar forms on the ground. The largest of the dark shapes was the first to move.

"M-Megatron?" asked Waspinator. "What happened?"

"Yeah," added Terrorsaur. "Your body…"

"I've had a change," the dark figure replied with glowing red eyes." For the better, yessss…"

"And so have we," the second figure, covered by the shadows, said in what appeared to be Tarantulas's voice.

* * *

After what seemed like eons, the nanites in Inferno's system had finally finished their job of repairing him. Standing up straight, the fire ant glanced around at his surroundings. To his left, the body of Blackarachnia still lay there in stasis lock. Though he was loathe to admit it, the pyromaniac ant did have to be honest with himself and acknowledge that she was a powerful opponent, despite being of a different gender.

"Now for the other drones," Inferno growled.

Before he could move, Inferno saw something blasting out of the temple at speeds of Mach 3. Whatever it was, it was fast and unrelenting.

Inferno zoomed in with his binocular vision to get a clearer picture. It appeared to be Megatron… or something that vaguely resembled Megatron, except much less organic in appearance. He had never known the purple tyrant to have the ability of flight, though he had not exactly interacted with much

of the Predacons before in general. Whatever it was, he had to follow it in order to find out the answers for himself.

"Fear not, Royalty," Inferno whispered. "Once I get to the bottom of this, you and your entire domain shall be safe once more!"

Firing his rotors at full power, Inferno blasted into the sky in pursuit of the strange Transmetal creature.

_To be continued._


	25. Twilight of the Gods Pt 2

**Beast Wars: Symmetries **

_Twilight of the Gods_

_Part II_

With his sword unsheathed, Lance walked ponderously towards the rubble where a piece of Cheetor's armor could be seen. It would not be long before he could claim his prize and present it before his peers.

Charging up his sword with the energies afforded to him, Lance blasted the rubble aside with one mighty swing… only to find no body. Merely, a small piece of Cheetor's armor could be seen before him.

"What?" Lance shouted. "Where is he?"

"Right over here, sword boy!"

Lance turned around just as Cheetor flipped a shot at him. Lance was thrown into the air as the blast struck the ground beneath him but quickly landed back on both his feet gracefully. He then charged the young Maximal with a series of slashes.

Cheetor quickly raised both hands and caught the katana just as it came down on his head.

"Look, maybe we got off to the wrong foot here," Cheetor suggested. "If we could just—"

"Never!" Lance cried and charged his sword with a surge of energy.

The energy coursed into Cheetor, frying some of his circuitry and making the golden Maximal cry out in pain. Lance unsheathed the sword from Cheetor's hands and kicked the Maximal cat across the face, knocking him down. He then raised his sword once more in groundwork of striking down and taking the Transformer's head off this time. As the blade came down, Cheetor moved his head rapidly as the sword sank into the marble next to his face, grazing his helmet in the process. He then pushed forward and shoved Lance back, away from his sword. Lance prepared to attack once more but Cheetor quickly came in with a fast punch to his gut, taking the fight out of the young man almost immediately.

* * *

"When I take you back to my father, Lord Temujin will see me as his favorite," Sonia prepped up her bow to fire on the helpless Rattrap.

The small Maximal looked around desperately for a save. It was then he realized a small umbrella within his reach.

"Nice knowing you," Sonia said cheekily.

Just as Sonia fired, Rattrap struck out with the umbrella, connecting the crook handle onto the lower end of the bow, yanking it to the side and causing her to misfire into a newspaper stand. Rattrap then tackled her, though he knew full well how skilled of an opponent she was.

He had had his encounters before with Blackarachnia, one dangerous femme who was well versed in the way of martial arts. Now he was facing a similar combatant in a human female who wore a style of armor that could enable her to stand up to a Transformer.

Sonia quickly kicked Rattrap off. With the reflexes and speed of a martial artist, she slid her leg forward in a fighting stance and sent Rattrap back with a powerful palm strike. Rattrap grunted and fell back but not before unleashing several of the shurikens and other throw-able devices he had ripped off her belt when he had tackled her. With her speed and agility, Sonia ducked and weaved across the various throwing weapons that flew through the air towards her.

She then took a fighting stance once more after dodging all the paraphernalia that was thrown her way. "You missed," Sonia said smugly.

"'Dat's what you think!"

A sudden and fast blow hit Sonia from behind more quickly than she could muster a reaction. The boomerang Rattrap had thrown had come back to bite her. Sonia cursed herself for not being careful enough.

As Sonia stumbled forward, stunned by the blow, Rattrap flipped her over and used both feet to launch her back first against the wall.

All of Rurik's strikes were fast, incoming, and deadly. Almost all of them struck Rhinox, across his head and his body. Rhinox swung with his fist but Rurik ducked, leaped into the air, and send Rhinox toddling back with powerful drop kick. As Rhinox fell back, Rurik clasped both hands together and formed a powerful green ball of energy that he blasted forth without hesitation.

Rhinox held both his hands in the air in an attempt to block it but the blast hit him and sent him flying into the kitchen of an abandoned house.

"That's gonna feel like slag for days," Rhinox held his head.

Rurik was not one to allow his opponent any respite. He ran forth and was soon within Rhinox's vicinity again.

"The Vok will not be denied," Rurik stated confidently. "Not by you or anyone else!"

"We'll see about that," said Rhinox simply.

Rurik cupped both hands together and charged another blast. Without hesitation, he sent the blast directly at Rhinox once again. This time, the green Maximal was prepared. Lifting a sturdy frying pan, Rhinox knocked the blast back at Rurik, striking him at chest level and throwing him back into the streets again. Rhinox himself was not left unscathed. The power of the energy blast had singed his hand slightly.

Rhinox leaped out onto the street just as Rurik got up again. Rurik cupped his hands together for another blast but Rhinox quickly ripped a mailbox off its hinges from the sidewalk, hurling it at Rurik and knocking him on his back.

* * *

"This is where I end it!" Temujin blasted Optimus with another electrical surge from his war staff.

The Maximal leader seemed almost ready to fall into stasis lock. At this sight, Temujin raised his war staff to strike down at his leisure. But Optimus would not be defeated so easily. In desperation, he clasped both hands together and struck Temujin, knocking the man into the side of a building.

Because the Vok drones had already weakened the infrastructure of that building, a piece of the building broke loose and came crashing down, crushing Temujin where he fell.

"No!" Optimus cried. He had never taken a human life before. He only meant to defend himself, not kill the man.

Running towards the rubble, Optimus quickly pushed the rocks and cement aside, only to be amazed once more. Temujin's hand burst out of the rubble with an almost insane lift that would not have been characteristic of a normal human his size and stature. Temujin's broken neck quickly snapped back into place along with many of his joints that had been shattered by the attack. It was then that the scars on his face also vanished mysteriously.

"What—"

"Quick healer," Temujin smiled. "One of the powers I was fortunate enough to receive from the Vok."

"Well," Optimus smiled in relief. "That's just Prime!"

"Why's that?"

"Now I don't have to hold back against you."

Temujin's smile disappeared quickly as he knew his current situation. Optimus quickly transformed to beast mode and struck the leader of the Order with several rapid punches before launching himself into the air and kicking Temujin back.

Temujin got up. He felt those blows quite well and though he was practically immortal and could recover quickly, he did not feel like having several punches, each with the force of a steamroller, hit him again. As Optimus charged again, Temujin braced himself and rolled out of the way. It was also then that Temujin saw his war staff lying a few feet away from him.

Without reservation, he ran forward. Optimus saw what he was headed to and transformed to robot mode, taking out one of his swords. With the utmost of precision, Optimus threw the sword, sending it sailing through the air in the pattern of a boomerang.

Before Temujin could reach his staff, Primal's sword flew out and sliced through a fire hydrant, unleashing a powerful stream of water that hit Temujin across the side and knocked the man down.

This time, before Temujin could recover, Optimus grabbed him by his vest and lifted him up.

"It's over!" Optimus declared.

"Is it?" Temujin sneered. However, new evidence quickly pointed out that he was indeed beaten. The other Maximal soon appeared with the unconscious bodies of his apprentices and the energy field that surrounded Tigatron quickly dissipated due to lack of his staff maintaining the power source.

"You must tell us how to stop them!" Tigatron urged. "The fate of the world depends on it!"

"I don't think so…" Temujin said. "It's time humanity paid for its crimes against the earth."

"All of Earth's people?" Tigatron demanded. "You're mad! Nothing humans do could warrant this extreme of a punishment!"

"We'll see…" Temujin breathed deeply. "My goal was to keep you busy. I did my job. Now it's the Vok's turn to show this planet who's boss. And there's nothing you can do to stop it."

"Oh yeah?" Cheetor growled. "Our pal Silverbolt's coming in soon with our ship! Then we'll have some heavy alien-busting firepower!"

It was at that exact moment Cheetor spoke that the skies darkened with thunderclaps that could be heard for miles. As the dark clouds overhead began forming a distant shape across the skies could be made out. Before their very optics, the dark shape in the skies soon materialized as a colossal machine shaped in a circular motion, easily the size of a small moon.

"It's here…" Temujin chuckled. "The _Planetbuster_ has arrived… to cleanse our world…"

"Tell us how to stop it!" Rhinox demanded.

"If I did that, where would the fun be?" sneered Temujin. "Besides, I don't really know how. The Vok are a different order of beings, above that of petty human squabbles."

Cheetor looked up to the skies grimly. As the Planetbuster glowed with cackling energies, a haunting skeletal face bearing the face of destruction appeared, broadcasting itself all across the globe for each and every one of Earth's creatures to see.

"It's Mashu," Temujin said cheerfully. "I wonder what that old chap's been up to?"

"You know 'dis freak?" asked Rattrap.

"Know him?" Temujin smiled. "He's the one who made me what I am today, ever since the beginning of the 14th Century on the steppes of Mongolia…"

"I've read of a Temujin from that era," Rhinox said. "You're not… Genghis Khan, are you?"

"No," Temujin seemed to be flattered. "I was born a century or so after him. I was named in honor or his exploits, however."

"Sentients of Earth!" Mashu rumbled, making his message very clear and to-the-point. "The day of reckoning has finally arrived! Prepare yourselves! Annihilation awaits all of you, even those who have followed us! The dawning of a new era will arrive! One that is permanently free of humanity forever!"

"H-He… he just…" Temujin looked to be in a state of shock.

"See, what'd we tell ya?" Rattrap quipped.

"My thoughts exactly," Ecclesiastes appeared before Temujin with Selena by his side. "My granddaughter can never tell a lie."

Temujin barely even heard what the High Priest had said. Instead, he was caught up in his own world of doubt and struggle. He did, however, notice his own apprentices walking towards him.

"You… heard what Mashu said?" asked Temujin.

"We heard it, father," Lance confirmed. "I'm sorry. We failed you."

"No, no," Temujin said to them. "It's nothing, my children. I am the one who failed you. Had I listened to Ecclesiastes, we could have possibly averted this in time…"

"But even then, the Vok may not have changed their minds," Sonia pointed out truthfully.

"It's still not too late," urged Optimus. "Tell us how to stop them!"

"I… don't know," Temujin admitted. "I know nothing about the Vok's weaknesses… if they even have any."

"They're the ones responsible for all life on Earth," Selena said. "They have created Earth and see fit to do to it what they wish."

"Prime…" cursed Optimus. "Looks like we're going to be taking a dive into the lion's den after all."

"The lion may appear powerful," Tigatron told the Maximals. "But he has its handicaps as well. Because he is not suited to hunting so much as fighting, he relies on the hunting skills of female lions in order to sustain himself as the king of the beasts. The Vok are no different. They must have a weak point and it's our duty to exploit it!"

* * *

After her internal nanites had down all the work for her, Blackarachnia finally got up. The grueling battle against Inferno had taken its toll and even now, she found it hard to stand up straight. To make matters worse, she had also heard the horrific speech the alien had given about its goals of purification.

"Feeling better, wench?"a familiar voice stirred next to her.

"Tarantulas?" Blackarachnia blinked. "Is that you?"

The robot that stood before her was taller than Tarantulas. He had roughly the same color scheme except with a shiny armor that was all but unrecognizable to her. The machine guns that had been mounted on his arm were gone, replaced by what seemed like wheels instead. Rather, the spider legs hung behind his back while two digit hands with opposable thumbs now replaced the claws he once had for hands.

"What… happened to you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Tarantulas sneered. "I have been transformed by the power of the aliens! My body is stronger, faster, and more powerful than before!"

"So you got a new body," Blackarachnia took his hand as Tarantulas helped to steady her. "What good will it do you when these aliens are about to roast the entire planet?"

"You don't understand," Tarantulas told her. "But I do! These alleged 'Seven Wonders' are the artifacts that power the alien Planetbuster! With their main source of power shut down, the alien invasion will at the very least be delayed until we can destroy their primary ship!"

"He's right, you know," another familiar face appeared. "I was able to see everything about the aliens after going Transmetal as well."

"Scorponok?"

"Like my new color scheme?" Scorponok widened his arms to reveal his new body.

Scorponok's redesign looked radical as well. The dull, gray-ish armor he once had was replaced by a new silver plated armor that covered his torso and lined down across his arms and knees. His helmet was now more pronounced in what vaguely resembled that of an ancient samurai helmet. The center core at his solar plexus also exposed the beginning part of his spark chamber. His claws were now larger and more marked while his once dull tail was now longer and much more prehensile.

"I guess," Blackarachnia scoffed. "I'm not sure how big of an improvement this is on you, though."

"Ha!" Scorponok jeered. "You're just jealous because you didn't go Transmetal!"

"As if!" Blackarachnia spat. "Shiny new coat of arms or not, I bet a good dose of cyber-venom would put you to sleep faster than an elephant!"

"Wanna put that to the test?" Scorponok clicked his brand-new claws menacingly.

Before either of them could make a move, Tarantulas got in between them.

"Now is not the time!" ordered the Predacon scientist. "It is our duty to destroy the artifacts within those temples! The two of you can duke it out later!"

"Agreed," Scorponok deferred to Tarantulas. "We gotta do what it takes."

"So what do we do?" asked Blackarachnia.

"Scorponok will take care of this temple," Tarantulas informed her. "You and I have business elsewhere!"

Without wasting any more time, Scorponok transformed to beast mode which consisted of a Transmetal scorpion with grey and blue colors cascading across his back. His claws spun rapidly and turned into drills. Leaping into the air, Scorponok came down and burrowed into the dirt, going underground to complete his mission.

"Whoa," Blackarachnia muttered. "So what's your new gimmick?"

Tarantulas transformed to motorcycle and beckoned her to come on.

"Need a ride?" Tarantulas joked.

"Sure," Blackarachnia transformed to her spider mode and leaped on Tarantulas's back. "Does this mean you're buying?"

"Don't count on it, witch, heh heh heh heh heh!"

* * *

"You got your message through very well, my nephew," Akkad told Mashu. "Though it may have been better if you had given it earlier. After all, it will take us a few hours to charge up on our primary weapon. Your message may have sown the seeds of anarchy and confusion down there."

"It is not our concern what the humans do," Mashu replied simply. "Rather, it only reveals their weakness as a species for them to be so brutal and primitive."

"Primitive though they may be compared to us," Akkad replied. "They still have achieved much through the myriad of cultures they have developed, from art to music to architecture… What do you think, Lagash?"

"I believe you are correct, Lord Akkad," Lagash spoke as soon as he was spoken to. "Before this mission, I have studied their ways and customs in order to familiarize myself for our journey."

"And what use will all that information be?" asked Mashu contemptuously. "When they will be destroyed within hours?"

"I believe there is still much we can learn from them, master," Lagash replied simply.

Mashu looked like he was about to strike Lagash with a stern and unrelenting punishment but the stern look from Akkad warned him that such an act would not sit well with his uncle.

"I agree," Akkad said with what appeared to be a ghost of a smile. "Before our machine is operational, I wish to observe what is going on."

"What do you mean?" demanded Mashu.

"We are far-seeing beings," Akkad replied. "I wish to look at what is going on currently with our Maximal friends."

"Why?" asked Mashu.

"Merely because I am curious," came Akkad's reply.

Mashu decided to open his vision to Earth as well. "Looks like they're going to be in for a world of trouble."

"Yes," agreed Akkad. "The being transformed by our powers… Megatron… he will soon reveal himself to them…"

* * *

"Has Silverbolt reached the ship yet?" asked Optimus.

"Almost," Airazor confirmed. "I just radioed him. In a few cycles, he should be at the location of the Axalon."

"The Vok drones have destroyed this city," Temujin noted. "They are now moving on with their quest of destruction."

"All is lost…" Ecclesiastes muttered.

"No it's not!" Selena told her grandfather. "As long as we have the Maximals to help us, there's still hope!"

"I admire your courage and your optimism, child," Ecclesiastes cupped is granddaughter's chin. "Perhaps you are right…"

"Hey Rhinox…" Rattrap tapped his larger buddy by the shoulder. "What is 'dat?"

Looking up, Rhinox noticed something headed towards them at light speed. The closer it got, the faster it seemed. Finally, the blur of purple and brown slowed down, allowing all the Maximals and humans to see exactly what they were dealing with.

"Dear Primus…" muttered Rhinox.

"My, my!" Megatron laughed heartily. "It seems that you Maximals have just seen a ghost!"

"Megatron…" Optimus stared in awe. "What have you—"

"I've had my nails trimmed, yessss," Megatron chuckled. "In addition to my new transformation!"

The large Transmetal T-Rex before them floated in the air, being held by two helicopter rotors that positioned themselves on Megatron's legs. Megatron's appearance had changed drastically. The Maximals, in the meantime, hoped that his power had not increased exponentially with the new body.

Finally, the T-Rex landed and transformed to robot mode. Megatron held his tail now as his laser cutlass while the T-Rex cannon that he once held on his hand had disappeared, with traces of a reptilian face lined across his chest. The small stumpy T-Rex arms now armed Megatron side to side as his shoulder cannons. He looked bigger, bulkier, and stronger than ever, much to the dismay of his arch-foes.

"Are there any among you who would object to my new fashion statement? Haha!" laughed Megatron. "Speak now or forever hold your peace!"

"On my mark, you run," Airazor told the humans. "We'll take it from here."

"Anyone?" Megatron offered one last time.

"Now!" Airazor cried. As soon as the remaining members of the Order ran, the Maximal falcon raised his wrist and fired a missile. The missile sailed through the air gracefully and exploded on impact into Megatron who did not even make any attempt to get out of the way. As soon as the smoke cleared, however, Megatron was seen with his laser cutlass pointing directly at her.

"That's no way to treat a long-time friend, Miss Razor," Megatron smirked. Then he fired. The sheer power of the blast struck Airazor and sent her crashing to the ground.

"Airazor!" shouted Tigatron.

"Grrrr!" growled Cheetor. "Time to kick your tin-can again, Mega-dork!"

Cheetor transformed to robot mode and charged angrily, firing off shots left and right. All of the shots struck Megatron but had no effect. As soon as Cheetor closed in, Megatron aimed with his shoulder missiles and fired, taking the young Maximal out of the fight instantly.

"Any others who wish to test their mettle against me?" offered Megatron.

"Scan 'dis action," Rattrap muttered. "How're we gonna face Megs, now that he's 'dis pumped up?"

"I'm not sure," confessed Optimus. "But we don't have much time! We need to get to the Vok mothership as soon as we can."

As if on cue, an incoming message came in for the Maximal commander.

"Optimus, sir!" Silverbolt could be heard on the other line. "I know this may come at a bad time, but I am in need of a second pilot to lift the Axalon!"

"Blast!" Rhinox cursed. "How could I have overlooked that one hole in our plan?"

"I'll go!" Rattrap volunteered. "I'll make sure 'da Axalon flies wit' me and 'Bolts."

"No," Optimus told him. "We may need your aim for this fight, Rattrap. Tigatron, you go and assist Silverbolt."

Tigatron bounded off instantly, per Optimus's orders.

Before any of the other Maximals could turn their attention to the matter at hand, Megatron swooped down like a hawk in beast mode, grabbing Rattrap and lifting him into the air.

"Let go, Mega-jerk!" threatened Rattrap.

"Gladly, vermin!" Megatron swung with both feet and flung Rattrap into the side of a building.

"Rattrap!" Rhinox shouted.

"That takes care of any pesky snipers attempting to shoot for my weak spots," Megatron grinned. "Now for the two of you!"

He had been humiliated in battle before by both Optimus and Rhinox on different occasions. But now, he, Megatron, was the one with the power and the strength. The odds were stacked in his favor, he was sure of it. There would be no way now that either Maximal could stand up against his superior strength and firepower!

"Ready when you are," Rhinox said to Optimus.

Optimus nodded and the two of them charged. Megatron, despite having great confidence in his new body, still braced himself for the potential impact. Neither Maximal attempted to tackle him. Rather, Rhinox stopped mid-way during his run and bent down, using both hands to hoist Optimus by the feet into the air. The Maximal leader came down with twin swords swinging. Megatron blocked one slash after another. Optimus slashed at him again and again with different maneuvers, all of which Megatron blocked with his own cutlass effortlessly. Before Megatron could strike back with his own blow, several machine gun bullets pelted him from behind. Optimus Primal had been trying to distract him the whole time to loosen him up for a back-handed assault.

The bullets did not harm Megatron's armor but they still stung, nevertheless. Just as Megatron turned his attention to Rhinox, Optimus used both arm-mounted plasma rifles to fire two shots. The blasts struck Megatron but did no damage. Stunned by Megatron's new-found power, Optimus quickly leaped up and slashed Megatron again. This time, Megatron caught the stroke with his bare hand, grinning. With one twist, he flung Optimus with an overhead throw as easily as a rag doll and blasted him in the chest mid-air.

As Optimus fell, Rhinox charged. Megatron drove his elbow into Rhinox's chest and knocked him to the side.

"Nothing will save you now!" Megatron growled.

Optimus tried to attack again but Megatron grabbed Optimus by the throat with the snapping claws on his cutlass. He lifted the Maximal leader into the air with ease, gladly enjoying the struggles of his

archenemy. Rhinox also attacked but this time, Megatron grabbed the Maximal scientist by the throat with an open hand and forced Rhinox to his knees. Laughing malevolently, Megatron began to tighten his chokeholds on both opponents.

* * *

"Here we are," Terrorsaur transformed to beast mode and landed in the sand.

The two of them were in Egypt, near the Great Pyramid of Giza. The energy vortex had dissipated by now, due to the enormous Vok planetbuster hovering over the planet. The pyramid, however, still glowed from the great power it held.

"Waspinator not like doing this…" the wasp complained.

"Yeah, well you heard what Tarantulas said," Terrorsaur replied. "We gotta destroy certain artifacts inside so the aliens won't blow us to kingdom come."

"How does spider-bot know this?" Waspinator questioned. "How can Waspinator count on Tarantulas to know what he is saying?"

"Well, he did get his armor bleached," Terrorsaur noted. "And he got changed by that weird alien tech."

"That supposed to make Waspinator believe spider-bot?"

"No, but we can use it to our advantage," Terrorsaur said smugly.

"What Terrorsaur getting at?"

"After we complete our mission, we'll try to find a way to get into that same power that gave Tarantulas and Scorponok their new Transmetal armor," Terrorsaur told Waspinator. "Think of it, we could become powerful enough to overthrow Megatron!"

"Terrorsaur sure that is good idea?" Waspinator reminded. "Terrorsaur never been able to overthrow Megatron before."

"That was then, this is now," Terrorsaur replied flippantly. "Just think of how better armed we'd be if we became Transmetals!"

"Hmm, Waspinator like the sound of that!"

"Then what're you waiting for?" Terrorsaur motioned towards the pyramid. "Let's get cracking!"

* * *

"Tigatron!" Silverbolt exclaimed. "You have arrived!"

"Indeed," Tigatron said and transformed to beast mode. "It's time to lift this bird into the air."

"What has happened thus far in the battlefield?" asked Silverbolt as Tigatron took a seat near the controls.

"Something not very good," Tigatron explained as he punched in a few coordinates to turn on the ship's thrusters.

"Is the team in danger?"

"Yes," Tigatron replied. "Megatron has undergone some sort of change, granting him powers that far exceed his ordinary limits."

"Dear Primus," Silverbolt shuddered. "Is there no way to stop him?"

"We'll soon find out when we get there," acknowledged Tigatron. "By the time I was ordered to return to pilot the Axalon, Cheetor, Airazor, and Rattrap were all down."

"Then let us aid them as soon as possible!" declared Silverbolt.

"Agreed."

After all the proper steps had been taken to render the ship functional, Tigatron pressed down on the launch button. Slowly, the Axalon rose from the lake that it had lay dormant in for so long. Like an ancient tortoise, it ascended from the water and soon, like a magnificent bird of prey, it rose into the clouds. The only thing Tigatron and Silverbolt could hope for now was to get to the battle scene in time before Megatron could slaughter any of the Maximals.

* * *

"Are you alright?" asked a voice that stirred Cheetor to his senses.

"Oh man," moaned the young Maximal. "That felt like total slag!"

Cheetor got up, looking face to face with Lance and the rest of the Order. Rattrap and Airazor had also gotten up as well, though both were damaged from Megatron's assault.

"I wouldn't care to go through that again," commented Airazor.

"Tell me about it!" Rattrap agreed. "Megs was never 'dis powerful before!"

"We had to get your unconscious bodies to safety," explained Sonia. "Otherwise, they might've been damaged in the fight."

"How's it holdin' up now?" asked Rattrap, rubbing his head due to the soreness.

"The battle did not bode well," Ecclesiastes told them. "Your friends did not appear to be holding their own against Megatron."

"Aw slag," Cheetor got up. "We gotta do something!"

"You wanna go out there and break all 'yer joints again, kid?" asked Rattrap. "We ain't got a chance against Megatron!"

"So we just give up and let him win?" demanded Cheetor.

"I ain't saying 'dat," Rattrap corrected himself. "I'm saying we gotta have a plan now 'dat Mega-chump could use us as toothpicks if he wanted."

"Does anyone have an idea?" asked Airazor.

None of the members of the Order seemed to know what to say. Airazor decided that this must have been that they had enough problems of their own to deal with, one of which included their status as a "chosen people" being nullified by the Vok.

"Hey," Cheetor suddenly proclaimed. "Lance, right?"

"Yes," Lance nodded.

"Is your hover bike still working?"

Lance nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"I… kinda need to borrow your bike," Cheetor said sheepishly.

* * *

"Is this it?" Blackarachnia stared at the floating cube inside the glowing circle that surrounded the mountains of Machu Picchu.

She and Tarantulas were now in Peru. Thanks to the Predacon jet they had used, they had traversed across the terrains in a short time to reach that destination. The Pre-Columbian Inca city stood magnificently on its mountain ridge. This was another site that the Vok had chosen to place the artifacts that powered their doomsday weapon. Now that they had arrived, Blackarachnia breathed a sigh of relief now that they had a chance to prevent Armageddon.

"Yes," Tarantulas nodded and motioned for her to follow. "I believe it is…"

"So what now?" Blackarachnia asked. "Destroy it?"

"Precisely," Tarantulas replied.

"Okay then," Blackarachnia took out her crossbow.

"No!" Tarantulas ordered.

"Why not?" demanded Blackarachnia.

Tarantulas answered by unleashing two powerful missiles from his shoulders that traveled directly into the circle and destroyed the two artifacts. He cackled with satisfaction after seeing what his new body was capable of.

"I wanted to do the job myself," he told Blackarachnia plainly.

"Showoff," muttered Blackarachnia.

* * *

Optimus could not hold out for much longer. With a furious intensity, he was thrown into a parked van by the powered up Transmetal Megatron. Seeing stars, Optimus was too dazed to get up in time as he watched Megatron assault Rhinox.

Rhinox punched Megatron's chest directly. Previously, such a blow would have knocked the tyrant down instantly. Now, thanks for the new technology the Predacon wielded, he simply staggered back slightly from the blow only to laugh it off.

"And that was supposed to phase me?" Megatron grinned.

Rhinox charged again and threw a punch. This time, Megatron caught it and began squeezing. As Rhinox howled in sudden pain, Megatron slammed his cutlass across Rhinox's head, sending an instant wave of dizziness across the green Maximal's whole body. Unrelentingly, Megatron pummeled Rhinox with blow after blow until a final joint-crushing punch to the stomach sent the Axalon's best scientist into unconsciousness.

"Rhinox!" Optimus shouted. "No!"

"Rest assured," Megatron turned his attention back to his archenemy. "Your turn is coming up next, Optimus!"

Walking away from Rhinox slowly, the Predacon leader advanced upon Optimus like a black cloud of doom, just waiting to take his hapless victim by surprise. Determined not to give up, Optimus flipped out both shoulder cannons and fired. Both missiles struck Megatron, creating a minor explosion that gave Optimus enough time to take to the skies. After the smoke cleared, Megatron glared up angrily and fired up the rotors on his own back to follow his hated enemy into the air.

"Flight is no longer your advantage, Optimus!" shouted Megatron who charged belligerently.

Optimus fired two more missiles but Megatron quickly dodged one and deflected the other with a rapid swing of his cutlass. Before Optimus could react, Megatron rammed into him in mid-air and slammed him directly into a building.

After Optimus regained some semblance of awareness, he realized that he was now inside an office building of some sort, surrounded by desks and computers. Megatron hovered over him ominously and then transformed to beast mode. Before Optimus could react, Megatron kicked Optimus in the chest with a foot, knocking the Maximal down. Optimus charged again but Megatron swung his tail, slamming his weakened opponent against the wall. Biting down, Megatron bit his teeth down on Optimus Primal's leg, savoring his enemy's cries of pain. He then twisted his head and threw Optimus onto one of the desks, transforming back to robot mode once more.

"I wish I could say it was nice knowing you," Megatron charged up his laser cutlass. "But you know Predacons and public displays of affection!"

Optimus closed his eyes and waited for the end. The sound of blaster fire could be heard but to his surprise, he had not been shot!

"Aaaghhh!" Megatron cried as two more powerful plasma shots struck him across the back. "What is the meaning of this?"

"You are the one responsible for this!" the new guest howled. "You will answer to the Royalty at once!"

"Inferno!" shouted Optimus.

Megatron finally turned around and blocked a shot with his cutlass. "You again!"

"My territory is besieged by your minions!" Inferno shouted. "Call them off or face the fires of vengeance!"

"I think not!" Megatron finally charged up a shot and fired.

Inferno dodged the shot and shot forward, slamming into Megatron and wrapping both his hands around the Predacon's throat. That was the first mistake he made, not being aware of Megatron's newfound power. In an instant, Megatron grabbed Inferno by the throat and choke-slammed him violently into a nearby desk. Inferno got up groggily, not yet realizing what he had gotten himself into. Megatron struck him across the face angrily and sent the pyraomaniac stumbling back against a wall. Launching himself forward, Megatron rammed into Inferno through the wall and held him up by the throat with the claws on his cutlass.

"You'll rue the day you crossed me, insect!" Megatron snarled.

After nearly choking the life out of Inferno, Megatron dropped him impassively. Charging up his blaster again, Megatron aimed carefully and smiled.

"Such a pity," commented Megatron. "Had you been a Predacon, you would have made the perfect soldier."

Before he could fire, Optimus suddenly appeared underneath him with both his swords criss-crossing across Megatron's cutlass. Quickly, the Maximal leader hoisted up and pushed Megatron's arm into the ceiling just as he fired. Immediately, the ceiling collapsed on Megatron just before the tyrant could retaliate. Optimus grabbed onto the nearly unconscious Inferno and blasted out of the building. He landed onto the street where he was greeted by Airazor, Rhinox, and Rattrap. As noted by Optimus, Rhinox was holding his own side in pain, dented and bruised from the beating he had received earlier by Megatron.

"Are all of you alright?" Optimus asked.

"As good as we'll ever be," Rhinox replied while still clutching his side. "Once Megatron lands, let's give him everything we've got!"

"But will it even be enough?" asked Optimus.

"Don't worry, we've got a good plan," Airazor informed him.

It was not long before Megatron landed and surveyed the Maximals with great interest.

"This is a treat," Megatron told them. "Now you can all die together!"

"Open fire!" ordered Optimus.

All the Maximals began pounding Megatron with the remaining firepower they could muster. Holding his cutlass up to defend his face, Megatron marched forward, being slowed down somewhat by the bullets, lasers, and missiles that slammed into his body repeatedly. He did not however back down from the Maximal barrage and kept going, despite the great punishment being dealt to him

"Yeesh, what's it gonna take to slow this guy down!" complained Rattrap.

From out of the dust, the hover bike that Lance rode appeared. Rather than Lance as its rider, Cheetor was on top, piloting the vehicle directly in a collision course against Megatron. Without delay, the Maximals stopped firing. Megatron turned around but it was too late by then. Cheetor leaped off of the hover bike as it collided into Megatron, slamming him into the building he had just exited, sending him crashing through layers upon layers of concrete and steel.

Within the building, an explosion could be heard. From the wreckage and the flames surrounding the front of the building Megatron emerged once more, scarred and battered but still functional.

By now, the Maximals had run out of options. Megatron brandished his weapon menacingly before raising it up again, this time using the support of his other arm to hold it up due to the damage he had taken.

"Time to end this," Megatron breathed deeply.

Before Megatron could open fire, a laser blast from above tore into the front section of the building and sent it toppling down on Megatron. The Predacon tyrant howled angrily as enormous pieces of the building smashed down on him and buried him so thoroughly and completely. Despite his great strength and firepower, even Megatron could not withstand the pressure of several thousands of tons crushing down on him.

"Tigatron!" Optimus shouted joyfully. "Silverbolt! You're here!"

The Axalon finally landed after clearing away enough room. The doors opened up and out stepped Silverbolt and Tigatron.

"Optimus, sir!" Silverbolt saluted. "It is good to see that you and the team are unharmed!"

"Now we need to stop the Vok from fulfilling their plans," Tigatron nodded.

"Agreed," Optimus concurred.

From out of the alley, Temujin walked up towards the Maximals. He looked at each of them ruefully with a sad expression on his face.

"Here," he said, handing Optimus the scepter on his war staff. "This is one thing that may help you on your mission."

"Thanks," Optimus looked at Temujin in the eye. This time, there was no mutual hostility or suspicion between the two. It was merely acknowledgement between the two and a small sign of respect.

"Go on now," Temujin said softly. "Do what you were always meant to do. It's a pity I didn't interpret the scriptures right. I always figured the holy beasts mentioned in our texts were demons, here to put an end to us. Look how wrong my scribes and I turned out."

"We'll do whatever we can to save this planet and your people," Optimus promised as the rest of the Maximals stepped inside the Axalon.

Finally, Optimus followed the rest of his companions with the fallen Inferno in tow. The Axalon's main thrusters were engaged once more as the ship took flight into the air. Soon enough, it was merely a speck in the sky as its crew ascended into what was perhaps one of the most dangerous missions ever undertaken by a contemporary Maximal crew.

"Yes," Temujin acknowledged and closed his eyes. "I know you will."

_To be continued._


	26. Twilight of the Gods Pt 3

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Twilight of the Gods_

_Part III_

Rattrap had been dreading what could come in the next five minutes. True, they would be landing on the Vok moon base soon enough. But there was another matter they had to worry about.

His wounds had already recovered. In the last ten minutes, he and Cheetor had gone inside the CR chamber together. Under ordinary circumstances, he would've enjoyed a nice CR dip alone but unfortunately, they were pressed for time. Optimus, Rhinox, and Airazor also had their turns as well. Soon, the last person to be put inside the CR chamber would be stepping out. And that was what Rattrap was most afraid of.

"Think we made the right choice bringing him along?" asked Cheetor.

"He does have a rather volatile temper," Silverbolt nodded in agreement.

"The Vok are threatening his world as much as they are ours," Optimus told his crew. "It's a big risk, I'll admit. But if we could convince Inferno to side with us, we may be able to turn this battle in our favor."

Finally, the Axalon landed on the Vok's Planetbuster. As the jet engines to the ship cooled off, another sound was heard, not at all connected to the main engines. The opening of the hatch doors on the CR chamber was enough to signal them of Inferno's recovery.

Inferno looked out suspiciously. "What sort of trickery is this?"

"No tricks, Inferno," Optimus told the fire ant. "We need your help against the Vok."

"The Vok?" Inferno did not take his mistrustful optics off of Optimus.

"They're the ones who sent their machines all over Earth," Tigatron cut in. "They've come to destroy us all, Maximal, Predacon, human, and animal alike. That includes your Colony AND your Royalty. Like it or not, we're all in this together. So help us or not, it's your choice."

Inferno looked around hesitantly for a moment. It was as if he was in deep contemplation of whether or not he should help his enemies. Finally, he relented.

"Very well, drone," Inferno sneered. "But know that once this is over, I expect to be returned to my Queen."

"Agreed," Optimus said warily.

"Do our frequent flyer miles have to cover Inferno?" complained Rattrap.

Before everyone could respond, Rattrap corrected himself.

"I know… I know… shut up, Rattrap…"

* * *

"They are here," Mashu said darkly. "They have come to prevent us from fulfilling our mission."

"Yes, I have sensed their presence," Akkad said in an indiscernible voice.

"They have sealed their fates by coming here," Mashu was most vexed. "Had they simply left Earth, they would have been spared. Now they will suffer every bit as horribly as Earth will!"

"Shall I go and dispose of them?" asked Lagash eagerly.

"Yes, see that you do," Mashu agreed.

Lagash had already taken his physical form for the mission. A series of interconnected armor lined his body, ending with his shoulder plates. His face was bony and skeletal but covered with red war paint that was characteristic of all warriors who fought and died within his rank. In his physical body, he was large and imposing. On his right hand, he held his elongated battle axe tightly, the pole being only slightly taller than his own body.

As Lagash left for battle, Mashu rounded on Akkad with suspicion.

"I really should know better than to question your rank and authority uncle," sneered Mashu. "But why the lack of enthusiasm for this mission?"

"It is not enthusiasm I am lacking," Akkad replied cryptically. "But rather, it is the lack of desire to destroy countless species that have not truly had the chance to develop and evolve beyond their current situation."

"You always talk in riddles, old fool…" Mashu sighed.

"And you, my nephew, should have more regard for those around you," said Akkad simply.

"I'm doing this for our rules and our customs!" Mashu was this close to losing his temper. "The Earthlings have proven unworthy of being our peers among the stars. In decades, they will most assuredly destroy themselves! Am I not justified in preventing their exploitation from reaching the stars in the near future?"

"You are justified my nephew," Akkad looked at Mashu deep in the eye. "But don't forget that they are a young race, far less mature than us. Were we not the same when we began life?"

"Maybe," Mashu admitted. "But then again, we should allow natural selection to take place when lesser species prove incapable of survival. That point has now been reached and like it or not, you're either with the mission or you're against it."

* * *

Scorponok had never felt this powerful in his life as he blasted his way through the Vok drones left and right. His tail was now more prehensile than ever and because of that, he could swing it with much more ferocity and speed. Two more Vok drones leaped out at him but he sliced through them both like hot butter with the vibrant blade attached to his tail.

"This is like shooting fish in a barrel!" exclaimed Scorponok.

Suddenly, one Vok drone struck him from behind and knocked him down. Another drone burst through the temple wall and rammed into him, slamming him against a pillar.

With a burst of strength, Scorponok threw that drone off and finished it off with a beam laser from his tail. It was also one of the new weapons afforded to his powerful Transmetal body.

The other Vok drone reared back and struck Scorponok across the face with its claws, sending the Predacon flying back into the inner chamber. Immediately as Scorponok tilted his head back, he saw the Vok artifact he was meant to destroy.

"Out of my way!" Scorponok shouted and blasted a missile directly into the drone's head, right out of its rear.

Getting back up, he could now focus on the object of his mission. Standing back a few feet for the sake of caution, Scorponok unleashed a second missile directed straight for the artifact.

After making sure he had destroyed it by clearing out his vision, Scorponok opened up his intercom.

"Tarantulas?" Scorponok said. "I've done my part."

"Excellent!" Tarantulas chuckled. "You've done well, Scorponok."

"What do I do now?" asked the silver Predacon.

"Move on to your next target," ordered Tarantulas. "It is on another continent altogether but Blackarachnia and I will reconvene at your location with the jet."

"Got it," Scorponok nodded.

* * *

"Almost feels like we're back on Cybertron," commented Rhinox.

The Maximals were traveling towards the center of the Vok moonbase. The Planetbuster did in deed feel like a self-propagating machine planet with its metal flooring and wide sense of girth. To Optimus, Cheetor, Rattrap, and Rhinox, it seemed almost as if they were indeed back on Cybertron. The earth-born Transformers, however, did not appear to feel the same way.

"This structure feels so unnatural," Tigatron remarked.

"For once I agree, cat," Inferno smiled, baring his sharp teeth. "I prefer the lush jungles of the Colony."

"So this is like Cybertron, hmm?" Silverbolt asked. "It is unfamiliar to me, I must admit. My memory glitches have no yet fixed themselves to give me proper feedback on Cybertron."

"You ain't seen nothin' yet, Bolts," Rattrap nudged the fuzor. "The real Cybertron'll knock 'yer socks off!"

"In what way?" asked a bewildered Silverbolt.

"Well," Rattrap explained. "When we go back, I'll take ya to a few places for some energon gin… knocks ya to the floor if you know what I mean!"

"Sounds… refreshing," Silverbolt offered politely.

"Their control station should be up ahead a few miles," Optimus told the group. "Be prepared for anything. We don't know what these aliens are capable of."

"One would expect them to have sent dozens of fighter pilots after us already," Rhinox noted. "It doesn't make sense how unguarded their ship is."

"Maybe they were waiting for us to land?" suggested Airazor. "After all, they might want us on their home turf to have their fun."

"Sounds plausible," Rhinox acknowledged. "But so far, they're making us wait an awful long time for a surprise attack."

"Then you shall wait no longer," a deep voice rumbled all around them.

"They're here!" Optimus drew his swords.

Before them, swirling winds circled around a center until finally, a large, imposing figure appeared.

"Greetings Maximals," the creature smiled with his bony jaws. "I am Lagash, Vok soldier of the warrior-caste."

"How many of you are there?" questioned Optimus.

"Only myself and my two superiors," Lagash admitted. "But it does not take but two Vok to destroy a planet."

"Then I hope you don't mind if we throw a monkey wrench in your plans!" Cheetor stated angrily. "Cheetor, Maximize!"

The young Maximal transformed but was held back by Rhinox before he could attack Lagash.

"Not yet Cheetor," Rhinox urged. "We don't know what he's capable of."

"You, sir," Silverbolt declared. "You have gone too far. What gives you the right to murder an entire planet?"

"Oh, it is not my decision to make," Lagash replied. "But I am, however, obligated to follow the orders of my masters, despite my personal opinions on the matter."

"And what do your personal opinions tell you?" asked Silverbolt. "Do they not warn you of the imminent injustice your masters will wreak upon the world?"

Before Lagash could answer, Inferno got in front of Silverbolt and the rest of the Maximals. He looked back at them contemptuously before turning his back on them once more and staring Lagash down with his fiercest gaze.

"We're wasting time," Inferno told the Maximal team. "You heard what he said. They only have two others while we are many. Go and destroy them before they are able to destroy the Colony. I will fight this one!"

"But we can't just leave you!" protested Cheetor.

"Don't question me, drone!" ordered Inferno. "Leave this pathetic knave to me!"

Reluctantly, the Maximals left Inferno's side one by one to continue their mission. Inferno looked at Lagash and smiled.

"Now, where were we?" the half-crazed fire ant smirked.

"That was unnecessary," Lagash stated. "You did not have to order your friends to leave in order to face me alone."

"They're not my friends," Inferno replied coldly and took out both guns.

A silvery mist surrounded Lagash and a split second later, he was gone. A puzzled Inferno lowered his gun briefly but all too soon, Lagash appeared before him and slammed his elbow into Inferno's chin, knocking him on his back.

"You're a warrior of high caliber," Lagash warned. "But even you have never faced the Vok."

Inferno merely raised both guns and fired.

The shots struck Lagash but seemingly did not damage. However, Inferno did not seem to mind and continued firing, shot after shot. A frown crossed Lagash's features before he spun around and drove his fist into Inferno's solar plexus, knocking the wind out of the pyromaniac. As Inferno kneeled over, Lagash used his own fist to lift Inferno up and throw him across the metal flooring.

Again, Inferno got up despite taking such a beating. For this, Lagash greatly admired the Cybertronian. Inferno got up and began firing again. This time, Lagash fired a bolt of energy from his hand. Inferno rolled to the side and began firing again wildly. Lagash returned fire until one of the energy bolts struck the gun in Inferno's hand and blasted it away.

With his remaining hand, Inferno unleashed a stream of flames towards Lagash's direction but the alien disappeared and reappeared across the air several times, teleporting from one location to the next, making it extremely difficult for Inferno's optics to keep up with him. The Vok warrior's battle axe materialized in his hand and quickly sliced the upper ring of Inferno's gun off, rendering the fire ant's weapon useless. Inferno dropped his broken gun and charged his alien adversary. Again, Lagash anticipated Inferno's move and with a quick whirl, slammed the butt of his pike into Inferno's chin, sending the pyromaniac soaring back.

Despite the enormous punishment he had taken, Inferno managed to get back on his feet shakily.

"I will… not… fail, Royalty!" Inferno hissed.

Lagash was again impressed. Inferno fought back wildly, throwing a punch directed towards the alien's skeletal face. Moving at a speed almost undetectable to Inferno, Lagash caught the punch, yanked the arm up, and flipped Inferno on his back.

* * *

"Waspinator?" Tarantulas spoke into the com-link as Blackarachnia and Scorponok helped to pilot their job. "Have you and Terrorsaur accomplished your missions?"

"Yesss!" Waspinator spoke eagerly. "Waspinator and Terrorsaur destroy alien artifacts!"

"Terrorsaur," Tarantulas asked. "Can you confirm this?"

"Absolutely," Terrorsaur replied. "Destroyed 'em like you said."

"Excellent," Tarantulas nodded. "Once we destroy all the artifacts, the aliens will be crippled!"

"So what do we do immediately afterwards?" Terrorsaur asked. "Launch a full-scale assault against the aliens with our ship?"

"That would not be advisable," Tarantulas said. "It will take the Vok a few days to charge up on power once more. We shall use one day for me to construct a weapon powerful enough to exploit their weaknesses."

"Okay, got it," Terrorsaur agreed. "I gotta say, it still stinks that Waspinator and I haven't gone Transmetal yet…"

"You have more important things to worry about, buzzard!" Tarantulas yelled into the intercom. "Our survival is currently the biggest priority!"

"Okay, okay…" Terrorsaur muttered. "But do you think you could at least help give us Transmetal bodies after this? Don't you know the aliens' secret now?"

"Yes!" Waspinator's voice appeared again. "Waspinator wants to have what Megatron, Scorponok, and Tarantulas have!"

"Yes, actually," Tarantulas told him. "I believe I can construct Transmetal bodies for you after this is all done."

"Sounds good," Terrorsaur said and cut the connection.

"I don't believe you," Blackarachnia called out from her piloting chair.

"Don't believe what?" asked Tarantulas.

"That was the biggest lie I've ever heard!" Blackarachnia explained. "You have no intention of building either of them Transmetal bodies!"

"A little incentive for those fools to complete the mission," Tarantulas leered. "Keeps them honest."

"You think Megatron's alright?" asked Scorponok who was clearly concerned for his master.

"He'll live," replied Blackarachnia flippantly.

* * *

As the night dawned upon Crimson City, a hand broke free of the rubble. Digging himself out, Megatron dusted the pebbles and dirt that clung to his armor. He was not aware how long he had been unconscious but he was fairly certain that a few hours had passed while he was in stasis lock. He hobbled off onto the concrete where he was greeted by the sight of a dozen Vok drones.

"Just my luck," muttered Megatron.

Luckily for him, the drones had not yet noticed him.

"Tarantulas," Megatron opened up his com-link. "You and all other Predacon units reconvene towards my location at once."

"I'm sorry," Tarantulas's voice came through the com-link in a snide tone. "What was that again?"

"You heard me," Megatron repeated himself, his voice steadily becoming more agitated. "All units reconvene at my position."

"Sorry to inconvenience you, Megatron," the sneering tone of Tarantulas was heard once more. "But we currently have something more urgent at hand. We'll have to do this some other time."

"Tarantulas!" Megatron bellowed.

Turning on his com-link to all other units, Megatron tried his luck once more.

"Megatron to all Predacons! Do you read?"

"Actually boss," Scorponok's voice came through this time. "Tarantulas is right. We've got a real emergency on our hands."

"Yeeessss," Waspinator's high-pitched voice broke out as well. "Predacons must save earth from aliens!"

"You incompetent buffoons!" Megatron growled. "Can't I count on any of you to follow orders?"

His loud booming voice was enough to alert the Vok drones that prowled the streets. Like ants marching towards their next meal, they crawled towards Megatron with their six metal appendages.

Megatron readied up his blaster. "If you want something done right, do it yourself…"

* * *

"What is going on?" demanded Mashu. "Our systems indicate that our power has been drained by 65 percent!"

"They must have somehow discovered the artifacts on Earth," Akkad stated. "But how…?"

"It doesn't matter," Mashu was clearly frustrated. "We have a mission to destroy Earth but these Transformers still stand in our way!"

"I detect seven of them coming our direction right now," Akkad informed his nephew. "They will try to stop us."

"What happened?" demanded Mashu. "Did they defeat Lagash?"

"No," said Akkad. "Lagash is still currently engaged with their eigth member."

"Then I will battle these Transformers personally!" declared Mashu. "They will not last against my might!"

"According to our current statistics, the amount of power we have available is only capable of razing less than half of Earth," Akkad continued reading over the texts that appeared on their supercomputer.

"That's not enough!" Mashu seemed to be disappointed. "No matter, we can wait for a day or two to recharge. But until then, I will personally see to it that these Maximals meet their end!"

"You must do what you must do," Akkad said cryptically.

"Yes, yes," agreed Mashu. "I must transform!"

With an inhuman shriek, the ethereal form of Mashu glowed with a heart-pounding black energy. Several ligaments appeared from the central core of his body and gave him new physical form. The transformation seemed almost agonizing as Mashu continued howling until finally, he was covered from head to toe with a black exo-suit. The glass dome at the front center of his new body housed an image of his skeletal face.

"They will be no match for me in this form!" Mashu slammed both fists together in anticipation.

It was also at that exact same moment that one of the central doors opened up to reveal the Maximal team. Each of them drew their weapons, prepared to give it all they had.

"The game's over!" Optimus called out. "You're not going to destroy Earth!"

"Ya know," commented Rattrap towards the two aliens. "Instead of us takin' you to our leader, we're takin' our fearless leader directly to you!"

"We must exercise caution," warned Tigatron. "We know not what they are capable of."

"So these are what Earth's invader's look like," noted Silverbolt, whose wing missiles were ready to fire.

"You are not in any position to make demands!" Mashu clapped both hands and sent a powerful energy blast directed towards the Maximals. Immediately, the team scattered as the blast destroyed the doorway.

"Guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way," Rhinox acknowledged.

Mashu charged forward and slammed his fist into the ground where Optimus previously stood, drilling his fist directly into the floor. Optimus leaped aside and flipped out both swords, slashing Mashu across his wrist to no effect. A prism beam across Mashu's dome structure formed and shot forth, striking Optimus in the chest and throwing him back.

The remaining Maximals opened fire upon Mashu. As expected, the shots bounced off upon impact. Optimus quickly recovered from the blow and flew up with Airazor by his side. Together, the two Maximals unleashed a volley of missiles upon the Vok, causing an explosion big enough to engulf some of the computers as the other Maximals took cover. But when the smoke cleared, there was not so much as a scratch on Mashu. They did not make an impact, needless to say.

"You are weak!" Mashu screamed and sent several scattered blasts aimed at the Maximals. "All of you!"

Rhinox ran forth but Mashu swatted him aside with a simple backhand. Stomping towards the Maximal, Mashu raised both hands to smash down on the hapless Rhinox. From behind Mashu, Tigatron raised his quasar cannon and fired. The ice beam struck Mashu's hands and froze them together in a chunk on ice. Rhinox saw his chance and slammed his fists into Mashu's legs repeatedly in an effort to weaken the Vok overlord.

If Mashu felt the blows, he certainly did not show it. With a quick snap, he broke free of the ice and punched Rhinox into Optimus. Tigatron leaped onto Mashu's back as Cheetor and Rattrap leaped onto him as well, attempting to restrain him by his arms. Undaunted, Mashu threw Cheetor and Rattrap off and with a surge of power, sent Tigatron flying into one of the control panels.

Optimus charged forward, firing several shots at Mashu. He then unsheathed his sword and swung, only for Mashu to catch the sword by its hilt and charge up his own fist with a beam of energy. The Vok warrior punched Optimus in the chest, hard. The force of the punch sent Optimus through the wall from its sheer power. The remaining Maximals shuddered inwardly but pressed on with their attack. More annoyed than anything else, Mashu made a quick gesture of his hands. The guns that Rattrap and Cheetor held broke free of their users and floated into the air. With another display of Mashu's telekinetic powers, the guns turned on their users and fired, blasting both Cheetor and Rattrap to the ground.

"No!" cried Rhinox who attacked Mashu again with both fists swinging.

The physical body of Mashu seemed to disappear for a second. Rhinox could have sworn he was hallucinating. A split nano-klik later, Mashu teleported right behind Rhinox and kicked Rhinox across the back with a bone-crushing roundhouse kick that snapped the horn attached to Rhinox's back and took the Maximal scientist out of the fight.

Silverbolt quickly got in front of Airazor. "I will not let him harm you, my lady."

"How noble," Mashu noted.

"Not so fast!" Tigatron got in front of the two Maximals with the war staff that Temujin had used.

"You possess the—" Mashu cried before being struck by a bolt of power from the staff.

"You fear this don't you?" demanded Tigatron who fired off shot after shot.

"Aaaahhhh!"

The energy blasts struck Mashu and sent him reeling back. Tigatron leaped into the air and struck Mashu directly on his dome covering with the staff, sending sparks flying everywhere. Just when it seemed Tigatron would be able to penetrate the thick armor of Mashu, the Vok alien grabbed onto Tigatron and began squeezing, forcing the Maximal scout to drop his weapon.

"The pain only lasts for so long!" growled Mashu who then stomped down on the staff, destroying it utterly.

"Put him down, ugly!" Airazor flew up from behind Mashu and blasted him in the back with several wrist missiles.

Mashu threw Tigatron's crumpled body to the floor and turned his attention to the Maximal flier. From out of the air, an eagle of pure energy formed from the mental concentration of Mashu and flew down with a terrible battle cry, striking Airazor in the chest and shorting out her circuitry.

Several more missiles struck Mashu from the side. It was Silverbolt who was hitting the Vok with everything he had.

"How dare you, villain!" Silverbolt cried. "How much more destruction must you wreak before you destroy the Earth?"

The alien being drew on his cosmic energies once more. Two snake-like coils wrapped themselves around Silverbolt, binding his feet, arms, and wings together. As the fuzor fell, Mashu walked forward and picked him up. Signaling his purposes, he sent a surge of energy into Silverbolt, causing the Maximal to howl in agony.

"I am victorious!" boomed Mashu, who then dropped Silverbolt.

"No…" Optimus crawled out from the hole made in the wall where his body had previously crashed through. "We can't…"

Tigatron was the only other warrior conscious, despite the beating they had taken.

"I'm sorry, Optimus…" Tigatron said weakly. "We couldn't beat them…"

"No… it's my fault," Optimus moaned, getting up just barely before falling back on his knees again. "I failed Earth and all its people. I failed you… my own crew."

Tigatron did not hear the next few words that came from Optimus. His vision became a blur as time seemed to stop around him. Neither Optimus nor any of the other Maximals moved in addition to Mashu, who stood as perfectly still as stone. Because of the beating he had taken, Tigatron naturally assumed that his color-coded circuitry was malfunctioning due to his sight viewing everything now in black and gray. But whatever the reason, something was clearly not right.

"I see you've met my nephew," the ethereal face of Akkad appeared before Tigatron.

Tigatron got up warily. "He was nice enough to show us the practices of Vok culture."

"Tell me," inquired Akkad. "You once told me and Earth and all its people deserved a second chance. Do you still cling to that idea?"

"Yes," Tigatron nodded. "When have I ever abandoned that notion?"

"Your friends lie fallen before you," Akkad continued. "We have powers beyond your imagination. But yet, why do you still fight?"

"Because Earth is my home!" Tigatron stood up more straight. "We're fighting not just for the humans, but for all life on Earth!"

"I see," Akkad seemed to be deep in thought. "It is fortunate that I have already made up my mind. I will spare Earth and its people."

Tigatron blinked. Was the alien merely toying with him?

"However," continued Akkad. "You have not yet defeated my nephew, Mashu. Only when you have shown him humility shall I call off the attack."

"You ask for the impossible," Tigatron said almost bitterly and held his still injured arm.

"Impossible, is it?" Akkad said warmly. "I foresee that you are soon to receive help in your efforts."

"What do you mean?" demanded Tigatron.

"I speak to you in no riddles," replied Akkad simply. "I mean exactly as I say."

In a blinding flash of light, Akkad disappeared and Tigatron saw that time was moving forward once more.

* * *

"Fall!" Megatron cried as he blasted another Vok drone to pieces.

The tyrant was now literally surrounded by hundreds of the Vok drones that, for some unknown reason, were fixated on him. Megatron had only one theory. His Transmetal body must have been giving off some kind of signal for them. It would explain why they attacked him like vultures to a fresh carcass.

A stray laser from one of the drones finally struck him from behind and brought him to his knees.

The Vok drones then swarmed in once more, towering over him with their metal appendages ready to strike down.

Megatron raised his head in hopelessness. Was it really the end for him now?

Suddenly, the ground beneath them erupted and Scorponok emerged, drilling into the aliens with his claws. His tail swung rapidly and sliced through the thick metal of three more Vok drones.

"Scorponok!" Megatron cried gratefully.

"Sorry I'm late!" Scorponok assured his boss. "But I had some business to take care of."

Megatron stood up. "Where are those other buffoons?"

Several more shots rang out and drove the Vok drones back. Terrorsaur and Waspinator came from the skies while Blackarachnia came zooming in on top of Tarantulas' vehicle mode.

"Now that we are all here," Megatron said. "I suggest we do our best to drive off these invaders! Earth has room for only one group of conquerors!"

"You said it, Megatron!" beamed Scorponok.

* * *

The massive explosion was something that Inferno managed to escape only narrowly. He had activated his jets and blasted out of the way just in time as Lagash threw his energy orb. The blast still had enough momentum, however, to hurl him forcefully to the ground. Now he was helpless before the Vok warrior.

"You are a fine warrior," Lagash complimented sincerely. "But I must also carry out my mission. Surely you understand."

Inferno was lying on his chest. If he had heard what Lagash had said, he did nothing motion-wise to indicate it. His thorax was now drooped, signaling what appeared to be his unconsciousness. Lagash saw it as the perfect opportunity.

Lagash raised his pike up high. He was a reluctant soldier but killing Inferno would only be something Mashu would approve of.

To his surprise, the thorax on Inferno's back immediately spun to life and the rotors began spinning at a rapid-fire pace. The last thing Lagash saw before being temporarily blinded was the flames that spat into his face from Inferno's jet engines. Though he was not injured from the flames, he was still shaken to the point of dropping his axe in surprise.

As Lagash opened his eyes once more, he saw Inferno grabbing his weapon and rolling away just in time, holding it menacingly.

"I had not expected such cunning," Lagash said, still surprised the half-crazed Transformer had managed to disarm him. "But I will finish this, with or without weapons!"

"Have at it," Inferno beckoned.

Lagash charged but this time, Inferno was prepared. With almost everything he had, Inferno swung the axe as he just barely lowered his head in time to dodge a punch from Lagash. This time, Lagash was visibly surprised. A ghost of a smile was strewn across his face as he looked down to see the deep slash wound Inferno had inflicted across him.

"You truly are a great warrior," Lagash said.

"I know," Inferno said smugly.

Lagash's body exploded in a shower of shrapnel and green flames. Luckily, Inferno managed to avoid the shrapnel from the explosion. From out of the flames, the ethereal spirit of Lagash floated into the night.

"You have defeated me," said Lagash, still floating in the air. "Will you help your friends now?"

"As I said before, knave," Inferno bared his teeth. "They're not my friends… but I will assist them nonetheless."

* * *

"Look at you," Mashu snarled contemptuously. "Each and every one of you defeated."

The seven Maximals were crowded together in a small group. By now, they had regained consciousness, though they were not sure if they were even capable of continuing the battle. Their injuries were not the only thing plaguing their bodies. It was the shame and humiliation of their loss, coupled with the realization that they simply could not stop the Vok.

"Don't give him the satisfaction," Rhinox told the other Maximals through gritted teeth

"Nothing to say?" taunted Mashu. "Surely by now, I would have suspected a wise-cracking remark from the rat."

"I got nuthin' to say to ya, scumbucket," hissed Rattrap.

"How drole," Mashu sighed. "None of you even presented a challenge, with the possible exception of the maneater."

The Maximals looked down in defeat.

"I will be willing to spare your lives," added Mashu. "However, you must bow before me in submission."

"You haven't won," Tigatron growled and stood up on both legs. "We'll never kowtow before you!"

"You have one final chance to relent in your decision," Mashu glared at Tigatron. "I suggest you take it."

Tigatron said nothing but stood defiantly before the Vok overlord. Mashu's unrelenting eyes bore down on Tigatron in fury. How dare the white tiger defy him, one of the finest members of the Vok ruling class?

"You'll pay for your insufferable ways!" Mashu summoned a sword from mid-air, preparing to strike Tigatron down.

"Tigatron, no!" shouted Airazor.

"Tigatron!" the other Maximals shouted as well.

Tigatron closed his optics. He was prepared for what was coming. Akkad had told him that they would soon receive help. Though he was unsure of how it would come about, he had confidence that his friends would save Earth from the Vok.

"For the Royalty!"

Before Mashu could strike Tigatron down, Inferno leaped down from the balcony and slashed the Vok lord across the back with the war axe he had taken from Lagash, slicing through his armor thoroughly and creating a large opening where the Vok's energy immediately began evanescing away from his physical form. The weakened Mashu howled angrily and swung around only for the blade to connect with his dome, housing the very essence of his ethereal spirit. The second slash sent Mashu reeling back. Inferno saw his opportunity and blasted forward with his engines, going in directly for the kill.

Despite the great deal of pain and loss of power, Mashu concentrated his entire focus on Inferno and slammed his fist into the pyromaniac, sending Inferno crashing and skidding across the floor. Before Inferno could get up, Mashu slammed his fist down on the fire ant once more, grinding him into the floor, sending the Transformer into stasis lock. The damage to Mashu, however, had already been done. Thrashing about in pain, Mashu screamed in agonized shrieks and stomped madly.

"He's weakened!" Optimus cried. "We still have a chance!"

"Keep him busy for me," Tigatron requested. "I'll get the axe. It's the only thing that can injure him!"

Rhinox was the first to leap into action. He slammed into Mashu and managed to force the alien back with his tackle. Mashu threw Rhinox off but was immediately pelted with firepower from the other Maximals. From behind, Optimus sliced open one of the electrical power chords hanging from the wall and flew up, jamming the chord directly into the open wound that Inferno had cleaved across Mashu's back. The surge of power brought Mashu down to his knees until he swung with an open arm, swatting Optimus aside.

"This can't be," Mashu cried, his power fading drastically. "I cannot lose to lesser beings!"

"Think again," Tigatron picked up the pike Inferno had dropped and hurled it directly into the cavity of the dome on Mashu's body.

The pike struck true, tearing through the dome and striking the center where all of Mashu's energies were concentrated in. The backlash of power tore his body apart as blue flames consumed the armor. Crying out in a prolonged agonizing scream, Mashu felt himself being torn apart, atom by atom. When it was all over, his body had finally been immolated in the blue flames.

The ethereal presence of Mashu floated into the air once more, surveying the wreckage that had been his physical form.

"It is over, nephew," Akkad appeared miraculously before Lagash. "The battle is done and it is time we went home."

"But uncle!" protested Mashu. "We must destroy Earth! It is our mission!"

"Enough!" Akkad finally shouted at Mashu for the first time. "I have spoken and you will respect my decision!"

In that moment, it was clear which Vok truly had the higher ground in hierarchy. Mashu lowered his head submissively and vanished.

"I must thank you," Akkad said to Tigatron. "For showing me how and why sentient beings fight for the right for their own existence. More importantly, Tigatron, _you_ have proven to me why Earth deserves a second chance. I now know the splendors on that planet and how all living beings are but a strand in the great web of life."

"What will you do now?" asked Tigatron. "Was there not a grand council in your world who ordered Earth's cleansing?"

"Yes, but I am the second highest ranking member of that council," said Akkad slyly. "I am certain I can convince them that my decision was for the best."

"Well… that also helps," smiled Rhinox.

"Yeah, connections really can get you places…" Airazor agreed.

"From now on, I appoint you as guardians of Earth," Akkad told them. "I have just called off my invading drones. The Vok will never directly interfere with Earth again."

"Ehh, what was 'dat part about guardians?" Rattrap moaned. "I really, really hate guard duty…"

"What is the average lifespan of one of your kind?" asked Akkad.

"About two hundred to three hundred years," Optimus informed him. "Why do you ask?"

"You have two hundred years to guide humanity out of its current ways," Akkad said with a small hint of menace to his voice. "If that does not happen, then make no mistake, we _will_ return."

"I… understand," Optimus frowned, not completely satisfied with the business deal himself.

"But for the moment, you should savor the fruits of your hard work," Akkad told them once more. "For after this moment, your lives truly will be transformed."

"Plus we gotta dump Inferno back in his jungle den," Rattrap joked.

"As a token of my gratitude, I will now grant you your gifts," Akkad said, staring directly towards Optimus, Cheetor, and Rattrap. "Use them well…"

"Oh no…" Rattrap looked down at his own hand, which glowed with a strange, soothing power. "I don't like the sound of 'dat…"

* * *

"You managed to defeat Mashu," Temujin said in awe. "Amazing…"

"We had help from a friend," admitted Tigatron. "He truly turned the tide of the battle."

Ecclesiastes and Temujin were face to face with Tigatron and Airazor. Together, they had now come to a mutual understanding. Meanwhile, Selena was fraternizing with both Jack and Luna, who had introduced themselves to her. From what Airazor could see, they were already getting along great.

The truce between the Maximals and the Order of the Vok was now final and binding. Both sides had agreed to raise environmental awareness through peaceful ways and to teach mankind how to be caretakers of the Earth. More importantly, they had agreed to teach and to understand one another better.

"Perhaps we were wrong all along," admitted Ecclesiastes. "We had always thought the beasts mentioned in our literature were here to bring us harm, not salvation."

"Scriptures can have different meanings over time," Tigatron said. "It is up to each and every one of us to interpret it wisely."

"If you'd like," offered Temujin. "The Order is the Vok could arrange for you to be introduced to the human world."

"No thanks," Airazor declined the offer graciously. "We'll do it at our own pace."

Tigatron was in agreement as well. "Airazor is correct. We must do it gradually."

"By the way, where is that old chap, Optimus?" asked Ecclesiastes. "I must thank him for helping to save the life of my grandaughter."

"I'd also like to have a word with him as well," Temujin nodded. "I think the two of us can learn a lot from each."

"Optimus and the others are currently moving our ship to a new location," replied Tigatron. "It is a remote mountainous area where our ship will easily escape detection and serve our purposes of watching over the world."

"Yeah, it really is a cozy place," agreed Airazor.

"From now on, you have the full support of the Order of the Vok," pledged Temujin. "Our services are now at your disposal. We are your humble servants."

"That won't be necessary," smiled Tigatron. "But we will keep in touch should we require any assistance."

Tigatron and Temujin shook on it.

* * *

"Careful with those canisters!" ordered Megatron. "Ever since that alien attack, Megatron Industries has been in ruins!"

"Doesn't give you the right to take it our on us," muttered Blackarachnia under her breath.

The Predacons had raided one of Megatron's former rival companies to get enough radioactive canisters to help fuel their own depleted resources. The security guards had been easy enough to take out. It was now a simple matter of stealing the materials they needed and leaving. Unfortunately, that was now complicated for the Predacons by Megatron's current attitude, which had not improved much since the invasion.

"So, um, we gonna go home after this?" asked Scorponok.

"Yes, I don't see why my skills are being wasted on manual labor!" protested Tarantulas.

"Be quiet and continue on with your work!" ordered Megatron. "Terrorsaur and Waspinator, go to the skies and scout for any potential danger."

As Terrorsaur flew into the sky, a strange cat-like creature flew down on turbo-powered jets. The new assailant transformed into robot mode in mid-air and kicked Terrorsaur, sending him crashing down into Waspinator. It took the Predacons a moment to figure it out but they soon realized it was Cheetor, in new Transmetal armor.

"What is this?" demanded Megatron. "Where did you gain that body?"

"A little trip to the moon," Optimus Primal leaped out from behind the untouched canisters along with the other Maximals in beast mode. "Now we're back and feeling Prime!"

Megatron took count. There were six Maximals, including Optimus, the cat, Rhinox, Rattrap, Airazor, and Tigatron. To his great dismay, Optimus, Cheetor, and Rattrap had also turned Transmetal. Now the tides of the battle had turned. How could the Maximals have possibly gained their Transmetal power?

"You feeling lucky, Megatron?" taunted Optimus, taking out the new maces he had gained as a result of his Transmetallization.

"Always, Primal!" Megatron growled and charged up his cutlass blaster.

Optimus Primal glanced at his crew briefly. In the time they had spent on Earth, he had seen many strange sights and had many adventures. But the one thing that made it all worthwhile was his friends. They had grown and matured into the finest exploration crew Optimus had ever had the pleasure of serving with. And for that, he couldn't be more proud of them. They were more than friends now; they were family.

Turning back to the matter at hand, Optimus and his Maximal team faced Megatron and the Predacons.

"All units!" Optimus shouted. "Maximize!"

_Fin._


	27. School of Hard Knocks

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_School of Hard Knocks_

In the past few weeks, Megatron had lost it all. His company was now out of business and his credibility as a "reputable" businessman had been shattered by the Vok invasion of Earth. All his legitimate business associates had turned their backs on him because of the perceived negligence on his part with regards to helping out the survivors and refugees of the invasion. At this point, he had fewer places to turn. It was as if he was finally being dealt the seeds he had once sown.

On the other hand, however, he did get a powerful new body out of the deal so it couldn't all be that bad. Furthermore, he was taking it out for yet another field test in battle against Optimus Primal, who now had his own Transmetal armaments.

"You cannot defeat me, Primal!" growled Megatron, now flying in beast mode across the mountains.

"Then why am I the one giving chase?" shouted Optimus.

Megatron had to acknowledge that his archrival was correct. Whirling around, he stopped the chase and swung his massive tail, aiming directly for Primal's head. Optimus dodged the blow and tackled Megatron in mid-air. Lunging with his teeth agape, Megatron attempted to bite down on his enemy's shoulder. Optimus grabbed the jaws just in time while the two foes struggled briefly before their bodies crashed down onto a moving train.

Optimus was the first to get up. He leaped onto Megatron's back and grabbed one of the rotors on Megatron's thigh that helped to pilot the Predacon commander. With a yank, he tore it off, causing Megatron to yelp in surprise. The Predacon, in return, swung his tail, catching Optimus across the side of the head and sending him crashing on his back.

Megatron got up and transformed to robot mode just as Optimus got up. He stomped forward angrily and swung his cutlass at Optimus. The Maximal leader quickly reacted by unsheathing his energy mace, blocking the attack with his own strike. The two braced against each other momentarily before splitting apart again and attacking one more.

Optimus swung his mace, clanging against Megatron's cutlass. Again and again, he pressed on with his attacks, forcing Megatron back. Finally, the two crossed weapons again with Megatron knocking the mace out of his hands this time. Megatron swung once more but Optimus ducked. He slammed his fist into Megatron's stomach, then the tyrant's chin. Megatron stumbled back but Optimus leaped up and kicked Megatron with both feet, knocking the tyrant on his back. As Megatron slammed down on the top of the train, the people within that section of the train looked up in surprise as a loud thump from above was heard.

Optimus charged again but Megatron planted both feet into the Maximal's chest, sending him falling back. As Optimus raised his head, he saw Megatron's cutlass being thrust down directly to his face. Optimus rolled his head away just in time as the weapon cut into the train where a large number of people in that section were shocked and in awe of a large metal claw having penetrated the roof above their heads. Optimus leaped back to his feet and punched Megatron across the jaw. As Megatron fell back, so did his body. The cutlass, however, remained there, stuck on the train.

The tyrant staggered back but braced himself. He struck back and punched Optimus, knocking the Maximal leader down, close to where his cutlass was.

"Now to finish this!" Megatron growled. The missile launchers on his shoulders soon appeared.

Optimus saw his predicament and quickly yanked the cutlass out from the surface of the train. Before Megatron could open fire, Optimus swung with Megatron's very own weapon, striking the tyrant across the face and chest three times. The third and final blow managed to knock Megatron off the train, just as it was crossing a bridge.

As Megatron fell, he fired with both his missile launchers. The shots struck Optimus and sent him flying in the other direction as well. The sheer force of the blast sent Optimus Primal's body into the waters below as Megatron noted happily.

Elatedness soon turned into terror. As Megatron turned on his rockets, he suddenly realized what was wrong. Optimus had ripped off one of his rotors, the very instrument he needed to pilot and manuever himself across the air. Screaming in fright, Megatron felt himself spiraling across the air chaotically before his rockets finally gave out and he plunged down from thousands of feet in the air.

* * *

The new mountain lair he had relocated to was most spacious, noted Tarantulas. His old base was previously destroyed during the Vok invasion and ever since that moment, his life had been changed drastically. The biggest, most notable change in the status quo was, of course, his new Transmetal body. He was given more power than he could have ever imagined and more capabilities than most normal Transformers could muster, including a beast mode, a vehicle mode, and a robot mode… not to mention his additional arsenal. It was not common in Cybertronian society to have that many transforming abilities for any one Maximal or Predacon.

"Life is good," Tarantulas said happily as he switched on his monitor screen to check on the latest updates.

"Greetings Master Tarantulas," his supercomputer hummed to life.

"Computer," Tarantulas acknowledged. "What are the new updates you have for me?"

"It appears that you have a new guest outside your gates," the computer replied. "Unit Megatron appears to be heavily damaged."

"WHAT?" Tarantulas almost fell out of his chair.

For a minute, he almost lost his composure. Quickly gathering himself, Tarantulas leaped back to his feet and headed towards his main entrance. As soon as he opened the gates, he was greeted with a grotesque sight.

Megatron appeared to be extremely damaged from what appeared to be a large fall from the sky. His frame was battered and dented and it appeared that his arms would almost snap from their sockets. From head to toe, he was covered with dirt of some kind. Though Megatron was far more powerful than before, even he was not immune to a fall from several thousands of feet in the air. Tarantulas chuckled at this thought.

"H-Help me…" the words barely escaped from Megatron's mouth.

It was that moment that Megatron fell to the floor, his eyes looking at Tarantulas pleadingly.

"My, my," Tarantulas sneered. "Look how the mighty have _fallen_!"

The look in Megatron's optics told Tarantulas that he was NOT amused by the joke.

"You know," Tarantulas stroked his own chin. "Times have changed. It's a pity I no longer fear you as I once did. And unlike Terrorsaur or Blackarachnia, I now have the guts to say it to your face."

Megatron's features contorted into an expression of rage.

"T-Traitor…"

"Oh please, and you _just_ figured it out?" Tarantulas glared down at the Predacon leader. "I'm going to tell you what I should have told you at the beginning. From this moment onwards, I am no longer part of your command!"

With that, Tarantulas walked back into his chambers. The great gates of the mountain closed once more with a helpless Megatron lying on the ground. Finally, stasis lock set in for the tyrant.

Inside, Tarantulas breathed a sigh of relief. He had made his speech to Megatron the way he had meant to, short and to the point. He was his own 'bot now and there was no Maximal or Predacon who could give him marching orders ever again.

* * *

"Optimus hasn't come back yet," Tigatron got up from his seat. "It's time we sent out a search party."

"He was on scout patrol a few moments ago," acknowledged Airazor. "Think he was ambushed by the Preds?"

"Nah," Rhinox said with something not . "Optimus can take care of himself…"

Rattrap was in an unusually perceptive mood that day. Right away, he picked up on what seemed to be Rhinox's problem. He had been in this frame of mind ever since the Vok invasion ended.

"Rattrap and I can go out and search," Cheetor offered, not noticing Rhinox's mood. "These cool new Transmetal forms can traverse across a lot of terrain!"

"Zip it, kid," Rattrap nudged Cheetor.

"Huh?"

Rattrap pointed towards Rhinox who had his head down. After a moment or so, Cheetor caught on and subsided back into silence.

"Oh, sorry," Cheetor whispered.

"Guess we'd better, eh, head out," Rattrap headed to the front entrance. Cheetor and Airazor also followed.

"Hmm, something appears to be bothering you," Tigatron noted.

"How could you tell?" Rhinox said glumly.

"I can always sense when something is troubling my companions," Tigatron replied.

"Well, no use hiding it," Rhinox decided to tell his friend. "May as well tell you."

Tigatron gestured kindly for Rhinox to tell his tale.

"I've just been down in the dumps lately," Rhinox confessed. "Optimus, Cheetor, and Rattrap got their upgrades. And I'm still the same old me."

"So you are… unhappy that you did not receive the upgrades?" asked Tigatron.

"I guess so," sighed Rhinox. "I mean, I probably shouldn't be making a big deal out of this."

"You know," Tigatron faced Rhinox squarely. "I am glad that I am not a Transmetal."

"You are?"

"If I were to return to my hunting grounds in Siberia, Snowstalker and the cubs would no longer recognize me," Tigatron explained. "My Transmetal appearance would soon make me a pariah and a stranger once more to the lands that I have made my home. Because of that, I am thankful I have not gone through the same upgrade as Cheetor and the others."

"Is Airazor in the same boat?" asked Rhinox teasingly.

"As a matter of fact, she is," Tigatron acknowledged.

"You're right, Tigatron," Rhinox said. "I shouldn't let this get to me."

"Is there more to this than the upgrades themselves?" asked Tigatron. "If you wish to discuss anything more, then—"

"Nah," Rhinox said, attempting to hide the uneasy feeling in his own stomach. "I'm good."

But the truth was that Rhinox was not good. The beating Megatron that inflicted on him was still fresh in his mind. Never before had he felt so helpless before the Predacon tyrant in battle. He had the tar kicked out of him. And it was all because Megatron had the more powerful armor. Rhinox's self-esteem had hit rock bottom for the past few weeks because of the knowledge that he was falling behind the others in terms of technology.

He knew that he should be more focused on finding Optimus but right now, the dread gnawing at him was still a bit too much. Little did Rhinox notice the spider drone on top of a tree recording their entire conversation.

* * *

"Where is he?" bellowed Megatron.

It was the first thing the Predacon said immediately after emerging from the cleansing CR bath. The other Predacons had been anticipating some sort of moodiness or irritation on the part of Megatron but not something this thunderous.

"W-Where is Tarantulas, you mean?" asked Terrorsaur nervously.

"Yes!" Megatron glared at Terrorsaur. "Where is that treacherous arachnid?"

"He's not here right now Megatron," Scorponok told his leader, attempting to calm him down. "Did something happen? Did he do this to you?"

Megatron finally forced himself to calm down. "He did not do this, no. But he did, however, refuse to aid to me when I was injured."

"He did what?" Scorponok was taken aback.

"Whoo boy," Terrorsaur whispered to Blackarachnia and Waspinator. "And I thought I was treacherous."

"Spider-bot must have death wish," muttered Waspinator. "Something loose in his circuitry…"

"Maybe going Transmetal unhinged him more than he already was," Terrorsaur theorized.

"Yes, Tarantulas crazy enough before this," agreed Waspiantor.

Blackarachnia narrowed her optics. Just what was Tarantulas up to anyways? Of all the moments to betray Megatron, why now? Was he really capable of going it alone by himself? She had to ask him personally to find out.

* * *

"W-Where am I?" Optimus blinked.

"You're in my lair now, Optimus," Tarantulas sneered. "My drones gathered your fallen form from underneath that lake. And don't try getting out. These shackles are reinforced. Not even you with all your Transmetal power will be able to break free."

Optimus noted that Tarantulas was right. His arms and legs were completely shackled against an operational table. Was Tarantulas going to experiment on him now?

"You're lucky I do not wish to subject you to my usual tests," said Tarantulas happily. "I have something far greater in store for you."

"And that is?"

"You are to become the grand prize."

"The grand prize of what?"

"In the grand finale to determine it all," Tarantulas declared. "I have finally declared my independence from Megatron!"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, ape," Tarantulas pointed his finger at Optimus. "As for this moment, I am no longer part of his command."

"So you're a freelancer now?"

"You could say that," Tarantulas replied. "Though I prefer to think of myself as a free agent."

"What will you do now that you have no team?" asked Optimus curiously.

"Oh, you know me," Tarantulas answered dismissively. "I can always find something to occupy my time."

"Tarantulas!"

Optimus looked to the side. Blackarachnia had just come in through the door and she did not appear too happy with the decisions Tarantulas had made for himself.

"What do you think you're doing?" demanded the widow. "Do you want Megatron to melt your processors down?"

"Oh, Megatron will no longer be a concern anymore," Tarantulas said to her. "Not after tonight!"

"What're you talking about?" demanded Blackarachnia. "And is that Optimus you have tied up?"

"I have sent one of my drones to Megatron by now," Tarantulas informed his accomplice. "It contains the message concerning our duel."

"Your what?" Blackarachnia looked like she was about to have a spark attack.

"I have challenged Megatron to a final battle," Tarantulas said, the grandiosity in his own voice gradually increasing. "A battle I have carefully orchestrated for quite some time now."

"You've lost it, webhead!"

"On the contrary, wench!" Tarantulas took her arm. "I will emerge triumphant and all the Predacons will bow to me!"

"Face it, you have delusions of grandeur," Blackarachnia told him. "You can't beat Megatron!"

"She's got a point, you know," Optimus said, interrupting Tarantulas.

"Silence, Primal!" Tarantulas pressed down on a switch.

The shackles sent a bolt of electricity through Optimus Primal's circuitry, causing him to cry out momentarily. After a few nano-kliks, Tarantulas let go of the switch to stop the electrocution.

"As I was saying," Tarantulas said to Blackarachnia. "Megatron will meet his end tonight. Are you with me?"

"You're out of your mind," Blackarachnia yanked her arm away. "And I'm out of here!"

Blackarachnia walked out of the room as Tarantulas glared at her. It was one of his greatest frustrations. She was his creation and yet, there were times he wanted to rip her head off. The widow never seemed to go along with his agenda a hundred percent and it infuriated him.

* * *

Megatron landed at the oil rig at just about the time Tarantulas had specified to him in the message. He stomped down on the ground and transformed to robot mode.

"I see you've gotten my message, Megatron," Tarantulas stepped forward, revealing himself.

"I want to warn you beforehand, Tarantulas," Megatron said. "You could've saved yourself a lot of trouble if you had simply aided me back there."

"Ha!" scoffed Tarantulas. "And continue serving under a weak and ineffective leader? I think not!"

"If I'm so weak, why haven't you destroyed the Maximals on your free time?" questioned Megatron. "You seem to have plenty of that floating around."

"Only because of the handicaps you've imposed on me," Tarantulas shot back. "But no more! I am no longer part of your command!"

"You've told me that before when I was injured," Megatron noted. "You dare say the same to me now?"

"Times have changed, Megatron!" Tarantulas glared at the Predacon commander.

"Indeed they have," Megatron growled.

Neither of the two fired. Instead, Megatron and Tarantulas looked at each other warily, circling one another like lions fighting over a kill.

"Before we begin this, where is the prize?" demanded Megatron.

"Right this way," Tarantulas gestured.

The two competitors walked towards the center of the rig to see Optimus bound there on the surgical table Tarantulas had planted him on. Tarantulas had knocked the Maximal unconscious with electricity before the fight could begin. For a minute, Megatron looked his arch foe angrily.

"When I'm done with Tarantulas, Primal… you w—Aaaaaahhh!"

"Hahahahaha!" Tarantulas laughed, spinning the "pizza cutter" gun in his hand. "Shouldn't turn your back on a spider!"

Megatron held his side angrily. Tarantulas had pumped him with a small blast of cyber-venom to soften him up. He should have never turned his back on the treacherous arachnid!

Tarantulas wasted no time and launched several blasts from the missile launchers that now adorned his Transmetal body. Reacting quickly, Megatron fired up his thrusters and skidded out of the way as the missiles struck the ground where he lay. One missile after another followed him, each hitting the ground as he swerved away just in time. He finally got a hold of himself and positioned himself upward, flying into the air.

He fired down at Tarantulas who transformed to motorcycle mode. Tarantulas avoided the blasts nimbly and fired several more missiles from his back. Megatron avoided two missiles and swerved once more to avoid another set that pursued him at full speed.

Megatron quickly destroyed the two torpedoes but several more followed from Tarantulas, who sped across the oil rig's grounds at high speed. Megatron had lost count of just how many missiles he dodged until it hit him hard.

Tarantulas had been missing him on purpose!

Turning to all sides in shock, Megatron noticed how over twenty of those torpedoes floated in the air, surrounding him.

"Game over, Megatron!" sneered Tarantulas.

The missiles came crashing down at last. Megatron quickly destroyed one, setting off a chain explosion that caught on to the other missiles. He looked towards the nearest exit point and flew out from the widest opening. Megatron dove down, his desire to gut Tarantulas even greater than ever.

A stray missile, however, flew out from that explosion and struck Megatron in the side, knocking him down. He crash-landed onto the rig's metal platform, skidding across the floor several times before crashing into a cabin.

Megatron got up. He felt his own head ringing. Now he realized just how much Tarantulas' power had also increased from his Transmetallization. For one thing, the spider's firepower was much greater than before.

Clutching his injured ribs, Megatron got up. He did not show it but deep down, he was a bit afraid Tarantulas would win this one.

His thoughts were immediately interrupted as Tarantulas, still in cycle mode, flew off the ramp and crashed into Megatron's chest, knocking him down yet again. Megatron was the first to fall down on his back violently from the force of the blow as Tarantulas landed nimbly on his feet after having transformed in mid-air. Megatron now held his injured chest as a small bit of circuitry hung loose. To his irritation, sparks flew out from the damage.

He attempted to get up again but this time, Tarantulas flipped his gun and blasted Megatron in the arm, sending him stumbling back until he was forced to lean against a wall for support.

"Not so mighty anymore, are we?" Tarantulas mocked.

"T-Treacherous bug…!"

Callously, Tarantulas flipped his gun around again and shot Megatron in the thigh. The tyrant cried out in pain once more.

"Once I'm done with you, I shall be the one to extinguish Optimus Primal's spark," Tarantulas taunted the weakened Megatron and walked over to him. "Isn't it a shame that the great and powerful Megatron won't the one to have delivered the deathblow to his hated enemy?"

Tarantulas did not realize the near-fatal mistake he made in saying that. The fire returned to Megatron's optics as he realized the sheer humiliation being bestowed upon him by Tarantulas. What was worse was that Tarantulas was dangling a trophy that was meant to be _his_ right before his very eyes.

No, Megatron decided. Optimus Primal was his and his alone to destroy! There was no way he would allow some half-baked spider to claim the credit for annihilating the Maximal leader! He simply would NOT allow it!

"Ha ha ha!" Tarantulas leveled the gun at Megatron's head. "Say goodnight, gracie!"

"Raaaaahhhhhhhh!"

Tarantulas was thrown back by the sudden ferocity of Megatron. His optics widened as Megatron leaped back up violently, his sheer willpower alone guiding his actions.

Before Tarantulas knew it, Megatron slammed his fist into the spider's face, sending Tarantulas flying back until he hit the ramp, nearly destroying it.

Not to be outdone, Tarantulas avoided an incoming blast and rolled forward, revealing his missile launchers and firing back.

Rage was the primary motive for Megatron's actions at this point. He avoided both missiles and fired back, destroying one of the missile launchers on Tarantulas' left side, blowing it up completely as Tarantulas fell down from the explosion.

Now helpless, Tarantulas was at the mercy of his former commander.

"No please!" begged Tarantulas. "It doesn't have to be this way!"

"Think you'll steal my prize, eh?" Megatron grabbed Tarantulas by the throat.

Megatron did not allow Tarantulas the leisure of begging any longer. He squeezed the Predacon scientist's throat and charged up his cutlass blaster. With no mercy whatsoever, he thrust the blaster right into the stomach of Tarantulas and fired. A purple beam of light sailed into the sky and when it was all over, the abdomen of Tarantulas had a large gaping hole in it.

Tarantulas's body twitched violently before entering into stasis. It suddenly became obvious to Megatron that he had not destroyed his adversary's spark. Wherever it was, it was not in his chest plate or stomach. No matter, Megatron was through with the battle with the mad scientist. Lifting Tarantulas up, he threw the rogue into the waters of the ocean below.

"Now for you!" Megatron walked towards the captive Optimus Primal.

He stared at his hated enemy. Optimus was so helpless at this point. He was not even conscious. It would take less than a minute for Megatron to open up his chest plate and blast him right in the spark. And he was sorely tempted to do it too. True it was now how he really wanted to finish the Maximal. He had hoped to do it after a long and protracted war where he, Megatron, would destroy Optimus in the heat of battle.

But right now was also a good opportunity. Would he waste it simply because he wanted something more theatrical and grandiose?

His hesitancy made him turn around in deep thought. Accidentally, he kicked one of Tarantulas' spider drones aside, the little robot banging against the wall.

Now activated, the drone played a holographic recording of what it had witnessed through its lenses. Megatron took notice of this.

"_I've just been down in the dumps lately. Optimus, Cheetor, and Rattrap got their upgrades. And I'm still the same old me."_

"_So you're envious that you did not receive the upgrade?" _

"_I guess so. I mean, I probably shouldn't be making a big deal out of this."_

Fascinated, Megatron kneeled down and listened to the conversation between Rhinox and Tigatron. After letting the words of Rhinox sink in, Megatron finally ascertained exactly what was going on.

The rhino was afraid. He was afraid of the raw power that Megatron had now that he had become a Transmetal. He was terrified of how much more powerful Megatron was than him. And most of all, he was fearful of this power precisely because he did not have it for himself.

"Uhhh…" Optimus Primal began stirring back to consciousness.

"Good to see you awake, Optimus," Megatron walked over.

"What are you doing, Megatron?" demanded Optimus.

Megatron pressed down on a few access codes on Optimus Primal's chest to open up his chest plates, revealing the Maximal leader's spark.

"We'll be having company soon," Megatron smiled. "And right now, you're my best hopes of reaching him!"

* * *

"No such luck," Cheetor lowered his head. "We haven't found Optimus yet."

"Slag it!" Rattrap banged his fist down on the table. "I bet 'da Preds took 'im!"

"Looks like we'll have to send out another search party soon," Rhinox got up from his chair. "Whatever it takes, we'll find him."

Airazor has just come back," Tigatron gestured towards the monitor screen.

The female Maximal falcon flew in through the mouth of the cave, holding something in her talons. She went to her companions and dropped it. At closer glance, it turned out that it was one of Tarantulas' drones.

"I found this while on patrol," Airazor informed them. "It has what we're looking for."

Rhinox picked the drone up and set it down on the table. He fiddled around with its controls until he activated the holographic vid-screen.

"Greetings Maximals!" Megatron waved. "If you're wondering where your leader is, I should warn you that I have him with me right now!"

The Megatron in the image adjusted the camera angle so that Optimus could be seen in the background.

"But don't think of sending any search parties," warned Megatron. "Only one of you alone may come to rescue Optimus!"

The Maximals looked at each other worriedly. What game was Megatron playing here?

"Rhinox, meet me at Coordinates 744669. Do not disappoint me, Maximal!"

Megatron, for emphasis, then pointed his cutlass towards Optimus, whose spark was revealed. "And do not attempt to bring backup with you. Otherwise, Primal's spark goes offline, permanently! Oh, and don't bring your chain guns either. Disobey my orders at your leader's risk!"

"It's a trap!" Rattrap cried. "You ain't gonna fall for that, are ya?"

"Doesn't matter," Rhinox shook his head. "Megatron wants me to go over there. We don't have a choice."

"But who knows what he may do," Cheetor said. "I'm with Rattrap. It's too dangerous for you to go by yourself."

Rhinox looked up at Tigatron, who crossed his arms and breathed deeply.

"Only you know what decision to make, Rhinox," advised Tigatron.

Rhinox sighed and turned to the computer. He was not exactly too self-confident at this point to be undertaking a solo mission against Megatron of all people. He looked imploringly at his own teammates but none of them had an answer. After racking his mind for several minutes, Rhinox took the drone and sat down again.

"Let's replay this again," Rhinox said and opened up the recording once more.

Sure enough during the audio, a familiar sound could be heard in the background during Megatron's ultimatum. It was a fairly low-key noise but still distinctive enough for him to have picked up on.

"It's a foghorn!" deduced Rhinox. "Computer, scan the area for major oil rigs in the area!"

"Locations established," the computer replied. "The only oil rig in existence is within the bay area off Crimson City beach, forty five degrees off the coastline at Coordinates 744669."

"Hmm," Rhinox punched in a few more commands. "Scan for all major electronic frequencies in the area."

"Confirmed," said the computer after a klik or so. "Security systems are attached to the lifting hook on the rig."

"Can you access the codes?" asked Rhinox.

"It may take up to ten cycles," the computer replied affirmatively.

"Good," Rhinox said and turned around.

"You're really gonna go?" asked Rattrap.

"Like I said, we don't have a choice," Rhinox opened up a cabinet that was clock full of the various gadgets he had invented in the past. "But this time, I won't be alone. Megatron told me not to bring my chain guns… but he didn't say anything about other weapons!"

* * *

"There he is!" Terrorsaur said shakily.

"Ooh, is Spider-bot awake yet?" Waspinator prodded the fallen Tarantulas.

Tarantulas woke up finally after what seemed like hours. He gazed around. From the looks of it, he was on the beach. What must've happened was that he had washed up on shore after his battle with Megatron. The other Predacons were surrounding him, hovering over him like vultures. And in the case of Terrorsaur, that comparison wasn't entirely off.

"Scorponok to Megatron," Scorponok spoke into his com-link. "We've found Tarantulas. Shall we bring him back to base for repairs?"

"Leave that traitor to his fate," Megatron's orders came loud and clear through the com-link.

"W-What do you think you're doing?" Tarantulas got up to his knees, clutching his barely existent abdomen. "Do not abandon me!"

Scorponok seemed a bit hesitant. But orders from Megatron were clearly defined orders. There was no way he could disobey him.

"Sorry Tarantulas," Scorponok said regretfully. "You heard Megatron."

The Transmetal scorpion walked off. Terrorsaur sneered and flew away, though Waspinator looked at Tarantulas pitiably before leaving the scene as well. Only Blackarachnia stood there. The expression on her face was unreadable for the moment.

"What are you waiting for, wench!" Tarantulas could feel stasis lock looming over him once more. "Assist me at once!"

Finally Blackarachnia spoke.

"Sorry Legs," she said. "But I'm not going to take the fall and let Megatron slag me just for helping you."

"You dare abandon me, witch?"

"Don't take it personally," Blackarachnia transformed to beast mode and scampered off.

"Those fools!" Tarantulas grasped his chest. "How dare they!"

Tarantulas fell down once more. Left to his own devices, the Predacon scientist cursed bitterly. He pressed down on a few access codes located on his arm. At this point, he would have to rely on his drones to bring him to safety.

"No matter," muttered Tarantulas. "They will all regret crossing me…"

* * *

Slowly, the Maximal submarine submerged beneath the oil rig where Optimus was held prisoner. Rhinox wasted no time and opened up the lid, crawling out. As expected, there was a small staircase for him to climb up. He would have to work fast with what little he was given if he wanted to save his friend.

Rhinox hoisted himself up and nearly made it to the top. Before he got up, he clicked down on the reprogrammed spider drone he had converted to the Maximal cause. The little drone crawled up and surveyed the surrounding area.

He put on the binoculars he had constructed, giving him access to the drone's central systems. He was able to see things through the robot's vision.

The little drone crawled towards the main area where Optimus was being held captive in chains. Megatron was pacing around angrily, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Rhinox. He did not notice the reprogrammed drone thanks, in part, to all the other spider drones that were crawling around the place.

Crawling around the edges, the drone climbed up the wall and observed the scene further before transmitting the information back to Rhinox.

"I'd better get this right," Rhinox said to himself. "Or I'm in for the fight of my life."

Pressing down on the buttons to the side of his head, the binoculars slid back into visor position and vanished back into the subspace compartment Rhinox had placed on the side of his head.

Rhinox climbed up and crept silently towards the place Optimus was being kept hostage.

He snuck behind the wall and looked over briefly. Megatron was still pacing angrily as Optimus was held in place.

Looking down at the belt surrounding his waist, Rhinox pressed down three buttons in a combined sequence. The light around him seemed to bend his illumination to his surroundings, rendering him invisible. The invisibility belt was what he had been experimenting on in the past few days. There were still a few kinks with it that needed to be worked out but for now he had to use it to save Optimus. Other than that, it was merely a prototype that was not guaranteed to last too long. And to add insult to injury, it had never been field-tested either.

Rhinox's plan was simple. Sneak up to Optimus and release him. That way, he could take Optimus away from the place without detection. Worst case scenario, the two of them together could face Megatron.

Tiptoeing stealthily, Rhinox moved slowly and ponderously towards the machine that held Optimus in check. He made sure to stay as silent as he could so that Megatron would not hear him.

He dared not alert Optimus of his presence either. His best chance was to release Optimus first before anything else.

Rhinox grabbed on to the metal latchs on Optimus Primal's arms and pulled.

Unfortunately, it did not rip off as expected. The steel was reinforced.

"Just my lucky day," Rhinox whispered.

In an instant, his day went from bad to worse. The belt around him sputtered and cracked before the cloak of invisibility surrounding him disappeared completely, exposing him to Megatron in plain sight.

"Slag!" Rhinox shouted.

"What?" growled Megatron.

_So much for stealth!_ Rhinox thought. Quickly, he plowed into Megatron before the Predacon could react appropriately. He cuffed Megatron across the head with a closed hand while slamming his other fist into Megatron's solar plexus. Again and again, he laid into Megatron with heavy blows that reverberated through the oil rig.

Now it was Megatron's turn to strike back. He caught Rhinox's fifth punch with an open hand and squeezed down on it hard. Rhinox felt the pressure of Megatron's power bringing him down to his very knees.

"Aaahhh!" Rhinox grunted.

"You thought you could take me by surprise, did you?" Megatron hissed. He slammed an open foot into Rhinox's chest, sending the Maximal scientist tumbling away.

Rhinox held his chest. He was already in pain and that was not a good sign. Megatron's strength was epic and much greater than his own at this point. He realized he stood little chance of winning a fistfight with the tyrant at this stage in the Beast Wars.

He had no witty comebacks like Rattrap. He merely got up and stood his ground, watching and waiting as Megatron stomped forward, hoping that the Predacon commander would leave some kind of opening...

Megatron got up close to Rhinox. He was much taller as well.

Moving as fast as his non-Transmetal frame would allow him, Rhinox swung with an open fist that Megatron blocked with his cutlass. In turn, Megatron struck Rhinox directly in the head with an open palm strike. Again, Rhinox was sent reeling back from the blow.

This time, Rhinox felt the area around his head going numb from the dizziness. There was just a little bit of mech fluid dripping from the corner of his mouth.

"Face it, Rhinox," taunted Megatron. "You can't win."

Rhinox said nothing. He merely braced himself for the next attack. Megatron anticipated this as well and leaped into the air, charging up the fusion cannon in his cutlass. Coming down at nearly full power, the Predacon drilled his cutlass, already brimming with energy, into the ground, setting off an explosion of purple energy with a shockwave so powerful that it struck Rhinox on the side and sent the Maximal flying back.

Rhinox attempted to get back on his feet again but Megatron was too quick. In a nano-klik, the Predacon hit Rhinox in the back a side kick that threw Rhinox against a wall.

Megatron grabbed Rhinox with the claws on his cutlass and lifted him up. He did not see the fire extinguisher that the Maximal held in the narrow grasp of his hand.

"Face it, Rhinox," Megatron told his enemy. "You're old technology! Obsolete! What can you possibly do?"

Rhinox struggled for air in the grasp of Megatron while both hands fiddled at the extinguisher. He did, however, reply to the question posed by Megatron.

"I-Improvise!"

Finally, after having pulled off the safety pin, Rhinox aimed the nozzle directly at Megatron's face and squeezed the handle. The foam was unleashed directly into the Predacon's optics, blinding Megatron temporarily. The tyrant cried out and dropped Rhinox. Taking advantage of his situation, Rhinox went up the flight of steps, leading Megatron away from Optimus Primal.

Soon, he was on top of the highest pillar next to the rig's crane. It did not take long for Megatron to follow; having flew up there in beast mode, utilizing his jet propellers.

Rhinox had not anticipated the tyrant's fury. Megatron came down on him hard, grinding him to the floor with both feet. Not fully satisfied with having caused enough pain, the tyrant bit down on one of Rhinox's legs, crippling the near-helpless Maximal. Seeing how helpless Rhinox was now, Megatron transformed back to robot mode and began gloating again.

"Just admit defeat, Maximal!" Megatron grinned. "And I promise to make it quick!"

"Never!" Rhinox grabbed onto a lead pipe and struck Megatron across the face with it.

Though Megatron had his helmet reinforced with Transmetal armor to protect him, the blow still hurt enough to make him roar in pain. With his right leg no longer able to support himself, Rhinox dropped down but not before rolling behind Megatron and using that pipe to smash Megatron in the femur, downing the enormous Predacon.

Just as Rhinox attempted to get up to make one more attempt, Megatron slammed his fist directly into Rhinox's jaw. The impact sent Rhinox crashing to the ground. A tooth also flew across the air, rolling across the ground and falling off the platform. Megatron picked Rhinox up and slammed him against the electrical generator.

"Any last words?" Megatron charged up his cannon once more, after having pinned Rhinox down.

"Eat slag!" Rhinox said.

A small detonator appeared in Rhinox's hands. He threw the solar light grenade in the air just as the binoculars appeared across his head once more. The ensuing explosion of light blinded Megatron while Rhinox was shielded from its harmful effects.

"Aaaaahhhhh!" howled Megatron.

After the ensuing flash of light was over, Rhinox grabbed onto Megatron's still-energized cutlass and slammed it down on the generator. A mass voltage of electricity coursed into Megatron's body. Though he was a Transmetal, the painful effects of electrocution were not something that even Megatron's frame could withstand. Rhinox quickly got out one of Rattrap's grenades and planted it on the ground before leaping off the platform and pressing down on a command.

Rhinox fell down and hit the ground with a painful thug that an ordinary human would not have survived. He, however, was fortunate enough not to fall into stasis lock. In an even bigger explosion than the previous, the top of the platform went up in flames as the charred body of Megatron sailed across the air before falling into the waves beneath the rig.

Rhinox crawled towards the side to make sure his opponent wasn't getting back up. After seeing that Megatron had not re-emerged from the ocean, Rhinox limped towards Optimus and freed him from his restraints.

"Optimus?" Rhinox held his friend.

"Rhinox… what happened?" Optimus groaned and came to his senses.

"You were a captive for a while," Rhinox informed. "You're okay now though."

"You… saved me?" Optimus steadied himself, looking over Rhinox's wounds.

"Well, I kinda had to go through Megatron first…" Rhinox rubbed his head sheepishly.

"What? Why didn't you bring backup?"

"I know what you're thinking," Rhinox said almost bitterly. "Why didn't I take Cheetor or Rattrap with me since I'm not powerful enough to face him, huh? The truth was that Megatron requested I come by myself."

"Wait," Optimus said sincerely. "That's not what I meant. I didn't mean to downplay your abilities…"

"I know," Rhinox replied quietly and shook his head. "Not being a Transmetal has gotten to me in the past couple of weeks. With what you, Megatron, and Cheetor are now capable of, I envy you. I envied the power that you held and how all of you were light years ahead of me in technology. I wanted that power for myself and I let it get to me. I'm the one who's at fault here. You were right to have doubted me."

A moment of silence passed before Optimus spoke again.

"You saved my life, old friend. And you did it even though you weren't a Transmetal."

"I guess…" Rhinox said softly.

"It's not the armor that counts," Optimus put a gentle hand on Rhinox's shoulder. "It's the spark inside and the 'bot who makes it come to life. What you lacked in Transmetal power, you made up for with ingenuity and quick thinking!"

Finally, Rhinox smiled, realizing the full sincerity of his friend and what he had accomplished that day.

"I don't care what flashy new plating we have," Optimus told his friend warmly. "You're a member of this team and you always will be!"

"Thanks Optimus," Rhinox smiled.

Not much more needed to be said. Deep down, Rhinox knew that he had regained his sense of self-worth. He had defeated Megatron by himself with no backup from anyone else. That in itself was a clear victory for him.

"Let's go home," Optimus transformed to flight mode, offering a hand to help Rhinox up. "I'd like to hear about how you kicked Megatron's skidplates when we get back."

"Be happy to tell you all about it," Rhinox grasped Optimus Primal's hand and climbed aboard.

**Author's Note:** I remember Season 2 of Beast Wars and how we saw a brief moment where Rhinox began to doubt himself after Megatron tore his arm off. For Symmetries, I wanted to delve into Rhinox's insecurities with how the other Transformers around him are going TM while he's still the same old Rhinox. Please R&R and tell me how you liked this. At this point, Symmetries is going to be slightly more story arc-driven whereas previously, the stories were more standalone with the Vok plot being the only central storyline.


	28. The Awakening

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_The Awakening_

"We need backup!" Lt. Dunn yelled into his com-link.

A missile exploded in the distance as his tanks began retreating. The rest of his soldiers were already fleeing on foot.

"Repeat, requesting backup!" reiterated Dunn.

"We'll be sending more helicopters to your vicinity," General Wesley told him. "Hang in there, Lieutenant."

But Lieutenant Dunn was not sure how much longer he and his troops could hold up though. Already, they were retreating back to their base and they could only stall the creature for so long.

Already he regretted signing up for this job. Worse case scenario he would be faced with a war zone. But this… this was much more than a mere war zone. It was a nightmare come to life.

In the remoteness, he heard one of the tanks exploding. He desperately hoped that his fellow soldier had gotten out before then. General Wesley had promised backup but it was not known how long it would take. Depending on which bureaucracies he had to go through, it could take as long as several hours or even days and he, Dunn, could not hold up that long, especially against this beast that had almost obliterated his forces.

"Lt. Dunn!" one of his commanding officers yelled. "We need assistance!"

Dunn trembled as he held the rifle in his hands. This was the very moment he had been dreading the most. At the young age of 20, he was not yet ready to die.

Clutching his rifle with as much courage as he could stand to muster, Lt. Dunn ran towards the barricades.

* * *

_Two weeks later…_

"Whoo yeah!" Cheetor blasted through the air. "I love being a Transmetal!"

The young Maximal flew through the air faster than any speeding jet on Earth could manage. Today was a nice day for him to go on a ride again on his turbo thrusters, the very instruments that had liberated him from the cold hard ground. He had never been a flyer before and now that he was, he still had trouble adjusting.

However, 'trouble' was hardly the word to use. For Cheetor, it meant new opportunities and experiences for him. Most of all, it meant fun.

Cheetor looped through several clouds before diving down low to see what he could find.

There had not been a Predacon attack for a while luckily and while he was at it, Cheetor had not seen any of the Pred flyers either.

"Wait a nano-klik," Cheetor's vision zoomed down. "What in the spotted heck is that?"

The Transmetal cheetah flew down to examine a rather oversized stasis pod that lay on an outcrop of rocks. He was vaguely aware that he was near a coastal town from the sea and a town he had seen while up in the air.

How could such a big pod have gone unnoticed like this? It was open too. Whatever was in there had long gotten out.

"Cheetor, Maximize!"

Now in robot mode, Cheetor glanced over the stasis pod more carefully. A large "X" was etched across the front of the pod's lid. Whatever was in here, it was extremely large. No Maximal or Predacon could be this big… could they?

_Good to see you've arrived…_

Cheetor froze on his tracks. Was that a voice he had just heard? More importantly, was that even an audible voice?

_I've been trapped here for a long time. I beg you to save me…_

"Okay, this is getting too weird," Cheetor took a step away from the pod.

_Please don't go!_ The voice pleaded. _I am a Maximal… being held against my will in the city ahead of you. My body is weak but telepathically, I have just enough strength to send you this message._

"W-Who are you?"

_I... don't remember my true name. For too long the humans have kept me prisoner… performing their perverse experiments on me. Please my friend… I yearn for my freedom._

"I… guess I could bring the Maximal team over here," Cheetor said. "Where are you being held?"

_In an underground layer just beneath city hall…_ beseeched the voice. _Please do not leave me to my fate…_

There was something sympathetic in the quality of the voice that made Cheetor forget his fear.

"We Maximals never abandon one another!" Cheetor declared resolutely. "I'll be there for you right now!"

_No… bring your friends. The laboratory is well guarded. You will require the help of all your allies if you are to rescue me._

Cheetor stopped and thought about it. What the stranger said did make sense. There would be more success in teamwork if he got Big Bot and the others to come and help out this new guy.

"Alright," Cheetor said. "Hang in there, pal. I'll be back!"

* * *

"So, this is the pod," Megatron rubbed one hand over the giant 'X.'

"What is it?" asked Scorponok.

"The beginning of the end for all of us," Megatron stated. "If we do not act decisively…"

Terrorsaur and Waspinator leaned against the rocks casually as they watched the waves crash onto the shore. Neither of them seemed particularly concerned with the matter at hand.

"What's gotten into you?" asked Terrorsaur.

"Yes," Waspinator agreed. "Megatron usually not afraid of anything."

"You obviously have not heard, I assume, of Protoform X," Megatron said to his three minions.

"Hmm, not really," confessed Waspinator.

"Me neither," Scorponok replied.

"Then I shall enlighten you," Megatron sat down and cross his legs.

"Okay," Waspinator sat down with the others.

"Years ago," Megatron began. "The Maximal Elders began an experiment. It was an experiment to create the ultimate super soldier utilizing cutting edge machinery and bio-technology to enhance and create an immortal spark. Their experiment was apparently a success, you see."

"Uh oh," Terrorsaur muttered. "I don't like the sound of what's gonna come next."

"But a flaw in their designs drove the experiment mad," continued Megatron. "This 'Protoform X' was a nearly indestructible super soldier… that he was. But beneath that titanium enhanced exterior was the spark of a slayer."

"What happened next?" asked Scorponok.

"Protoform X ran amuck," explained Megatron. "Colony Omicron was the first to fall to his madness. After that, he stowed aboard a ship to Starbase Rugby. That moon colony suffered the same siege that Omicron experienced. In the end, an estimated 10,000 lives were lost, both Maximal and Predacon. Of course, the incidents were well covered up over the years by the Maximal Imperium. But those Cybertronians who remember… do not let the tales die out."

"Ooh, Waspinator not want to run into Protoform X…" shuddered the Predacon flyer.

"Looks like you have no choice," Megatron got up in an uncharacteristically somber mood. "None of us do. Make no mistake, this is his pod. And he is here."

"What do Predacons do now?" Waspinator squeaked.

"Something I am loathe to do," Megatron scowled.

* * *

"So how is Europe going so far?" Optimus asked Silverbolt who had just dropped by for a visit.

"It is an interesting land," noted Silverbolt. "Its cultures and customs intrigue me to no end."

"Fitting in well so far?" joked Rattrap.

"If you count the moments where I lay still as a stone gargoyle," answered Silverbolt plainly. "Then, I suppose I do."

"It was a joke," Rattrap's shoulders sank.

"Oh," Silverbolt seemed a bit surprised. "Well, in that case… I suppose not. Most of the locals see me as something to be feared."

"That's nonsense," Tigatron said. "The people there will one day appreciate the good you've been doing there."

At the moment, a heavily panting Cheetor flew in through the mouth of the cave, crashing across the ground as he landed.

"Cheetor!" Optimus helped his ward up. "What's wrong?""

"New… Maximal," panted the young Maximal. "Take hostage… humans…"

"Hmm," Tigatron went up to Cheetor. "Please explain once more."

Cheetor finally caught his breath. "There's a new Maximal who reached out to me. He said he was taken prisoner by the humans at Coordinates 2431. It's beneath the town's city hall! We have to rescue him!"

"I am in agreement with Cheetor," Silverbolt walked up to the cat. "If a comrade is in danger, then we must go to his aid."

"Where was his pod?" asked Optimus.

"Aw, slag," Cheetor said. "I forgot where it was… everything he told me was so urgent."

"Not to worry Cheetor," Silverbolt said. "I have good faith placed in you. What say we go together to this place to rescue our comrade?"

"Let's move out," Optimus declared.

* * *

"Wait a sec," Cheetor looked down at the location of the pod. "That's where I found it!"

"The pod?" asked Optimus.

"Yeah, it was just sitting over there…"

Optimus, Cheetor, Silverbolt, and Airazor flew down for a closer look. On the ground, Rattrap, Rhinox, and Tigatron reached them soon enough.

"This is where I found the pod," Cheetor said. "And it's also where I heard that 'bot reaching out to me."

"Could that 'bot have long-distance communication devices of some sort?" Rhinox suggested.

"What could have happened to the pod?" asked Silverbolt.

"Dunno," Cheetor said. "But man, it was the biggest stasis pod I've ever seen!"

"Wait," Optimus looked at his young ward. "Did you just say biggest?"

"Well, yeah," nodded Cheetor. "It had this big 'X' on it too."

Rhinox and Rattrap glanced at Optimus Primal nervously. Before Optimus could properly respond, a loud booming voice was heard before them.

"Well, the truth is out, isn't it?" Megatron sneered as he landed and transformed to robot mode. The other Predacons appeared in the distance as well.

"What do you want?" Optimus got out his mace.

"Believe it or not, a temporary peace treaty," Megatron stated. The Predacons behind him nodded in agreement.

"And why should I buy into it?" asked Optimus.

"Because I take it you have not informed your crew the truth about our stasis pod," sneered Megatron.

Optimus looked at his team, guilty over not having told them the entire truth. Right now, however, it was still not too late. He had to tell them how it went down.

"Whatever was in that pod is no ordinary Transformer," Optimus told his team, particularly to Cheetor. "He's a mass murderer and his name is Protoform X."

The entire team gasped. On the other hand, the Predacons looked quite gleeful in seeing the horrified expressions on each Maximal's face.

"Years ago, the Maximal Elders began an experiment to create the most powerful Cybertronian warrior ever," Optimus explained. "It was also a test to fashion an indestructible spark for that warrior. Their experiment succeeded but somewhere along the way, they failed with producing a stable creation. Their lab project Protoform X broke out and leveled the entire Colony of Omicron. He hitched a ride to a nearby moon base, Starbase Rugby, and obliterated that colony as well. In the end, it took almost an entire armada to subdue X and bring him before the Imperium…"

* * *

"_You think this will bind me?" the behemoth leered from the stasis field that restrained him._

"_You cannot escape justice," Senator Gallas. "Over ten thousand inhabitants were lost in your destructive attack. Have you anything to say before your final sentence?"_

_The features on Protoform X's face remained leering and murky. Several restraining bolts were also placed over his body in addition to the power of the stasis field. Around his neck hung an energy bolt that held him down to his knees. In the background, Optimus sat at the jury's bench, watching the trial. _

"_I do," X's eyes glistened malevolently. "Know that I have no regrets for what I have done. And most assuredly, know that once I am free from these chains, I will show you the same courtesy."_

"_You've made your intentions clear enough," Judge Kanto declared. "Your sentence has been passed. You are to be banished to an undisclosed location. There, you will have no provisions, no energon, and no way for you to leave that place. May the souls of the perished torment you for an eternity."_

"_Oh believe me," X looked at the Judge darkly. "I have all the time in the world to relive their delicious screams of agony! Besides, it was you, the Maximal Elders, who made it all possible through creating me."_

_None of the Maximal Elders in the Tribunal responded to what Rampage had said. A few of them shifted nervously at his accusation, knowing full well that they did play a hand in his creation._

"_Optimus Primal, step forward," Senator Gallas ordered._

_Optimus did as he was told and stood before the Judge and the Tribunal. He was surprised that after all that had gone through, Protoform X had not gotten the death penalty. Deep down, he was not sure if it was because X simply could not be killed… or if the Tribunal was simply unwilling to kill such a powerful war machine._

"_Henceforth, you and your exploration crew are to leave Protoform X on a deserted planet where he may mull over his actions," Judge Kanto told the young exploration captain. "After you have done so, you may resume your mission of exploration."_

"_Yes sir," Optimus replied._

_Several guards stepped forth and grabbed hold of the massive container that held Rampage in his stasis field, dragging it out of the courtroom. As X passed Optimus, he gave the Maximal leader the most haunting chuckle._

"_I can tell you and I are going to be well acquainted with each other," X said both scornfully and playfully at the same time. "Once I'm on your ship, the party can really begin, hah hah hah hah hah!"_

* * *

"Protoform X was one of the stasis pods loaded onto the Axalon," Optimus finished the story. "Our first priority was to dump the pod on an abandoned moon but after loading up, the alarms alerted us of a theft of the golden discs by Megatron. Our ship was the only one available at the moment so we were forced to give chase. And the rest, they say, is history."

"Whoa, time out!" Cheetor stated. "Let me get this straight. You had Cybertron's most notorious criminal on the Axalon and you didn't tell us?"

"I'm sorry Cheetor," Optimus lowered his head. "Rattrap, Rhinox, and I were sworn to secrecy."

"But the secret's out now," Airazor pointed out. "And who knows where X is now."

"All the more reason for this truce," noted Megatron.

"How do you know about X anyways?" asked Optimus suspiciously.

"In Predacon society, urban legends of him are quite common," Megatron replied. "Lower class denizens often tell ghosts stories of him to frighten one another. I just never thought I'd have to encounter this Protoform X."

"Aww, who thought Megsy would cry out for his blankie because he thought 'da big bad X was coming for 'im?" mocked Rattrap.

"More like he cries out for his rubber ducky," muttered Terrorsaur underneath his breath.

"This isn't a joke, vermin," Blackarachnia spat. "If this X is anywhere as legendary as the tales say he is, we're all in a world of trouble."

_And you know what they say… legends never die._

"What was that?" Megatron cried.

All the Transformers looked around, only to find nothing. There was some sort of voice reaching out to them.

_I'm touched that you know my story…_ said the voice. _But know this. Not one of you will live to tell it!_

"Show yourself, villain!" shouted Silverbolt.

_Oh, I won't do so just yet. Why don't you come down to the city and paint the town red with me tonight?_

"Gulp," Waspinator swallowed nervously. "Waspinator not want to paint red…"

"If this is a trick…" began Megatron.

_Oh, it is no trick I promise you! If you do not come then I swear to you that every living creature on this planet, and Primus knows there are a lot of them, will experience the fires of Omicron! The purpose of you Maximals is to explore and defend. You won't compromise that to save your own necks. I know you all too well…_

"Then you've got us," Optimus finally said. "Where are you?"

_Just come down to the city… and don't worry about finding me. I'll find you._

"Oh no… Waspinator not want to go down there…"

"I assume you have a battle strategy?" demanded Megatron.

Consumed with a mixture of both fear and guilt, Optimus shook his head.

"Good," Megatron smiled. "Because I have."

The Predacon overlord pressed down on a remote he held his hand. In just a little while, an enormous submarine submerged from the waves and landed on the beach, with its hatch opening up for all the Maximals and Predacons to see.

"I manufactured this nuclear submarine through my old company," Megatron told them. "I believe when worst comes to worst, it will serve us well. Now, onto official business!"

* * *

"I still don't like this plan of yours," Optimus told his archenemy.

"Ah Optimus," sighed Megatron. "If only you could have the same fun I could, sacrificing your troops like chess pawns."

The two leaders stood atop one of the buildings of the city. The entire town, they noted, had been already quarantined by the military most likely as a result of Protoform X's attack. Considering the degree and scope of this attack by a beast like that, they had most likely decided to cover it up until they could give a plausible explanation as to what destroyed an entire military installation along with nearly half the city.

"This isn't a game Megatron," Optimus said fearfully. "I should be down there with my troops."

"Don't be a fool," Megatron said. "We play a crucial part in this. If we do it right, the threat of Protoform X may be eliminated forever!"

"At the cost of sacrificing my team?" demanded Optimus.

"Listen to reason, you fool!" countered Megatron. "They are to lead the monster away and by the time they have whittled away at him, you and I may subdue him and board him into that vessel."

"But will your nuclear submarine even be enough?" asked Optimus.

Megatron bit his tongue silently. What Optimus posed was a question that not even he could answer.

* * *

"I can't believe we went all this time without knowing Protoform X was on our ship," Airazor told Tigatron softly. "It's unbelievable."

"Mmm," Tigatron nodded. "I can't completely fault Optimus or the others. They had their orders after all."

All the Maximals and Predacons were congregated together near the city hall. Though they were not shooting at each other as usual, the amount of interaction between them was still low. Maximals hung out on the Maximal side while Predacons stuck to their own kind in turn.

"When do you think he'll come?" asked Airazor. Her voice betrayed the fear she felt.

"Do not worry," Tigatron put a protective hand on her shoulder. "When he comes, we will make certain he does not escape justice."

Silverbolt watched Tigatron and Airazor from afar interestedly. He then turned towards a lone Predacon sitting near the steps. Deciding to eschew the current tradition of Maximal Predacon segregation, he walked towards Blackarachnia to begin a conversation.

"What do you want, bone-brain?" Blackarachnia started before Silverbolt could speak.

"So, do you believe this Protoform X is every bit the legend they say he is?" asked Silverbolt.

"How should I know," shrugged Blackarachnia. "Megatron seems pretty scared of him. I'd wager I should be too."

"Well, know that if worst comes to worst, I shall protect you from that fiend," Silverbolt told her resolutely.

"Ha! And what makes you think I need your help?"

"Well… he is the one responsible for Omicron and Starbase Rugby. Surely no one Transformer can take on him alone."

"Oh I see," Blackarachnia scoffed. "Think I'm the dainty little femme-bot who can't take care of herself, huh? Think you're the brave knight in shining armor who can save me?"

"Err, no!" Silverbolt attempted to exercise damage control. "What I merely wish to say is that Protoform X is a monster of unfathomable power. It would do us well to stick together!"

"Look rover," Blackarachnia told Silverbolt firmly. "I'm a self-sufficient gal who can take care of herself. So don't think you can pull the wool over my eyes because you're some kind of hero from where you come from!"

_Such sentimental nonsense! It's a pity you won't get to know each other better! I take pleasure in destroying the spark between starcrossed lovers!_

Silverbolt's ears perked up. "He's here!"

The Maximals and Predacons picked up their weapons without delay and stood there, awaiting X's arrival. From out of the fog, a stray missile flew towards them. All the fighters braced themselves for impact but the missile stopped in the middle of its course and flew up high into the air where it exploded, signaling the arrival of the foreboding Protoform X.

"Where is X?" Terrorsaur asked.

His question would be answered in the shape of a dark silhouette that moved out of the fog at a slow and rumbling pace. Each and every combatant there felt the ground beneath them tremble.

Finally, a second missile appeared from out of the mists and struck the ground where they stood, scattering them all.

Scorponok was the first to fall forward. In front of him was a towering behemoth that was easily several feet taller than both Optimus and Megatron. With its massive chest and green eyes, the creature howled in rage and slammed both fists down at the Predacon. What especiallystruck fear into them was that Protoform X was also a Transmetal from the looks of his armor.

Quickly, Scorponok flipped out of the way and swung his tail at the creature. Protoform X did not even wince as the blade connected across his chest.

"What?" Scorponok was stunned. "How could he with stand that?"

Everyone else stood there, almost paralyzed with fear. A blow like that could have cut through even Megatron's powerful hide. There was no wound or any indication of damage on the chest of Protoform X, however.

"Your efforts are as futile as they are amusing," Protoform X finally spoke. "We're going to have so much fun together."

"Oh no we're not!" Scorponok immediately revealed all the armaments at his disposal.

His chest opened up to reveal a shining laser core while both claws clicked open to divulge the new missile defense system that came with his Transmetal upgrade. His tail swung upright to reveal the shining blade once more. For whatever it was worth, Protoform X did not appear to be too impressed.

"Is that all you got?" the creature mocked.

Scorponok let loose a barrage of firepower. A powerful laser beam erupted from his chest as the blade disconnected from the tail and flew towards X's neck. All the missiles erupted as well from his claws. At the exact same moment, all those shots struck Protoform X and engulfed him in an explosion that forced even his own comrades and the Maximals to take cover.

The scorpion looked tersely as the explosion receded and smoke rose from all the damage his firepower had caused. Did he manage to take X down?

Without warning, a large crab-like claw reached out and gripped him. Scorponok let out a bloodcurdling scream as Protoform X dragged him into the smoke and disappeared.

When the smoke had cleared, the monster was no longer there. One of Scorponok's claws lay there, broken and born apart.

From out of the sky, the blade from Scorponok's tail flew down. Rattrap quickly leaped to the side to avoid it sinking into him. Instead the claw embedded itself on the side of the road, next to Rattrap. A split second later, the large form of Protoform X leaped down from the building and smashed both feet onto the ground, splitting the ground beneath all the grounded Beast Warriors and knocking each and every one of them down.

Rhinox and Blackarachnia opened fire with their respective machine gun weaponry. The shots bounced off of Protoform X's extremely powerful hide and scattered across the sidewalk. The creature transformed to beast mode without a word. Protoform X's mode appeared to be a king crab of some sort after having gone through the process of Transmetallization.

"How did crab cakes here become a Transmetal?" cried Rattrap.

"The Vok invasion must have left energy residues on Earth," theorized Rhinox. "It's the only plausible explanation."

Protoform X swung with both massive claws, knocking Rattrap and Rhinox to the side. He lunged for Blackarachnia who leaped over him and fired a missile from her gun. X did not make any attempt to block himself as the missile struck him, bouncing off his armored shell.

"Was that supposed to stop me on my tracks?" mocked X.

Blackarachnia quickly fired back with several more of her bullets. In the meantime, Tigatron and Airazor raised their right arms up to reveal their missile launchers. They fired as well, both their missiles striking X from the side. Cheetor charged up both hands and send several energy blasts directly towards the monster as well. Apparently, their weapons did no more good than those of Blackarachnia's or Scorponok.

From above, Terrorsaur and Waspinator rained down missiles and blaster fire. X looked up in surprise as laser beams struck his armored hide. To the surprise of everyone, Protoform X transformed his body slightly from crustacean to tank as a line of wheels appeared across his side while his claws rotated back to make way for the chains that held the wheels together. A triple barrage missile launcher appeared just below his head and rose ever so slightly into the air.

With a howl of pure madness, Protoform X fired. The missile missed Terrorsaur and Waspinator on its first run but came back and exploded as soon as it neared them. The explosion generated was so massive that the charred bodies of both fliers crashed through the glass windows of opposite office buildings.

"Roast pterodactyl hot legs," joked X casually. "I'll be feasting well tonight."

The behemoth transformed to robot mode once more as he stared down the remaining Transformers. Silverbolt was the first to strike as he unleashed two feather daggers from his wings, throwing them one after another. X yawned as one dagger rebounded off his armor harmlessly but caught the other with reflexes uncommon for a 'bot so enormous.

With a small squeeze, he easily crumpled the dagger to pieces.

Rhinox grabbed onto a street lamp and tore it off. He swung the weapon at X, glancing the monster across the face. He swung again but this time, X caught the post and raised Rhinox into the air, throwing him overhead and bringing him down onto the ground back first.

Again and again, X slammed Rhinox to the ground before lifting the Maximal scientist up by the neck. Rhinox attempted to fight back by boxing the mass murderer across his head. Protoform X slammed his knee into Rhinox to take the fight out of him in one glancing blow. He then grabbed onto Rhinox's arms and yanked them off, grunting with sadistic pleasure as he did so.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" screamed Rhinox.

"Rhinox!" cried the Maximals.

"You're really gonna get it now!" cried Cheetor as he cupped both hands together once more, charging up an even more powerful blast.

X struck Rhinox across the chin with an uppercut to silence him, knocking the badly damaged Maximal clear across the air. He turned his attention back the young Maximal who had gathered enough energy to fire. The built-in cannon, in both hands, was now brimming with a pulsating green energy as volts of electricity crackled around him.

"Come on then," urged X. "Do your worst."

Cheetor roared and unleashed the energy blast straight towards the defiant X. The butcher of Omicron stood his ground and struck out with both hands just as the ball of energy hit him. X used one hand to grasp the powerful ball of energy, feeling the energy hit him at full force on his very palms. Using his other hand, he struck the energy blast, knocking it right back to its creator.

Surprised at X's display of sheer power and tenacity, Cheetor did not leap aside fast enough. The blast hit him and sent his badly damaged body sailing into a telephone booth where he fell and did not get back up.

"Eh, any ideas guys?" Rattrap looked at the remaining warriors standing.

Protoform X withdrew his massive tri-barrel missile blaster and aimed at them just as Rattrap transformed to vehicle mode and raced towards the behemoth. Rattrap launched himself into the air and transformed to robot mode, grabbing onto X's gun while at the same time, realizing he was doing something very suicidal.

Rattrap reached for his own gun but Rampage merely used the gun to slam Rattrap against the side of the building and throw him into a fire hydrant not far from where he stood. X then aimed at the building and blasted it with a missile, sending several tons of rubble crashing down on the unfortunate mouse.

"Now where were we?" X pondered and turned back to his quarry.

Before X could fire off a shot, a powerful blast of ice from Tigatron's gun hit the front end of his missile launcher, blocking its opening. By the time X realized what had happened, he had already pulled the trigger.

The ensuing explosion knocked X down as he held his injured hand tightly. But to everyone's surprise, he got back up as if nothing had occurred.

"You thought that could stop me?" X held up his injured hand. Almost immediately, the loose wiring and circuitry slid back into his hand as his wound was healed almost instantly.

"By the Matrix!" Silverbolt cried. "What does it take to stop this beast?"

X took out his second gun. It was a hand-held rifle that was deceptively smaller in shape and size, but no less deadly. He fired twice, both shots blasting Tigatron and Airazor into stasis lock. Silverbolt quickly saw how he and Blackarachnia were the last ones standing.

"You will not get past me, villain!" declared the knight.

Blackarachnia leaped up and attempted to take X down with a flying sidekick. The impact from her foot against his impenetrable armor merely knocked her back, however. In an instant, X was towering above her.

"You need to learn some manners," X growled and backhanded her aside.

"No!" cried Silverbolt who fired off several wing missiles towards the monster.

Protoform X shrugged off the blasts and fired a shot at Blackarachnia just as she was barely beginning to get back on her feet. The shot hit her and smashed her into the side of a building. X then turned his attention back to Silverbolt and slammed his elbow down onto the Maximal's shoulder, bringing him down to his knees.

"Feel the terror just yet?" mocked X. "But don't worry, it's only going to get worse!"

Silverbolt raised his head just in time to see Protoform X holding up a heavily armored military tank. With an immensely frenzied cry, X brought down the massive vehicle on top of the helpless fuzor.

* * *

Optimus and Megatron stood near the edge of the quarantined town just as Protoform X appeared before them, seemingly with no damage done to him at all despite what the explosions and firefight heard earlier would have indicated.

"Optimus Primal," X said menacingly while glancing at Megatron's purple color scheme disapprovingly. "I always knew it would come down to this. And who's your friend? He looks a bit fruity if you ask me."

"What?" Megatron seemed so comically enraged that Optimus had to restrain him before he made a reckless and potentially fatal mistake. "How dare you! I am Megatron! Exalted leader of all Predacons! I'll turn you into seafood, you cringe-inducing crustacean!"

"Are you going to talk?" demanded X. "Or are you going to let me rip out your vocal chords to make the sweet music that I so enjoy?"

"Altogether now," Optimus whispered to Megatron.

The two warriors charged; Optimus swung his mace while Megatron charged up his cutlass for a combined assault. Very quickly, X slammed his fist into Optimus Primal, sending the Maximal leader flying back. He then turned his attention to Megatron who fired directly at his chest. The blast struck X but did no harm. Snarling angrily, X drove his fist into Megatron, sending the tyrant stumbling back while clutching his wound.

X swung at Megatron again, connecting with his jaw. The crazed psychopath threw his entire weight behind a punch that hit Megatron in the face and sent him sailing back across the concrete floor.

Optimus helped Megatron to his feet but the Predacon waved him away.

"Go!" Megatron ordered. "I'll need time for my fully charged assault!"

Optimus transformed to beast mode and whipped out both maces. He flew towards X and struck him across the head with his weapon. X did not appear to be injured from the blow and grabbed Optimus Primal's mace as it attempted to strike him again. This time, X swung Optimus back-first against the floor. Before Optimus could get up again, X planted his foot down on the Maximal, grinding it into his chest ever-so-painfully.

"Yes," Protoform X declared. "Show me your pain! Show me your unbridled terror!"

X grabbed Optimus by the neck and lifted him up. All the while, Megatron had diverted all his power to his primary fusion cannon, aiming it at Protoform X as the energy gathered around his cutlass.

"Once I'm through with you," X held Optimus in the air. "I'll do the same to the other one!"

"I think not!" Megatron howled.

"What's this?" X turned around to see the fusion cannon on Megatron's cutlass brimming at full power.

Optimus managed to pry open X's fingers from his throat and fell down. Immediately, he leaped into the air and flew away from X at full speed. At that same moment, Megatron unleashed a gigantic blast of purple energy. The massive beam hit X who braced himself for impact as the laser managed to force him back. Finally, the blast grew larger and larger until it consumed X. The shockwave from the explosion also knocked Optimus down to the ground while he was flying in mid-air. Finally, when Optimus got up again, the smoke cleared and he saw that Megatron's attack had leveled nearly the entire city block.

The dust and other debris also cleared from X's location. The behemoth stood there, having absorbed the full brunt of Megatron's assault. He stood there with both arms outstretched, wounds covering his entire body. His chest had been nearly born apart, exposing his spark. Mech fluid was dripping from both his mouth and other areas on his body that had been shredded open from the power of the blast. But slowly, the wounds began tightening and covering up again as they mended rapidly. In no time at all, X was completely healed again.

"Wasted all your energy doing that, didn't you?" X cackled sadistically. "Hah hah hah!"

Without mercy, X rounded onto Megatron and drove his fist into Megatron's solar plexus, punching through the Predacon's thick armor. Viciously, he sank his fist inside and tore out several of Megatron's wiring, causing the tyrant to cry out in pain. X then hoisted Megatron into the air and slammed the Predacon leader down back-first into his knee, breaking Megatron's spine. X grabbed Megatron's arm and threw him aside like he was nothing.

Optimus flew down and knelt before his archnemesis. Megatron clasped Optimus's hand as if to say something. With the last bit of energy he had left, the Predacon gave Optimus the remote control for the nuclear submarine near the beach and subsided silently into stasis lock.

"I didn't go for his spark because I'm saving all of you," X said gleefully. "I'm going to have a bonfire tonight and it involves me feasting on each and every one of your sparks!"

Optimus looked up at X and transformed to flight mode, flying off towards the submarine in hopes of luring the murderer there.

* * *

With every bit of his strength, Rattrap removed the final piece of rubble that lay on top of him. He poked his head and looked around. There was devastation everywhere. None of the Maximals or Predacons were standing from the looks of it. Finally, he got up to his feet.

"Geez," Rattrap muttered. "What was 'dat guy made of?"

A distant explosion alerted him of X's presence. And from the looks of it, it was far from gone.

"It ain't over 'till it's over," grumbled Rattrap.

Transforming to vehicle mode, Rattrap sped off on all four wheels to the sound of the explosion.

* * *

Optimus felt the limpness nearly overtake his body as Protoform X threw him onto the white sands of the beach. The behemoth stomped forward, moving onto Optimus as a cat would to a mouse. It was almost as if X was toying with him. Optimus was pretty certain that comparison was true.

The nuclear submarine was also on the beach as well with its hull open. Optimus pried out the remote control from his compartments and attempted to get up. X, on the other hand, kicked the device out of his hands.

"Looks like the game's going to end after all," X said almost sadly. "Such a pity, really. I was hoping for something a bit more climactic."

An explosion on X's back made him take notice immediately. From overhead, Rattrap in vehicle mode raced over X's back after having thrown one of his bombs at the monster's back. In mid-air, he transformed to robot mode and fired several shots at X. Protoform X kicked Optimus aside and went after the diminutive Maximal instead.

"Rattrap, the device!" choked Optimus.

Rattrap grabbed it and stored it away. He transformed to vehicle mode and raced into the submarine with X trailing him from behind like a swarm of locusts. Inside, Rattrap opened the main door and raced down the hallways, zig-zagging left and right until he finally reached the main control room.

"Okay, let's see how 'dis baby works," said Rattrap and pressed down on a few buttons to activate the sub. He flipped open a few more switches and took out the remote. The grinding of machinery was enough to alert him that the submarine had closed its hull and was now moving out into sea.

"I smell your fear, little rat!" a voice from down the hall alerted him. "You cannot hide from me."

Rattrap noticed that the submarine was indeed moving at a pretty fast pace. But he would have to think fast before he became the main course for tonight. As the footsteps came closer, Rattrap looked up towards the ceiling with the pipes hanging overhead.

"So maybe 'dat's my ticket outta here," Rattrap thought and leaped up, grabbing onto the pipes with both hands and feet.

X stomped in and looked around suspiciously. At first it seemed that he had not sensed Rattrap at all. He moved ominously towards the controls to Rattrap's great relief. Swinging down, Rattrap leaped out of the doorway and slammed the door shut just as X turned around. He raced down the hall as quickly as possible and climbed up a set of ladders just as he heard the main door being smashed open by X.

Rattrap climbed over several more stairs until he finally reached the end of his destination, opening up the hatch above and climbing out the conning tower. The sub was slowly but surely submerging under water as Rattrap looked around in horror.

"Well, looks like I'm goin' out on a big wet one…"

"Oh no you're not!" Optimus flew down and took Rattrap's hand.

Rattrap noted that Optimus Primal's other arm was dislocated from the pummeling he had received from X. Quickly, the Maximal leader took Rattrap on top his surf board and flew away at top speeds. Seeing his opportunity, Rattrap pressed down on the remote and watched breathlessly as the submarine slowly sank beneath the waves. By now, it was several miles away from the city.

Finally, as Rattrap and Optimus neared the coastal town, they were alerted of the sub's destructive capabilities as an enormous mushroom cloud in the distance sprang up, signaling to them that its nuclear detonator had gone off.

* * *

"Hey!" screamed the now limbless Scorponok. "Watch what you're doing with my body!"

"Sorry shellhead," Blackarachnia said unapologetically while hauling him up. "I didn't know you had such delicate features."

"And Waspinator thought he was soft in the head," joked the Predacon wasp.

The Maximals and Predacons were recovering from X's brutal assault. None of them at this point had the tenacity or gall to attack one another.

"Are you alright?" Silverbolt went up to Blackarachnia.

"Never been better, bone brain," she said. "Now get out of my face."

Silverbolt hung his head low and walked away. In the distance, Tigatron was helping Airazor get back to her feet as Rattrap was doing with Rhinox.

"There will be no more fighting for today, Optimus," Megatron limped up to his enemy.

"I know what you mean," Optimus stared off into the distance.

"Well," Megatron shuddered inwardly at the thought of Protoform X nearly taking his life. "That concludes our truce. Next time we meet, it will be as enemies."

"Yeah… right," Optimus said, not really paying much attention to the Predacon.

Cheetor walked up to Optimus as Megatron transformed to beast mode and flew off into the horizon.

"Think he's gone for good?" asked the younger Maximal.

"I'm not sure," admitted Optimus. "The Maximal Elders claimed he had an immortal spark within him. I don't know if it's true or not."

Cheetor gulped. "Is it… possible?"

"Maybe," acknowledged Optimus but his expression soon darkened. "The hull around X's stasis pod was sealed utterly. There was no way he could've gotten out on his own. Someone… or something activated his pod."

"Somebody activated him here on Earth?" Cheetor was taken aback.

Optimus did not reply. It was a question that he simply did not have the answer for.

* * *

In the cold depths of space, a Cybertronian Sky Hopper neared Earth's solar system at 90 miles per hour.

"Computer," the pilot said. "Where am I?"

"This quadrant of the galaxy is unknown to Cybertronian airspace," replied the computer. "But the location of Protoform X is in this vicinity."

The pilot was an enormous silhouette covered by the shadows. He did not have any use for turning on the lights. He had to conserve energon for his long, distant trip to find the butcher of Colony Omicron.

"He's here for certain?" he asked.

"Affirmative," said the computer.

"Good, which planet is he on?"

"On the third planet from this solar system's sun. It is the only planet here capable of supporting life."

"Swell, just when I thought it couldn't get any worse…"

"Shall I set a course?"

"Do it."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I didn't notice until today that it was Valentines Day. To add a twist of irony to the equation, I'm releasing this Rampage fic on that same day. Just think of this as a special "St. Valentines Day Massacre" gift. And for those wondering why X isn't referred to as Rampage, he will be in later chapters.


	29. The Floating Island

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_The Floating Island_

"I will say this," Tigatron said to Airazor. "The woodlands of Siberia have been kind to me."

He and Airazor were sitting in the valley surrounded by the mountains where they made their new home after the Vok invasion. Over the months, Airazor had noticed that Tigatron had steadily been visiting more and more. It was to a point now that he went back to see Snowstalker and the cubs only once or twice a month.

For all intents and purposes, he was now part of their family. Tigatron was no longer the solitary loner he once was.

"But it gets kinda lonely up there, doesn't it?" asked Airazor.

"The landscape can get… distant at times," admitted Tigatron. "But I am usually at home there."

"How have the cubs been?" asked Airazor.

"They are maturing rapidly," Tigatron replied. "I have no doubt Snowstalker will soon let them go off on their own."

"White tigers are rare in the wild, aren't they?" asked Airazor.

Tigatron nodded. "Every year they are set upon by poachers. My presence there, however, has dissuaded them ever since my arrival."

"It must be fascinating living out in the wilderness," exclaimed Airazor.

"What about you?" asked Tigatron. "How is that reservation you've been watching over?"

"They definitely don't need my presence anymore," confirmed Airazor. "Ever since that whole energon mine blew up, the Predacons have lost interest in that place."

A brief but slightly uncomfortable moment of solitude passed between both Maximals. Finally, Airazor broke it with her next question.

"Where do you feel more at home? Earth or Cybertron?"

"Right now… Earth," Tigatron sounded surprised. "Why do you ask?"

"I dunno," Airazor sat down. "It's just that I don't have any memories of what my life was like on Cybertron. Earth feels like my home now."

Tigatron put his hand on her shoulder as he sat besides her. "When the time comes, we will know what to do."

* * *

A small smile broke across Optimus Primal's face as he walked across the mountain for his midnight stroll. For a brief while, he had glimpsed Tigatron and Airazor in the valley sitting together. Not wanting to interrupt their moment together, he took a different route away from them to give them some privacy.

Between the monster Protoform X and Megatron, Optimus was unsure what he was supposed to do as leader. No traces of X's body had been found in the explosion and there was still the chance that he was on the loose. There were times he wished he wasn't captain of the Axalon. He wasn't sure he could handle all the pressures of leadership, especially with everything going on as of late.

Finally, he reached the peak of the mountain as he looked out into the night sky.

"Captain's log," Optimus wrote down on his data pad. "My crew and I have been stranded on this planet for over two years. With the awakening of Protoform X and the Predacon rogue Megatron still at large, it is unlikely the Beast Wars will be resolved soon. I can't speak for the rest of my crew, but it appears war weariness has set in for me."

Optimus looked up again, after an outlying rumbling of thunder was heard in the blackened horizon. He narrowed his optics, making out a large cloud in the distance. It was coming closer and closer, towards their direction at an ominous pace.

All around him, the atmosphere appeared to have changed. Though the Axalon's weather system had indicated the high probability of no clouds or rain for the entire week, the howling winds soon made Optimus reconsider the effectiveness of their radar. From the sky, another bolt of lightning appeared across the looming clouds.

A shroud of smoke emerged in front of Optimus, revealing four strange creatures. Each of them stood upright but each also had their distinguishing features. The first was a creature surrounded by flames across his arms. His skeletal face was also encircled with a flicker of fire. The crystals on his back distinguished the second creature, the largest one of the group, while the rest of his body was composed of stone. The third was a bird-like creature with feathers made of steel. The fourth and smallest of them was a glacial being with a strange mist emanating from him, freezing the ground beneath him.

"Who are you?" asked Optimus, avoiding any possible rash actions.

The four figures did not answer. A rock formation in the rock creature's hands quickly gathered into a flint sword. The ice elemental formed a blade in his hands as well while the fire and wind elementals created their own swords as well through the auras that surrounded them.

Moving at high velocity speeds, they attacked Optimus. The Maximal leader barely had enough time to bring up both maces to block the rock creature's blade. In that moment, the stone warrior slammed his foot into Optimus Primal's chest, sending the Maximal leader falling back.

Optimus got up again, only to see the wind demon furrowing both hands together, sending a powerful gust of wind that struck him. Digging his feet into the ground, Optimus braced himself for the impact, slowly but surely being forced back by the potent airstream. Soon enough, the attack stopped only to be followed up by another. The fire elemental formed a ball of flames in his hands and threw it.

Having been already stunned by the wind, Optimus did not have enough time to move out of the way. The ball of fire struck him, exploding across his chest with concussive force, sending the Maximal leader skidding back on his back.

Optimus rolled with the attack, launching himself back up with both arms, flipping over to his front. He ducked to avoid a blast of ice that froze the mountain wall behind him. He had seen Tigatron using these attacks from his gun before. But the ice warrior's elemental assault was totally different. His power was simply that much greater.

To his surprise, the rock creature disappeared beneath the earth and suddenly formed behind him. Optimus swung with his mace, smashing the creature across the head and knocking off part of the elemental's face. To Primal's horror, however, earth gathered from beneath the stone warrior and recreated his jaw once more.

In that instant, all four elemental warriors had surrounded him, running around him in a circle, bobbing and weaving against his attacks. Never before had Optimus Primal fought such creatures as these. The warriors avoided all his swings gracefully, slashing back with their own blades, one after another. Optimus parried and countered as best he could but their attacks were too much.

At last, a glancing blow from the fire demon's sword was all it took to fell Optimus.

* * *

"See that?" Blackarachnia pointed towards the enormous cloud formation in the sky. "That's going to be our destination."

"You were right," concurred Scorponok. "My sensors tell me this thing has way too much mass to be a cloud formation."

"What did I tell you, shellhead?" smirked Blackarachnia. "Now let's hurry up. Whatever's up there, it has a lot of power. Wouldn't want to miss the chance of a lifetime!"

"Excuse me?" Scorponok regarded his partner with suspicion.

"Err, the chance for Megatron to exploits its power, that is," Blackarachnia corrected herself.

"Hmph," Scorponok shrugged. He aimed his claw into the air and fired a titanium cable into the cloud. Blackarachnia followed suit with her own gun and did the same.

A small tug of his cable was enough to tell Scorponok that his hook had connected to whatever it was that was in the cloud. He nodded to Blackarachnia to affirm his success and together, the two of them swung up.

* * *

"Did you hear that?" Rhinox cried as he raced towards the top of the mountain.

The sounds of a skirmish had been heard by all the Maximals, both inside the Axalon and outside. It was a disturbance that rarely reached their

"Yeah, some kinda fight going on!" Cheetor paced himself so that he would not leave his teammates behind.

"I got outta bed for 'dis?" groaned Rattrap.

"Shut up Rattrap," Airazor said to the diminutive Maximal warningly.

"Yeah yeah," muttered the small Transmetal rat. "Take it out on 'da rat…"

Soon enough the five of them reached the top. In their sights were four creatures of unknown origins. What they were wasn't the top concern. What mattered was that they held an unconscious Optimus in their grasp.

"Put him down!" Rhinox brought out both chain guns. The other Maximals drew their weapons as well.

Already, the four assailants were near the edge of the mountain as the Maximals prepared to fire. None of them seemed too concerned with the arrival of more warriors. They drew closer to the edge, as if taunting the Maximals with their leader's life.

"Any funny stuff and we'll smoke you!" growled Cheetor.

To the shock of all the Maximals, the four creatures clung on to the unconscious Optimus and leaped off the edge of the cliff. Mysteriously, they disappeared into the large brooding cloud below them. The Maximals gathered across the cliff and looked down.

"That thing has mass," Rhinox adjusted his sensors. "There's something inside that cloud!"

"I've sensed it too," Tigatron noted. "And not just mass… but life itself!"

"Um, what if we all fall horribly to our deaths?" Rattrap interjected.

"We'll fly you down," Cheetor cried.

"No time," Rhinox said. "Three of us can't fly. Cheetor, you get Tigatron and Airazor, you're with Rattrap. I'll be jumping down."

"But…" protested Airazor.

"Don't worry about me, just do it!" Rhinox gave the final command.

Rattrap held his breath as Airazor picked him up. On cue, all five Maximals leaped off the mountain and into the unknown.

* * *

The bristling of a cool tropical breeze woke Rhinox.

"Uhh," groaned the Maximal scientist. "What just happened?"

He recalled leaping into the clouds a while ago. A soft mist had enveloped him, helping to cushion his fall. As he descended, he felt himself getting drowsier and drowsier. Now he lay on the ground with Tigatron and the others surrounding him.

"Good to see you are awake," Tigatron helped him up.

"We landed first and flew up as fast as we could," Airazor told him. "Then we found you on the ground safe and sound."

"Strange, eh?" Rattrap asked.

"You know what they say," Rhinox straightened himself out. "The truth is stranger than fiction."

"So where are we?" asked Cheetor, glancing around at what appeared to be a thriving ecosystem.

"Wherever it is, it is paradise," Tigatron stared down at a butterfly that landed on his paw.

"Yeah well let's not get too comfy here," Rattrap reminded them. "Optimus is somewhere in 'dis place."

Try as he might, even Rattrap could not deny the astounding beauty of the land. Cool streams of water flowed down the majestic waterfalls while trees rustled in across the open plains. Both tropical and deciduous trees existed side by side with rich soil holding them steadily. In the distance, they saw mountains surrounding the lands. Some were even capped with snow. To Tigatron, this was truly a haven.

On the far ends of the land, they saw a massive citadel. Its designs were alien in origin, though some of the architecture looked vaguely Sumerian and Babylonian in design. On the other end was a massive dome. It was ornate in design and held sway over its own regal beauty.

"So, uh, where do you think they're holding Optimus?" asked Cheetor.

"Can't hurt to check both places out," shrugged Airazor.

* * *

After what seemed like a few megacycles… or even days, Optimus woke up with a throbbing headache. To his relief, the wounds he had received at the hands of the elemental warriors seemed to have fully recovered. Whether or not it was due to his Transmetal healing process or some outside source, he was still not entirely sure.

"Looks like you're finally awake," a pleasant female voice said to him.

"Who's there?" Optimus looked up.

A few inches from the bars in his prison, a purple and black Transmetal eagle stood at the ledge of the window, leering down at him.

"Windrazor, Annihilate!"

The eagle leaped off the balcony and transformed into a femme-bot sporting a green hue around her edges. Razor-sharp shoulder blades lined her arms while a hexagonal emerald shown just below her neck. Her armor had a strong Valkyrie influence, noted Optimus. The helmet around her head in particular, resembled that of Airazor's vaguely, as did the color of her optics. Her hip-line, on the other hand, looked like that of a femme-bot on Blackarachnia's caliber.

Optimus was also a bit disturbed by her activation code.

"So what do we have here?" Windrazor placed her hand on the bar. "The leader of the Maximals, Optimus Primal."

"Where am I?"

"Why, in none other than the land Lord Tigerhawk has so mercifully bestowed upon you of course," chided Windrazor sarcastically.

"Tigerhawk?"

"His divine presence is what graces this land," answered Windrazor. "And if you want the best for your crew, you'll bow down in reverence."

"Sorry, not gonna be bowing down anytime soon," Optimus took out his mace an swung.

Windrazor saw what he was doing and with a gesture, animated the bars with a green flame that overtook its chemical properties. The mace connected with the bars but a course of electrical energy coursed into Optimus Primal and knocked him back against the wall.

"Escape will not be an option," reminded Windrazor. "Your presence here will be tolerated so long as Lord Tigerhawk allows it."

"That was Prime…" groaned Optimus.

"Struggle all you like," she told him. "But you'll learn your place in time."

* * *

"Terrorsaur sure he's seen Scorponok and spider-bot enter into this place?" asked Waspinator.

"Of course I'm sure!" replied Terrorsaur brusquely.

The two Predacons had been scouting the area when they saw Blackarachnia and Scorponok shooting their cables in the air. And if their optics did not fail them, their comrades had ridden into that very cloud.

Inevitably, Terrorsaur and Waspinator had chosen to pursue them into the unknown and ended up in a strange land unknown to them. Waspinator, in particular, admired the scenery but Terrorsaur had other plans in mind.

"Would you look at that…" Terrorsaur zoomed his vision in. "The Maximals are here too."

"What Terrorsaur want to do?" asked Waspinator.

Terrorsaur eyed the enormous boulder at the very edge of the mountaintop. He then looked down at the path the Maximals were taking. They were drawing closer and closer.

"I got an idea," Terrorsaur flew up to the boulder with Waspinator trailing him closely.

"Eh?" buzzed Waspinator.

"See that boulder?" Terrorsaur pointed out. "We push it down and watch the Maximals go splat!"

The two of them got behind the rock and began pushing with all their might.

"Uggghhh!" Waspinator groaned. "Boulder hard to push down!"

Terrorsaur stopped what he was doing and transformed to beast mode. He flew on top of the boulder.

"Go see what it is," ordered Terrorsaur.

"Why Waspinator have to do dirty work?"

"Cause my vision is sharper than yours," reminded Terrorsaur.

Waspinator stopped his pushing and flew towards the front end of the boulder on the sloping mountain hill. Immediately, he saw the source of the problem. A small pebble had been lodged in front of the boulder, preventing it from going on its downward slope.

"Waspinator sees it!"

"What is it?" Terrorsaur asked.

Waspinator did not answer immediately. Without thinking, he pulled the pebble out.

A quick rumbling and the squawk of Terrorsaur was enough to alert him that he had done something very wrong. Waspinator's body was the first to be smashed into dirt as the rock rolled forward, dragging Terrorsaur with it. Terrorsaur was the next to be smooshed as the rock came down like an avalanche.

Finally, the boulder, with both Terrorsaur and Waspinator wedged tightly into it, collided into an opposite hill, smashing into several pieces.

From the rubble, Terrorsaur's beak emerged. "Next time, tell me before you do something this dumb."

"Waspinator not mean to…" a pair of insect-like legs could be seen rising weakly from the rocks and debris.

* * *

"We're almost there," Rhinox ran steadily towards the citadel in beast mode.

Behind him, the others were trailing closely. Despite his flight mode, Cheetor had also decided to take the journey on foot. Whatever was in the palace, they had to face it together as a team.

"Almost there now," Rhinox grunted.

"I got a bad feeling about 'dis place…" murmured Rattrap.

"You and me both," Cheetor acknowledged.

"We'll get there soon," Tigatron promised. "Be prepared for anything!"

Just as he said that, a missile flew out from the air. Fortunately for the Maximals, they saw it in time and scattered.

"Scorponok!" exclaimed Airazor.

"Got that right!" replied Scorponok who launched a salvo of missiles from his back, separating Rhinox from the other Maximals.

Immediately, Scorponok transformed to robot mode and tackled Rhinox from his position.

"Hang in there, big guy!" Rattrap took out his pistol and aimed at Scorponok who had pinned Rhinox down.

From out of the air, a spin kick knocked the gun right out of his grasp. It was none other than Blackarachnia.

"Aw, not you too!" Rattrap groaned.

Rattrap took out his tail spear and swung it like a sword. Blackarachnia leaped overhead to avoid it. As she landed, she ducked quickly as Tigatron leaped at her in beast mode, sailing over her.

Cheetor cupped both hands together and fired. The female Predacon avoided the blast and leaped in between Airazor and Cheetor, first crouching down low with a sweep kick that knocked both Maximals down.

Rattrap grabbed his tail spear and flung it at her like a javelin. Blackarachnia side flipped to her right and caught it in her hands. She threw it back, the spear nearly impaling Rattrap as he fell down.

Luckily for him, the spear was imbedded in the ground just a few inches from him, in between his legs.

Rattrap was relieved. _Whew, close call…_

As Rattrap got up, Blackarachnia kicked him in the chest, knocking him down. He lay on the ground carefully, playing possum and waiting for just the right moment.

Blackarachnia did not look too concerned and leaped up once more, coming down on Rattrap with another leaping kick. This time, Rattrap rolled out of the way as femme-bot's heel dug into the ground. He positioned himself and sprang up with both feet, kicking Blackarachnia in the mid-section.

Blackarachnia fell on her back. Just as she leaped up again, Airazor rounded into her with a hook to the head that sent her reeling. Before she could gather her wits again, Tigatron pounced on her and pinned her down.

"Hang in there, Rhinox!" Rattrap rushed towards the scene between the Maximal scientist and Scorponok.

Scorponok's tail came down, its blade digging deeply into the ground just as Rhinox's head moved out of the way. Rhinox balled up his fist and punched Scorponok off of himself.

The Transmetal scorpion dodged as Rhinox charged at him and attacked again, wrapping his tail around the Maximal's leg and pulling him off balance. As Airazor, Cheetor, and Rattrap charged, Scorponok swung, knocking Rattrap out of the way. Both Airazor and Cheetor tackled him down to the ground after that, however.

With a burst of strength, Scorponok planted both feet under Airazor and Cheetor, kicking them off. He aimed his missile at them but was knocked to the side by Rhinox who had rammed into him from behind.

Scorponok regained his balance and braced himself as Rhinox came with both fists swinging. He latched onto Rhinox's arm as the Maximal swung and threw his enemy into Cheetor and Airazor.

Before he could send a missile in their direction, several shots struck his chest-plate. He turned around to see Rattrap firing at him again and again.

The blasts did not do too much damage to him but they slowly forced him back against a stone monument shaped in the likeness of a tiger. As he neared the statue, its eyes glowed an eerie red before the ground gave way. Scorponok screamed as he fell, clutching on to the edge before he could fall down all the way. One look down was enough to alert him to the fact that he would plunge several thousands of feet below it he did not get up in time.

Just as Scorponok got both shoulders up, he saw Cheetor with both hands cupped together.

"Later, clawful!" Cheetor growled and fired.

The blast struck Scorponok in the chest, sending him plummeting down and disappearing beneath the clouds.

Cheetor and the others turned back to Tigatron. He stood there with Blackarachnia's arms crossed behind her back.

"I've got her," Tigatron motioned to his comrades.

"Let go of me, cat!" hissed Blackarachnia.

"I don't think so webs," Rattrap cocked his gun and pointed it towards her. "Optimus is up there and 'yer gonna be leading 'da way!"

* * *

"So, what is it like back on Cybertron?" asked Windrazor as she leaned against the wall parallel to Optimus Primal's chamber.

Optimus glanced at her from his cell. Windrazor was definitely a Transformer with a spark alright. But for one reason or another, she had never actually been to Cybertron. He had heard of Transformers living in moon colonies and space stations. But even the most fringe-dwelling of the galaxy's Maximals and Predacons had been to Cybertron at some point in their lives. Why not Windrazor?

"It's a… nice place," replied Optimus cautiously.

"How do you think they'd welcome the arrival of their true master?" asked Windrazor.

"Who?"

The Maximal commander dodged, barely avoiding a concussive blast of green flames that smashed into the wall behind him. After the smoke cleared, Optimus raised his head again.

"You're crazy, you know that?" Optimus glared at Windrazor.

"I meant Lord Tigerhawk," Windrazor chided him like he was a child. "Will they welcome his arrival?"

"Considering Cybertron is a republic, I don't think him propping himself up as ruler is going to go over well," Optimus told her plainly.

"Then they will simply have to learn the hard way," a rumbling voice in the chambers alerted Optimus to a new presence.

"Lord Tigerhawk," Windrazor got down on one knee and bowed her head.

"Rise Windrazor," the voice told her. "You need not lower yourself before an inferior such as Primal."

"Hear that?" Windrazor mocked Optimus. "You don't get the same luxury. Now bow."

"What makes you think I'll—"

All of a sudden, an invisible force gripped Optimus Primal, forcing him to his knees. He knew not what it was but it was strong enough to make him do its bidding. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his hands together as one knee finally touched the floor.

"W-Who are you?" demanded Optimus.

"I am the beginning and the end, Optimus Primal," the voice replied. "I am that which is, what which was, and that which will forever be."

At this point, Optimus could hear the voice a lot better. To his very shock, it sounded almost exactly like Tigatron's voice, except much deeper and gravelly.

_That voice…_Optimus thought.

Finally, the invisible force around him reneged. Optimus got back to his feet once more as he looked at Windrazor.

"What was that?" he asked breathlessly.

"Lord Tigerhawk," explained Windrazor. "He is the master of the house."

* * *

"That went well," Terrorsaur dusted himself off.

"Waspinator still has a headache," complained the Predacon wasp.

"If you had been more careful we would've gotten the Maximals!" Terrorsaur pointed his finger at Waspinator.

Waspinator did recall removing the pebble that had enabled the enormous boulder to flatten the both of them. But how was he supposed to know that?

"Not Waspinator's fault!" he protested. "Waspinator only doing what Terrorsaur suggested!"

"I didn't tell you to get us both squashed!"

"Terrorsaur not clear enough with instructions!"

"Am too!"

"Are not!"

The two bickering Predacons flew towards the direction of the obelisk, not bothering to survey their landscape too carefully.

"I'm the brains of this operation so I get to lead!"

"No way! Waspinator make much better air commander!"

"You can't even find your own thorax with all six legs and a compass so quit complaining!"

"Terrorsaur more full of hot air than air commander material!"

The two of them crossed over into one of the forests that covered the floating islands. As they buzzed by, a strange symbol on a nearby tree glowed red as it sensed their presence.

"Wait a minute," Terrorsaur stopped briefly. "Did you hear that?"

"Ooh, and they say Waspinator is loopy in the head!" his partner replied sarcastically.

"No seriously, bugface! I thought I heard something!"

"La la la la la! Waspinator not listening!"

"You'd better start listening before I make you!" Terrorsaur shouted back.

Because of their squabbling, neither Waspinator nor Terrorsaur saw the enormous log that swung down from the trees towards them. It was a trap that had been set on the island for hapless intruders such as themselves.

Even more unfortunately, neither of them realized what was going on until it was too late.

A few kliks from impact, the duo finally looked up to see the log descending upon them.

"Oh slag," muttered Waspinator right before he and Terrorsaur were sent flying once more.

"Raaaawwwwwkkkkkkk!"

"Nooooooooo!"

* * *

"We're closing in on the location," Rhinox told the gang. "Something tells me that's where Optimus is being held."

The citadel stood just before them. In front of the Maximals was Blackarachnia who had been led there by the barrel of Rattrap's gun.

"Does this mean you Maximals will let me go now?" demanded the black widow.

"Um, should we?" Cheetor looked at Rattrap.

"I say we slag her and leave her pushin' daisies!" suggested Rattrap.

"Cute Rattrap," Blackarachnia sneered. "But you never know when you might need me."

"Cut the cheese, sist'ah!" Rattrap told her. "We ain't fallin' for whatever Pred tricks you got!"

After Rattrap finished his sentence, the skies above them darkened. A pair of glowing green eyes in the skies signaled to them the arrival of something ominous.

"You are intruders upon this sacred land," a loud voice rumbled from the skies. "You are not welcome unless invited!"

"Well, that's that!" Blackarachnia turned around. "Let's go!"

Once more, she found herself staring into the barrel of Rattrap's pistol. She turned around, grumbling discontentedly.

"Where's Optimus?" Tigatron looked up into the sky.

"He is an invited guest," the voice replied. "That does not apply to the rest of you!"

Deep down, Tigatron was unnerved just how much that thunderous voice resembled his own.

"Who is he?" Airazor looked at Tigatron.

"Whoever he is, he's got Optimus!" declared Cheetor resolutely.

"I offer you one last chance to leave," the voice told them. "When the time comes, you and your kind will be allowed here. But now is not that time."

"No way!" Rhinox shot back. "We've come for Optimus and we're not leaving until we get him back!"

"If that is your final decision…" the voice faded into the distance.

All at once, a puff of smoke appeared in front of the Maximals and Blackarachnia. One glance was enough to tell them that these four were the warriors who had beaten and kidnapped Optimus.

"You are unwelcome here," the fire elemental spoke to them fiercely. "Take heed our master's advice and leave this place at once!"

"Yes, or you will surely suffer a worse fate than your leader!" the air elemental agreed.

"I can help you with this fight," Blackarachnia looked at Rhinox.

"We ain't gonna trust a Pred, are we?" Rattrap asked, lowering his gun just slightly.

That was all the distraction Blackarachnia needed. Before Rattrap could ascertain what was going on, she leaped over him and Rhinox, taking down both Tigatron and Cheetor with a spinning tornado kick before firing a grappling hook into the distant trees and soaring off.

"Why 'dat backstabbin' spider!" cursed Rattrap. "When I get my hands on her!"

There was no more room for distractions. The four elemental creatures began their brutal assault before any battle preparation could be made. The ice warrior created a vortex of water into the air and used it to come down with a devastating wave that knocked the Maximals off balance.

The next thing they knew, they were off their feet. Rattrap was the first to hop up, wet but still fully functional.

"Rattrap, I want you to go in there and find Optimus!" ordered Rhinox.

"But what about you guys!"

"Don't worry! Just go find him!"

Rattrap did not question his friend's judgment and transformed to vehicle mode, racing towards the citadel at top speeds.

The rock monster turned his attention to Rattrap but the ice elemental grabbed him by the arm to stop him.

"Do not stop him," the water elemental said. "He will not succeed."

The rock creature grunted in a displeased agreement and turned back to the matter at hand. Rhinox was the first to open fire, pelting the stone warrior with over hundreds of thousands of bullets. After his barrage stopped, Rhinox looked on in shock as the rock elemental gathered more dirt from the ground to reconstitute his body. A boulder flew up from the earth, only for it to be met with a punch by the stone warrior. The piece of rock flew across the air directly and slammed into Rhinox's chest, knocking him down.

Airazor fired several shots of her own but the air elemental flew into the air easily, manipulating the winds around him to form a whirlwind strong enough to deflect them back. Cheetor flew up as well but the striking winds knocked him away as well.

Tigatron aimed his gun and fired at the fire elemental who simply formed a wall of flames around himself, destroying the blast in one stroke. Tigatron changed his strategy and switched the ions in his blaster, firing a second blast of ice. To the fire warrior's shock, the blast froze the flames in front of him.

The ice elemental charged into action quickly. He blasted his own beam of ice towards Tigatron who was forced to stop his assault on the fire elemental and respond directly with his own blast. The two beams connected momentarily before the elemental's blast began overwhelming Tigatron's completely. The striped Maximal dropped his gun and leaped away with all his strength as a massive beam of ice froze everything that was in front of him, including his weapon.

* * *

Rattrap raced up the stairs of the citadel in robot mode. He had to find their leader quickly while the Maximals outside were still occupied with the elementals. There was just no telling how powerful they were.

Soon enough, he was faced with what seemed like several jail cells down the hall he had entered.

"Yo, big banana!" called out Rattrap. "You here?"

"I'm here, Rattrap!" Optimus Primal's voice rang back. "Bars are too strong for me to break out of!"

Rattrap raced towards Optimus Primal's cell, pulling out one of his demolition units. Switching it on, he placed it on the jail cell. Rattrap ran back as Optimus covered himself.

A small explosion was instantly triggered, blowing open the lock. Rattrap went up to help Optimus remove what remained of the door.

"Rattrap! Watch out!" Optimus suddenly shouted.

Rattrap turned around only for a disc of green flames to whiz past him, destroying part of the wall behind him.

"Yow!" exclaimed Rattrap as he took out his gun. "What was 'dat?"

Windrazor descended from the ceiling, revealing the sword in her hand. She swung directly at Rattrap's head only for Optimus to block it with both maces. Rattrap took aim but Windrazor's boot flew out and kicked the gun out of his hands.

The female Transformer swung again and again as Optimus blocked and parried against her. Whoever she was, Optimus had to admit inwardly that this Windrazor was really good. Rattrap soon joined in on the action, taking out his tail spear and utilizing it as a sword.

Windrazor step-sided Rattrap and fired another blast of green flames at Rattrap. Quickly, Optimus got in front of Rattrap and deflected with an energized swing of his mace, now charged with a bit of electricity. Together, he and his sub-commander attacked the lethal femme-bot, hoping to take her down together.

As the three opponents neared the exit, they descended down a whirling flight of stairs, each taking special care not to tumble down. Windrazor threw a kick that Optimus ducked under but her next swing, knocked one of the maces out of his hands. Rattrap came in from behind her and struck downwards. Windrazor quickly raised her sword to block it and flipped over Rattrap, kicking him in the back and sending him crashing down the stairs.

Optimus quickly transformed to flight mode and flew down, catching Rattrap before he could crash against the wall. Rattrap steadied himself on Primal's flying surfboard as the Transmetal ape raised his mace just in time as Windrazor came down with another glancing strike. He swung and evaded her attacks to the best of his abilities but there seemed almost no way of wearing her down.

Rattrap thrust his tail spear forward. Windrazor merely swung her head to the side to avoid it, grabbing onto the tail and snapping the front end off with a flick of her wrist.

"Hey!" protested Rattrap. "That ain't nice, ya emasculatin' femme-bot!"

* * *

The four Maximals found themselves retreating soon enough from the might of the elemental warriors. They quickly hid behind a boulder for a brief respite to plan their next strategy.

"T-There's no stopping them," panted Cheetor.

"We need a new plan," Rhinox told them. "Maybe I can contact Rattrap and—"

Rhinox never got to finish his sentence. The fire elemental gathered both hands together, his flames pulsating and leaping higher than ever until its tinge transformed into a hotter, more molecular level of blue. He spun around and sent the fireball soaring into the boulder. On contact, the blue flames pummeled the rock into pieces, sending all the Maximals flying back in the explosion.

"This… isn't good," muttered Airazor.

Out of the corner of his eye, Rhinox saw Optimus Primal in flight mode with Rattrap on board. They were battling a strange, new femme-bot with a sword. And from the looks of it, they weren't holding up too well.

Optimus deflected another blow by Windrazor but her next strike met the hilt of her sword with the ball of his mace. She yanked back and flipped his weapon into the air. Windrazor then charged up her hand with her characteristic green flames and blasted Optimus in the chest, sending both him and Rattrap soaring across the air until they landed next to their defeated Maximal comrades.

"Ow…" groaned Rattrap.

"Stand down, all of you," ordered Windrazor. "I, Windrazor, command you in the name of Lord Tigerhawk!"

All the Maximals took note of Windrazor's vague resemblance to Airazor at the moment.

"The master will speak to you now!" the fire elemental told them.

A bolt of lightning came down from the skies striking the surface of the ground. As the smoke cleared, a winged behemoth rose from it. His countenance was soon made clear in the form of an enormous tiger with wings. Whether or not he was a pure Transmetal was not made clear, though it had the features of one. His glowing green eyes stalked the six Maximals menacingly as the wings on its back flapped and carried him into the air. He was also much larger than even Rampage.

"So 'dat's Tigerhawk…?" Rattrap looked up at the beast in awe.

The winged tiger transformed into a fearsome warrior as a glowing mist swirled around him. Tigerhawk looked down upon the Maximals as if they were children

Finally, Tigerhawk spoke to them.

"When the time permits, you will be allowed to re-enter," he told them cryptically. "But until then… BEGONE!"

Tigerhawk raised his hand and a sphere of energy surrounded the Maximals, engulfing them completely.

* * *

"What just happened?" Cheetor looked down. They were back in the valley where their base was located.

"He transported us back for some reason," noted Optimus.

"Just who or what is 'dat guy?" Rattrap wondered aloud.

"Dunno," Airazor noted. "But I couldn't help but notice the resemblance…"

Tigatron was perturbed as well. Whoever Tigerhawk was, he practically had the powers of a god. More eerily, Tigerhawk's beast mode and his voice closely resembled that of his own. That was one thing Tigatron could not get out of his head.

"So, uh, 'dis guy related to you, stripes?" Rattrap asked Tigatron jokingly, not yet noticing the expression on his friend's face.

For having a sense of humor at the wrong time, Rattrap received two smacks behind the head by Optimus and Rhinox.

"Yeah yeah," Rattrap rubbed his noggin. "Shut up, Rattrap…"

"This is not the last we have seen of Tigerhawk," Tigatron said to them slowly. "And I fear that our next encounter may prove to be even more perilous…"

None of the Maximals said anything. Cheetor put a hand on Tigatron's shoulder as they stared into the starless night.

* * *

The four elementals stood in the chamber room of Tigerhawk's citadel, holding their staffs in the air. To their center was a new member being inducted into their sacred brotherhood. He was a Transformer just like the Maximals, but a different kind of Cybertronian altogether.

Tigerhawk sat on his throne, looking down upon his new acolyte with interest. Normally he did not have any use for more mundane servants but this new minion had proven himself resourceful and intelligent beyond most beings.

Windrazor stood next to Tigerhawk's side as always. She was there for the procession as well. And he was confident that she would always be there to support him.

"Rise, acolyte," Tigerhawk ordered his new servant. "From this day forward, you serve me."

The four elementals banged their staffs on the ground to signal his induction.

"Together, we shall inherit the earth," Tigerhawk thundered. "The time for a new order has arrived!"

Finally, Megatron rose and bowed deeply before Tigerhawk.

"I live only to serve you," Megatron told his new "master" in a subservient tone.

"It is good that you know your place," the stone warrior said to the Predacon. Megatron nodded in return.

All of them then bowed before Tigerhawk, including Windrazor. None of them, however, saw the treacherous gleam in Megatron's optics.


	30. Fire and Ice

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Fire and Ice_

"Tigatron to base," the Siberian white tiger spoke into his com-link. "There haven't been any Predacon sightings yet."

"Call us when you need backup," Cheetor's concerned voice came through the message. "We've recently detected Pred activity here. Be careful, Tigatron…"

"I will be," assured Tigatron.

"And Big Cat…"

"Mmm?"

"Keep an eye out for Inferno."

"Will do," promised Tigatron.

Tigatron eyed his surroundings. The lush jungles of the Amazon Rainforest hid many strange beauties. Though he was certain he would not be able to see them all, he was still grateful that he had the chance to observe the place for himself. That would be something to tell the others when he got back.

But that could wait until later. Right now, he had a job to do. There was so much going on at once and it was his duty to help his friends sort through it all the best he could.

* * *

"I don't see why we're here," Blackarachnia complained. "Megatron's been real inconspicuous lately."

"Whatever he's doing, it's for a good reason," Scorponok reminded her.

"You see, this is the reason you're no fun to partner up with," Blackarachnia gave a shrug with her black widow legs. "You've got no other hobbies than serving Megatron."

"I do too have hobbies!" insisted Scorponok.

"Such as?"

"I happen to be a fan of daytime soap operas!" Scorponok declared proudly.

"Excuse me?" Blackarachnia snickered.

"I said I liked watching soap operas," Scorponok repeated.

"Hee hee… Hah hah hah hah hah!"

"What's so funny?" demanded Scorponok.

"I'm sorry," Blackarachnia tried to hold back her laughter. "I just… I didn't figure you to be the type."

"Got a problem with that?" Scorponok growled.

"No," lied Blackarachnia as she crawled through the foliage.

"Wait," Scorponok told her.

"What for?" asked Blackarachnia.

"My infra-red scanners show a Maximal," Scorponok clicked his claws excitedly.

"Is there any gadget your Transmetal body hasn't granted you?" demanded the irate black widow.

"I can't program myself to dance to the tango," Scorponok told her.

"Ugh, let's just scrap that Maximal and call it a day," Blackarachnia transformed to robot mode.

"I couldn't have agreed more!" Scorponok also transformed.

* * *

Something in the atmosphere smelled wrong to Tigatron. Because of the myriad of smells in the air, he had a hard time detecting exactly what it was. However, something in his environment was telling him there was a sign of danger.

In the distance, Tigatron saw something silvery crawling through the foliage.

"Scorponok…" he growled in a low tone.

The trap had been set. A powerful burst of fluid and cyber-venom was shot. Tigatron, fortunately, saw it and leaped aside as Blackarachnia's webbing flew past him and latched onto a tree.

"You!" he snarled.

Blackarachnia leaped to the floor and unleashed another shot at him. Tigatron again avoided it and faced her, crouching down on all four.

Tigatron was now faced with a dilemma. _I cannot risk engaging in a firefight with the Predacons while so many flora and fauna will be endangered…_

Then he did the only thing he could under the circumstances.

He ran.

* * *

"Royalty," Inferno stood before his stasis pod. "I have detected a hostile presence within your domain. They have eluded me for days now."

The pod gave no response. But that did not deter Inferno from continuing his report.

"Shall I go and vanquish them?" he asked eagerly.

At this point, the pod was covered with moss and other fungi. But to Inferno, it only made his "Queen" even more illustrious. Nothing to him could compare to her absolute beauty.

"Yes, yes," Inferno nodded and transformed to robot mode. "For the Royalty!"

The rotor blades opened up on Inferno's thorax, blasting him off into the skies.

* * *

Tigatron ran until he entered into an area not covered by trees and then stopped. Here, he would have more of an advantage. There was less of a chance that most of the rainforests would be destroyed from blaster fire. But still, he would still have to be careful.

"Tigatron, Maximize!"

He transformed to beast mode and prepared to himself. Blackarachnia was the first to leap out of the forest and attack. Tigatron raised both arms and blocked as Blackarachnia slammed her heel into his elbows with a flying side kick.

"You made a big mistake coming here, cat!" she snarled.

Tigatron knew better than to get distracted by her banter. He dodged another kick and rolled out of the way.

Blackarachnia leaped into the air, intending to come down on him with a spinning hammer kick but Tigatron raised his gun in time and fired. Instead of the usual plasma blast, a blue burst spat from the gun and hit her mid-air, pinning her to a tree and freezing her in place. The only part of her body that wasn't completely covered now was her head.

"Try and get out of that one," Tigatron told her.

A missile crashed near where he stood and sent him flying to the side. As Tigatron got up, a powerful tendril struck him and knocked him down yet again.

Wildly, Scorponok's tail whipped back and forth like a lash. Blackarachnia, in the meantime, freed herself from her icy restraints by blasting them open from within using the machine guns mounted on her arms. She leaped to the ground and joined her Predacon comrade.

"What'cha gonna do now?" mocked Blackarachnia. "No backup and nowhere to hide…"

Scorponok raised his tail, exposing the blade at its very end. He was ready to strike down at any given nano-klik.

Tigatron noted duly that his gun was knocked away in the explosion. He would need a miracle now to get out of this now.

Before Scorponok's stinger could strike, a powerful heated ball of plasma blasted Scorponok in the chest and forced him back. More shots came from the air and struck the ground where the two Predacons stood.

"It's Inferno!" Blackarachnia flipped out of the way as another blast nearly took her down.

Inferno descended upon them like an angel of death, shooting squarely for the Predacons. Scorponok returned fire with the missiles in his claws. He took careful aim. If he could take out Tigatron AND Inferno, he could eliminate two birds with one stone.

Tigatron took advantage of the distraction Inferno provided by firing a more concentrated blast of ice, this time freezing both Scorponok and Blackarachnia where they stood.

"What is the meaning of this?" Inferno flew down to Tigatron until they stood toe to toe with each other.

"Helping you, obviously," Tigatron pointed out.

"Fah! I need no such assistance! You are unwelcome here!"

"If I am unwelcome, then why didn't you attack me along with the Preds?"

"Because I owe you and your Maximals," Inferno explained. "You have assisted me in the past in saving my Colony. For that, I _was_ in your debt."

"But not anymore?" Tigatron shook his head.

"I suggest you leave here," Inferno flew into the air once more. "The next time we meet, I may not be so beneficent."

"Wait!" Tigatron called. "I came here to talk!"

It was too late. Inferno was too far away to hear what he had to say.

"Now I know why Optimus doesn't like coming down here," sighed the white tiger.

* * *

"Lord Tigerhawk," Windrazor pleaded. "I don't see what's so special about the white tiger."

Tigerhawk raised a hand to silence her. Windrazor immediately did as he said.

"I feel a special… bond with this Tigatron," Tigerhawk rose from his seat.

"But how, my lord?" asked Tengu, the wind elemental. "You were created to be the destroyer of worlds. Tigatron is merely one of many you must put to the flame."

"I like the way you think, Tengu," Ifrit, the fire elemental replied. "Put them to the flame indeed!"

"You could easily destroy him with a gesture, my lord," Golem, the rock demon, said to his master. "Why not do so now?"

"Because Tigatron fascinates me," Tigerhawk told them. "As do Airazor and the rest of their Maximal companions…"

"Pardon my intrusion, Lord Tigerhawk," Frost, the ice creature, interrupted. "But why does Tigatron interest you so?"

"Because he shares a bond with this planet so strong that I would derive great pleasure from severing that bond," Tigerhawk told them in a sinister tone.

"Inferno does as well," Windrazor pointed out truthfully. "Why do you not give him your special attention?"

"Because I feel that Tigatron and I are cut from the same cloth… say to say," Tigerhawk informed them all.

Nobody in the chamber said anything after this. They knew that if they were to press the issue any further, they would have to deal with their master's wrath. Tengu, Ifrit, Frost, and Golem pressed their staffs together and vanished into thin air. Windrazor, on the other hand, walked over to Tigerhawk and cuddled up next to him.

"He is helpless," Windrazor offered. "I could go over there right now and put an end to his life."

Tigerhawk looked down at her with a chilling stare. Windrazor gulped but then remembered the special status she had with him as opposed to his other servants.

"Or you could go down there and toy with him," suggested Windrazor. "It would be simple enough for one as powerful as you."

"No," Tigerhawk told her resolutely. "For now, I will observe him and his actions."

"I see," Windrazor said. "Will you choose to strike him down later?"

"Perhaps," Tigerhawk nodded. "But let us watch and enjoy for now."

"Yes my lord," Windrazor snuggled her head closer to his shoulder.

* * *

"What's this?" Tigatron looked down at the chemical residues running down the stream. "Where is the source of this?"

He stared just up the upper echelons of the canopy. Above him, birds flew into the air, interrupting his train of thought. A brightly colored toucan perched near the branch above him, sounding its mating call with the utmost of enthusiasm. A few dead fish could be seen in the streams. Though it didn't seem to have affected the entire ecosystem, any small change in what environment here could have a disastrous effect on all. Tigatron was well aware of that.

"It can't be Megatron's old company," Tigatron said to himself. "He was forced to end his rainforest expeditions due to lack of funding."

A low hiss behind Tigatron soon alerted him of another presence in the forests.

"What is this?" Tigatron turned around. He also knew that his species of big cats were not native to these regions either.

From the underbrush emerged a jaguar. The black spots on his golden fur shone fiercely in contrast to the stripes on Tigatron.

"Hmm, and who might you be?" Tigatron purred.

Pacing back and forth, the jaguar stared at Tigatron in beast mode, unsure of what to make of the larger cat in front of him. Tigatron in turn decided not to make any sudden movements to surprise or upset the jaguar. He sat there silently with his tail swinging back and forth.

"Perhaps you know what's going on here," Tigatron purred softly.

Finally, the jaguar leaped onto a tree and motioned for Tigatron to follow him. Tigatron hesitated briefly before following.

* * *

"That took forever!" complained Scorponok.

"Says the Transmetal who had enough heat lasers in his system to melt his way out," Blackarachnia rolled her eyes. "It only took about twenty cycles."

The two Predacons had broken free of their icy prison. Scorponok was eager to begin seeking revenge but Blackarachnia had other goals in mind.

"Wait'll I get my claws on those two…" muttered Scorponok.

"Save it," Blackarachnia told him. "The real reason we're here isn't to play patty-cake with Tigatron or Inferno."

"Yeah yeah, the energy signature," groaned Scorponok.

"Exactly, so let's get cracking!"

* * *

"I know not where you're leading me," huffed Tigatron as he ran through the underbrush. "But if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were leading me on a wild goose chase."

The jaguar ran ahead of him by several meters. He was fast, almost as fast as Cheetor in beast mode before he became a Transmetal. Through several loops and caverns the cat led Tigatron, almost as if he wanted to take Tigatron somewhere special. From what Tigatron could tell, he had just left the rain forest proper and entered into a valley of some sort. He could not see too far ahead because of the sheer size of the trees blocking his view.

Then the jaguar leaped behind a large bush and seemingly vanished.

Tigatron hesitated before entering to eagerly. He stopped and sniffed the bushes around the area to detect if there were any traps or Predacons nearby. Luckily, he found no such scent. Without any further ado, he leaped through the bush. But even then, he could not be prepared for what would soon greet him.

"By the Matrix!"

A massive tree lay before him, its sheer size dwarfing even the most gargantuan trees in the valley. Its canopy was both vast and impressive, spanning several miles that gave shade even to some trees and plants below. Tigatron looked at its large roots. They were indeed ancient and derived from a time back when man was no more than an animal trying to survive on his own in the bitter wilderness. The utter amount of wildlife the tree supplied shelter and food to shocked even Tigatron.

Never in his life had he seen such a sight. It was marvelous and awe-inspiring to behold with his own two optics.

"Magnificent…" whispered Tigatron.

The jaguar stood there with what appeared to be a smile on his face. As Tigatron came closer to the tree, its vines parted, as if forming a path for Tigatron.

"This can't be possible," Tigatron shook his head.

_Is it not, Tigatron?_

"Who… is that?"

_I am the Tree of Life, Tigatron. It is I who was the source of life for creatures both big and small for eons._

"You are… sentient?"

_Yes and no. I speak on behalf of myself and all living organisms within my domain. I am the giver of voice to both the jaguar and the tapir alike. I provide them with food, shelter, and water. I am one source of life for them, as the sun is my source._

"How did you come to be like this?" asked Tigatron carefully.

_Many millennia ago, we were visited by travelers from beyond the heavens. I was but a mere sprout when they breathed life into me… and others much like me. We were blessed with the task of maintaining the balance of life. But that balance was broken when one species grew beyond its natural restraints. Their thirst for power and conquest tore the planet apart and to this day, I am the last of my kind._

"I begin to see," Tigatron slowly nodded.

_And now, all that I hold dear is threatened with extinction… by one of your own that you would never come to expect. His grip on my lands has poisoned my rivers and is on the verge of darkening my skies._

"You mean the Predacons?"

_I cannot say much more than that, my son. You alone have the power to stop him._

"Then stop Megatron I will!" growled Tigatron. "You have my word."

With that, Tigatron rushed off.

* * *

"I've wandered for megacycles," Tigatron said to himself after a few hours had passed. "And I still haven't found any Predacons."

Everything that had occurred to him seemed to real. The Tree of Life had spoken to him and warned him of impending doom if he did not find the one responsible for the ecosystem's degradation.

It had to be Megatron, Tigatron concluded. There was no other possible explanation for what the Tree was going through. Megatron's company may be gone from the land but there was no guarantee that his presence was truly gone. After all, he had sent Scorponok and Blackarachnia here.

Soon, his trail ended at another river that ran through an estuary. Tigatron looked upstream. The silvery substance he had seen before was flowing down.

"Now I've found you," the white tiger bore his teeth.

He ran up the hill towards the source of the pollution. The trail led him to an open area of the jungle where the sun shone down brightly through the trees. It was one of the few areas where sunlight streaked in like flowing water.

Then Tigatron saw the true cause of the pollutants. A large stasis pod lay there. By now, it was covered with moss and other fungal specimen. From the bottom, a small leak of blue liquids was seen, forming a stream that trickled into an underground pond.

_And now, all that I hold dear is threatened with extinction… by one of your own that you would never come to expect. His grip on my lands has poisoned my rivers and is on the verge of darkening my skies._

Everything became clear to Tigatron now. The very substances threatening the Tree of Life were none other than Inferno's own "Queen." From first glance, it appeared that the stasis pod's batteries had died down and were now leaking. He would have to get in closer to get a good inspection of the pod's internal circuitry.

Tigatron shook his head. Up until now, he had never considered Inferno to be one of the Maximals, but rather, a rogue Transformer incapable of socializing and getting along with anyone. But attitude aside, he was, by all technicality, a Maximal by birth since he had never been reprogrammed.

"Bwah! What are you doing here?"

Tigatron's concentration was broken when a large fire ant slammed into him and knocked him away from the stasis pod.

"You dare besmirch my Queen?" Inferno howled madly.

"I'm not here to harm her," Tigatron protested. "I only want to inspect—"

His sentence was cut off as Inferno clamped both mandibles down on Tigatron's pelvis and threw him into the nearby tree. Tigatron felt his back nearly snap in half from the force of Inferno's jaw. He got up groggily and took out his gun.

"Don't make me do this!" he growled.

"You had your chance to leave!" Inferno shouted and charged again.

Tigatron step-sided Inferno as the large fire ant slammed head-first into the tree. He quickly took a few steps back and aimed his gun at Inferno.

Inferno turned around with a mouth full of wood. With a powerful crushing bite, his mandibles compressed and easily decimated the wood.

Then it dawned on Tigatron why Inferno hadn't fired at him yet. The pyromaniac warrior did not want to harm his Queen or his Colony either through firearms. For this, Tigatron had to oblige and fight him on his own terms. He nodded curtly and transformed to beast mode.

Inferno leaped into the air, easily thrusting himself up with his six appendages. Tigatron leaped up as well and met the fire ant mid-air. The white tiger slammed harder into Inferno and knocked him down. He quickly went for a killing blow, sinking his fangs into what was Inferno's neckline.

To Tigatron's surprise, this did not end the fight. Inferno's six arms latched onto Tigatron and flipped him over. Before Inferno could bite down on Tigatron's neck to return the favor, the striped cat managed to get his lower feet under the crazed ant and kick him off. Inferno was thrown on his back but immediately got back to his footing.

Tigatron leaped towards Inferno but the fire ant transformed to robot mode and grabbed his assailant by the neck. Inferno sneered as he felt Tigatron struggling in his grip. He yanked his arm back and punched Tigatron in the jaw, knocking the Siberian tiger to the floor. Tigatron got up, a bit surprised, and transformed to robot mode as well. The two opponents slammed into each other, punching and kicking each other like robot gladiators.

Tigatron glanced Inferno across the jawline but was returned with a punch directly to his face, nearly short-circuiting his vision. Inferno charged but Tigatron drove his fist into the fire ant's solar plexus and slammed his fist into Inferno's chin again. This time, a sharp, jagged tooth was sent flying into the air from the force of Tigatron's blow. Inferno held his jaw briefly and then drove his foot into Tigatron's chest. This sent Tigatron skidding across the jungle floor until he landed front first, with Inferno in front of him reaching for the gun dangling across his hips.

"We finish this now!" Inferno declared. "Get up and arm yourself, knave!"

Tigatron slowly reached for his gun. He did not want to start a firefight that could potentially damage the ecosystem here. But judging from his current situation, he could not have much of a choice. Inferno looked as if he wanted simply to finish it here and now with one shot. If that was the case, then he, Tigatron, would have to finish it much more quickly.

Inferno bared his teeth. Before he could even draw, Tigatron had taken out his gun and fired. The shot struck Inferno and knocked him clear off his back. By the time Inferno was able to regain his sight again, Tigatron had his own gut gun pointed directly at his head.

"What are you waiting for?" demanded Inferno. "Finish it, if you have the spark!"

"I'm not here to fight you!" Tigatron growled. "I'm here to talk!"

"I warned you before that you and your kind are not welcome here!"

"Your Queen is sick!" Tigatron said, choosing his words wisely. "I'm only here to help her!"

"Help her?" demanded Inferno. "You only wish to harm her!"

"Take look for yourself!" Tigatron pointed towards the back of the pod where the liquids from the batteries were pouring out. "She's injured and she needs care!"

To prove his point and to try to gain Inferno's trust, Tigatron put his gun away, placing himself at the mercy of Inferno. For a second, it looked like the fire ant was going to attack Tigatron. Then Inferno turned and looked where Tigatron had directed his attention.

"My Queen! What has happened to you?"

"I was trying to tell you that," Tigatron kneeled down.

"What has happened to her?" demanded Inferno. "Speak!"

"She's… bleeding," Tigatron made the lines up as he went along. "If I don't give her the proper treatment, she may go offline."

"H-How?" asked Inferno.

"I can treat her…" Tigatron looked Inferno in the optics. "If you'll trust me."

"I… I don't…" sputtered Inferno. "Fine, do what you will. But heed my warning, harm the Queen in any way and your life shall be forfeit."

"I'll do my best," promised Tigatron.

Inferno stepped aside to make way for Tigatron. The Maximal scout walked over to the pod and opened up one of the circuit boards. Once the batteries were revealed, Tigatron scanned them for all signs of contamination first. He opened up a small container from his leg compartment and placed both batteries inside. As soon as they were sealed, Tigatron activated the stasis field within the container, effectively sealing them off from any further contamination.

"Is… is the Queen?"

"She'll be alright," Tigatron reassured him. "Her symptoms have been addressed."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" demanded Inferno.

"Take a good look at her," Tigatron pointed out. "Her bleeding has stopped, hasn't it?"

"I… I suppose so."

"Then give it time," insisted Tigatron. "Your Queen will be fine."

"She'd better be, for your sake…" Inferno intoned gravely.

* * *

"We're here!" Blackarachnia transformed to robot mode and stretched out her arms.

"I… I don't believe it," Scorponok stared at the massive tree.

"Believe it, shell-for-brains," said Blackarachnia. "That tree contains some kind of power source within and we're going to dig it out."

"How are we gonna do that?" asked Scorponok.

"Your vehicle mode has a useful drilling function, dimwit," Blackarachnia reminded him. "With it, we can dig deep into its core."

"Alright," Scorponok shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

"Of course, that tree hugger Tigatron could ruin things for us," Blackarachnia reminded him. "So we'd better get to work fast."

"What do you have in mind?" Scorponok looked at her.

"First… we clear a path to our goal," Blackarachnia smiled menacingly as the machine guns on her arms sprung to life.

With seemingly no compunction for respecting life at all, Blackarachnia unleashed a hail of bullets that ripped through the vegetation blocking her way to the Tree of Life.

* * *

"You were right after all," Inferno said in awe. "My Queen is now in better condition."

During the course of one megacycle, Tigatron had cleared the moss and the fungi from Inferno's stasis pod. He had brought the right amount of shine and polish to clean it up and give it a much more regal look. Even Inferno was impressed with what Tigatron had managed to do.

"From this moment on, your Queen will never get sick from her condition again," Tigatron reminded him. "She is well now."

Tigatron had also removed the broken batteries and circuitry that had contributed to the water pollution. After containing them, he took out the power core from Inferno's pod to ensure that no future accidents would occur and negatively affect the ecosystem.

"It appears that I misjudged you," confessed Inferno.

"Think nothing of it," Tigatron told him. "Right now, there's more work to be done."

"What do you mean?" Inferno asked.

"The… fluids given off from your Queen has negatively affected your… Colony," explained Tigatron. "Right now, as part of my cleanup effort, I must attend to them as well."

"Then show me how it is done," Inferno requested. "I must see it with my own optics."

"Very well," Tigatron agreed. "Follow me."

The two Transformers went down the hill and followed the path of the underground stream that led to the main estuary. Tigatron kneeled close to the river and took out a small sample of the fluids that had flowed into the water. He examined it closely to inspect for all contaminants and poisons it contained.

Then he took out the containment unit he had in his compartments and placed it within the flowing water. The unit hummed to life and glowed a green color. It then filtered through the water, sucking up the contaminants that had come from the stasis pod that belonged to Inferno.

A few minutes passed before the contagions began to visibly disappear into the unit as it sucked up all the toxic wastes left in the pool.

"That… that's incredible," Inferno gawked. "You truly are a healer."

"Hmm, it's not a word I would use to describe myself," Tigatron confessed. "But when it comes to nature, I do believe in cleaning things up."

"How are you able to do that?" asked Inferno.

"You mean you don't—"

Then Tigatron remembered that Inferno had most of his logic circuits damaged when he took on the beast mode of an ant. He also lived out in nature for the most part, away from other Transformers and away from the Axalon. He was a simple creature who knew nothing of the ways of technology, aside from firing his own gun. But simple as he was, there was a splendor in his simplicity, never having to deal with the hustle and bustle of modern Cybertronian society, or having to worry about Predacons like most of the other Maximals did.

"It is a miracle of science and technology," Tigatron explained. "Long ago, our kind had to deal with the wastes they produced so they created these containment units to absorb and recycle pollutants and other harmful substances."

"It is like a circle of life?"

"Yes, now that you put it that way…"

Their short moment of camaraderie was interrupted as something crashed through the foliage in front of them.

It was the jaguar that Tigatron had seen previously and he appeared to be wounded and limping.

"T-Tigatron…" it spoke at last.

"You… talk!" Tigatron was taken aback.

Even Inferno was genuinely shocked by what was going on. In all his time living out here, he had never heard any creature capable of the speech patterns he knew.

"Yes, I don't have much time to explain," the jaguar told them. "But you must hurry and return to the Tree. It is in terrible danger!"

"Blackarachnia and Scorponok…" Tigatron immediately deduced.

"Please, you must help the giver of life…"

"I will do what I must," Tigatron promised. "Will you be alright?"

"Yes," promised the talking jaguar. "Please hurry…"

"Wait," Inferno put his hand on Tigatron's shoulder. "I will help you."

"You would help me?" asked a surprised Tigatron.

"Yes, you have done the same for my Queen and Colony," Inferno promised. "It is only fair that I assist you in return."

"Agreed," nodded Tigatron.

* * *

"This is it," Blackarachnia announced. "We're almost there."

The two Predacons stood at the front of the tree on top of one of its gigantic roots. They were now on the verge of blasting their way in and finding the tree's source of life.

"You weren't lying," Scorponok told her. "My scanners tell me there's a massive source of power in there, capable of powering our ship and more…"

"Whatever it is, it's mine… all mine!" Blackarachnia said excitedly.

"You mean ours…" Scorponok corrected her.

"Of course," Blackarachnai smiled sweetly. "I could never leave you or Megatron in the dust."

"That's exactly the problem," Scorponok told her. "I never trusted you from the get-go. So I suggest you turn back now."

"Why's that?" Blackarachnia asked.

"So you don't backstab me and take the energy for yourself," Scorponok pointed his blaster at her. "Megatron assigned me to watch over you in this case."

"Do you honestly think you can stop me," sneered Blackarachnia. "The power will be mine and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Not if we have anything to do with it!" Tigatron's voice was immediately heard by both.

Scorponok turned around only to see Inferno flying directly into him. Inferno slammed his boot into Scorponok's chest and sent the scorpion falling and crashing onto a lower tree root. The Transmetal scorpion got back up, immensely angered. Before he could fire at Inferno, however, Tigatron, in beast mode, leaped onto his back and knocked him down again.

As Inferno flew overhead, Scorponok reacted quickly and wrapped his prehensile tail around Inferno's leg, slamming the giant insect to the ground. He lifted Inferno up and slammed him down yet again.

"Put him down!" growled Tigatron who transformed to robot mode and fired a shot.

The shot struck Scorponok, forcing him to release Inferno. He shook off the blast and opened up his chest plate, exposing his chest laser. A red beam was unleashed and hit Tigatron in the stomach, knocking the Maximal back.

Scorponok charged up again, this time with a killing shot. But before he could fire, Inferno grabbed on to Scorponok from behind with a chokehold.

"Stop the widow!" Inferno told Tigatron as he thrashed about back and forth on Scorponok's back. "I'll deal with this one!"

Tigatron got up again and nodded. He ran off in the direction that Blackarachnia had disappeared to.

"Get off of me!" shouted Scorponok as he slowly began overpowering Inferno.

"For the glory of the Royalty!" shouted Inferno.

Scorponok grabbed Inferno's head by his claws and threw him off. Inferno was sent skidding head-first into a portion of the tree trunk. Scorponok stomped over and picked him up by the neck. Inferno struggled at first but then planted both feet into Scorponok's chest, kicking him off.

* * *

Blackarachnia had traveled several feet into the tree at this point. Thanks to sheer luck, she discovered an opening into the tree that led her straight to its center. Also, it was thanks to the distraction that Tigatron and Inferno brought to Scorponok that enabled her to make it this far inside.

Inside the tree was damp, dark, and moist. Under ordinary circumstances, she would enjoy such an environment seeing how she was a black widow spider. But she was not here for pleasure. She had a much more important goal in mind, taking the energy source within the heart of this tree and using it for her own ends.

Around her were fireflies dancing around her as if trying to fend her off. She paid them little attention. They merely helped to illuminate her way.

She crossed a small, dank bridge and entered into a central chamber. It became obvious to her that she was now at the tree's core.

In the center was a root with a bright, green orb on top. The light in that chamber was much clearer as well. She finally got a good look at the fireflies flying around her. They were little humanoid-like creatures with arms and legs not unlike that of a human. On their backs were wings shaped like that of dragonflies.

"What the heck are you?" Blackarachnia wondered aloud.

They continued flying back and forth around her, attacking her but bouncing off of her armor ineffectually. It was almost as if they were trying to prevent her from taking what was most precious to them.

Blackarachnia swatted them away effortlessly. Whatever they were, it wasn't really her concern at all. She was here for one thing and that was power!

"Now for the prize…" Blackarachnia reached towards the orb that sat on top of the root at the room's center.

"That's as far as you go, she-spider!" Tigatron growled.

Blackarachnia turned around just before she could grab the orb. Tigatron was at the entrance of the room with his gun trained on her.

"You can't stop me, Tigatron!" hissed Blackarachnia. "This tree and all its power will be mine! I can feel it!"

"I'll do whatever it takes to protect the sanctity of this land!" growled Tigatron. "You will not harm it!"

"You wouldn't dare fire in here!" warned Blackarachnia.

"Would I?" Tigatron squeezed down on the trigger and an icy blast erupted from his gun.

Blackarachnia anticipated the blast, however, and leaped over the root, grabbing the orb in the process. She held it up high as the energy within the orb began coursing through her system.

"The power…" Blackarachnia shouted. "It's like nothing I've felt before!"

Green electricity flowed into her as an aura of light surrounded her. Tigatron fired another shot but it proved to be ineffective. Blackarachnia began cackling wildly as the power around her grew by leaps and bounds.

"With this… I will rule the Predacons!" she shouted.

_You will do no such thing._

"What was that?" Blackarachnia looked up.

Suddenly, the orb floated up and left her hands. The power that had previously surrounded her dissipated into thin air. The orb glowed once more and disappeared into the bark of the tree.

"No!" screamed Blackarachnia. "Come back to me!"

"Looks like your lust for power came up short again," Tigatron remarked.

"I can still finish you!" Blackarachnia turned to Tigatron.

Before Blackarachnia could open fire on him with her machine guns, two vines erupted from the walls of the tree and grabbed onto them, twisting them and yanking them off her arms. Blackarachnia shrieked in pain and turned around. More vines erupted from the wall and the ground, forming a giant monstrosity that towered above her and Tigatron. It was a mound of decaying vegetation and dirt. As its head finally formed, the orb entered into it and breathed life into the creature.

Its eyes glowed menacingly as it waved its hand into the air summoning the fairy-like creatures around it. The small, luminous beings flew around it, giving it a more mystical air.

Then it grabbed Blackarachnia holding her in the air. It slammed its free hand into the ground, forming roots that reached all across the land. Before Tigatron knew it, Scorponok and Inferno erupted from the ground after the roots had reached out and grabbed them from their location.

"What… what is happening?" coughed Inferno.

"The Tree of Life…" Tigatron whispered. "It's angry."

The creature lifted its hand up again and grabbed Scorponok as well.

_Now to put an end to your sparks permanently!_

"Wait!" Tigatron shouted.

The creature looked down upon Tigatron. The white tiger gulped, feeling the intensity of both the plant and the Tree of Life staring down at him, questioning him.

_What is the meaning of this?_

"You are the giver of life," Tigatron told the Tree of Life. "You are not the taker. Please reconsider what you are about to do."

_They will only be back again. Beings like them understand only bloodshed, violence, and power!_

"I am made of the same material as they are," Tigatron reminded the tree. "I come from the same race and though our cultures are different, we are all Transformers! The life force that is our sparks burns in us all, Maximal, Predacon, and factionless Cybertronians alike!"

_Am I to show mercy to them?_

"If you were able to reach out to me," Tigatron told the Tree. "Then you would extend that same chance to others. We all have the potential to respect the life force that breathed existence to us."

The plant creature raised Blackarachnia and Scorponok into the air, blasting them with a formless energy that short-circuited them and knocked them out. After they had entered into stasis lock, the creature dropped them and dissolved into the tree once more.

_Their memories of all the events that have taken place in my domain have been erased. Take them back from whence they came._

"Thank you," Tigatron bowed his head graciously.

"You would spare their lives?" asked a confused Inferno.

"I won't deny that it could come back to bite me in the future," Tigatron acknowledged. "But I did not want to make this ancient Tree into the very taker of life that it struggled to avoid becoming for all these centuries."

"I… still don't understand," Inferno confessed.

_Thank you, Tigatron. Thank you for purifying my lands and saving my children from destruction. If man were to follow your example, we'd one day live in paradise._

"No, thank you," Tigatron said to the Tree. "For reaffirming why I fight for what I fight."

The fairy-like creatures danced around Tigatron and Inferno almost joyously. The two Transformers looked at each other, in an affirmation of respect at long last.

"You and I share much in common," Inferno finally said.

"Yes, much more than we can imagine," affirmed Tigatron.

"Do you… have a Colony which you fight for?" asked Inferno. "Aside from that ape and his drones."

"As a matter of fact, I do…"

* * *

Snowstalker looked at her strange guest curiously. He was a red demon with fangs that made him look like an immediate threat. But he was also accompanied by Tigatron at the same time. And from what she could tell, they got along just fine.

Still, curiosity and caution went hand in hand for the female tiger.

"Be careful not to bare your teeth," Tigatron whispered to Inferno. Inferno grumbled slightly but finally closed his mouth.

"Is this your Queen?" asked Inferno.

"No, but she is very dear to me nonetheless," Tigatron replied. "I want to tell you that forces have arrived on this planet. Forces that could threaten the balance of nature and your Colony."

"Hmm, are they of the same threat level as those aliens?"

"They may be," Tigatron replied. "We could use your help once more."

Inferno looked a bit hesitant but finally relented. "Very well then."

"This is how to keep in contact," Tigatron handed a Maximal communicator to Inferno. "Your assistance is greatly appreciated."

"And you'll have it," promised Inferno.

As the clouds loomed above, it began snowing. The first snowflake fell down and reached Inferno as he stretched out his hand. The snowflake stayed on his hand briefly before melting. It was followed up by more snow soon enough.

"Fascinating," Inferno said, fascinated by the Siberian woodlands. "Your Colony is magnificent in its own way."

"You don't know the half of it," Tigatron knelt down and patted Snowstalker on the head.


	31. Shards of Omicron

**FBeast Wars: Symmetries**

_Shards of Omicron_

"I see you're awake now," Protoform X heard a sinister voice echo into the room.

X did not immediately answer. His optics came to life but the rest of his body remained immobile. He was surrounded by some kind of stasis field, being unable to move any inch of his body. To his side, he saw surgical instruments on top of some kind of lab table. High rise machines were also a staple of this lab as he looked around. Then he came face to face with his captor.

"Hello," Tarantulas sneered. "So good to have you here."

Protoform X still remained silent.

"Don't play coy with me," Tarantulas told him. "I know who you are, Protoform X."

The look on X's face was now that of a bemused expression.

"Still not in the mood to talk?" Tarantulas asked. "Maybe I'll just have to give you a little incentive!"

To prove his point, Tarantulas reached within his compartment and took out what appeared to be a spark inside an energy chamber.

"You… what have you done?" X finally growled.

"While you were down and out, I took special care to have you removed from the bottom of the ocean floor," Tarantulas explained. "Through careful surgical procedures, I was able to extract one half of your spark. And I must admit, it was quite difficult finding a powerful enough laser to cut through that armored hide of yours."

"Give… that… back," X said in a low and menacing voice.

"I think not," Tarantulas told him. "How else would I have a bargaining chip to get what I want?"

"And what is it you want?" asked X.

"Well, before sending you off on a quest to destroy my hated enemies," Tarantulas began. "I'd like to know a little more about you."

"Hah hah hah," chuckled X. "Then I hope you like your bedtime stories morbid and disturbing."

Tarantulas crossed his arms in amusement. "Let's hear it then."

* * *

The pilot was now just a few minutes away from Earth's atmosphere. Through the long, cold journey in space, he had finally reached his destination.

He was here with one goal and one goal alone… to neutralize Protoform X through any means necessary. And he was quite willing to do whatever it took to get the job done.

"Depth Charge," the supercomputer informed him. "We will begin your descent in three point five cycles."

"Good," Depth Charge nodded. "What're your readings on X?"

"He is without a doubt on this planet," the computer replied.

"I'm surprised this planet isn't a smoldering Pithole already," Depth Charge remarked. "I thought for sure X would've done more damage by now."

"Perhaps he is still dormant?" suggested the computer.

"Maybe, but I'm not taking any chances," the large Transformer punched in a few more commands.

At Depth Charge's command, the Cybertronian Skyhopper entered into the vicinity surrounding earth. A strange sort of aura was seen surrounding the ship, though Depth Charge was unsure as to what it was.

"Warning, energy anomaly detected in this quadrant," the computer warned.

"Yeah, I can tell," Depth Charge held up a glowing hand. "What the slag is this?"

"Gravitational pull of Earth is too strong," the computer blared. "Crash land will commence in twenty point two cycles…"

"Just my luck!" Depth Charge grabbed onto the ship's steering wheel as his entire body began glowing ominously.

* * *

"Oh man, is that what I think it is?" Jack pointed up to the sky.

"No way…" whispered Cheetor.

Rattrap used his long-distance vision to zoom in on the flying object coming straight down from the clouds. He, Cheetor, and the two kids had been lounging around on the farmlands surrounding Crimson City. They were here on the weekends for a brief retreat but they had not counted on any close encounters with any aliens. Or more precisely, with any Cybertronians…

"Yep, 'dat thing's from Cybertron alright!" Rattrap told them. "Hang on to 'yer seatbelts!"

The flying object finally closed the distance between itself and the farmland. First thing it did was to smash into the fields, sending a shockwave of dust, corn, and grain into the air. Cheetor reacted quickly and blocked Luna and Jack from any of its potentially harmful effects. Rattrap took out his pistol in preparation for any sort of danger.

"Who do you suppose it is?" asked Luna.

"I dunno, but I hope he ain't a Pred," Rattrap muttered.

"Wow… this is the first alien landing I've ever witnessed," Jack said to himself. "It's so… beautiful!"

"What about it?" demanded Luna.

"You wouldn't happen to have a camera on you, would you?" inquired Jack.

"Jack!" Luna slapped her brother upside the head.

"Stay behind us now," Cheetor told the two teens.

The two Maximals closed in on the huge crater made in the field with Jack and Luna following them closely behind. Cheetor transformed to robot mode and took out his tail whip, straightening it out into the position of a hook sword. The four of them climbed aboard the ship, which was roughly one third of the Axalon's size. While on top, they saw an escape hatch at the very center of ship.

A massive hand punched through the escape hatch, nearly shocking Jack and Luna to death. Through the hatch flew a large blue Transformer. Rattrap scanned him but soon found out that he had a Maximal energy signature. The big Cybertronian was large in size, easily dwarfing both Optimus and Megatron. Though, he was not quite as big as Rampage. He was also a Transmetal for some reason. Neither Maximal could come up with an explanation as to why this was.

"There are other Maximals on this planet?" Depth Charge looked at Rattrap and Cheetor. "Guess you must be part of Primal's cleanup crew. And what're those organic things you have hanging on to you? Garbage disposal?"

"Hey, I ain't no maintenance 'bot!" Rattrap growled.

"They're humans actually," Cheetor said. "This is Jack and this is Luna. My name's Cheetor and this 'bot next to me is Rattrap."

"Name's Depth Charge," the large blue 'bot told them.

"So, uh, you're sent by Cybertron, right?" asked Cheetor. "Are you here to pick us up?"

"Maybe later," Depth Charge told the cat. "Right now, I've got more important things."

Depth Charge transformed into a navy-blue helicopter of alien design with twin choppers on his main wings. With a strong blast of blue fire erupting from his jet engines, he flew off into the air.

"Ok, now that was just plain rude!" Jack interjected. "How does he just fly off like that?"

"Yeah!" Luna actually seemed to agree with her brother this time. "And did you hear how he called us _garbage disposal_?"

"Aww, he can't be all that bad now," Cheetor tried to salvage the situation. "Maybe there was just a misunderstanding…"

"I gotta agree with 'da kids," Rattrap shook his head. "Big blue here needs work on his people skills… not 'ta mention robot skills."

"Cheetor to Optimus," Cheetor spoke into his com-unit. "We've got a new situation."

"What's the scoop?" asked Optimus. "The other Maximals and I are in Africa right now, attempting to secure a new stasis pod."

"Well, some new Maximal showed up," Cheetor explained. "Crash landed actually… calls himself Depth Charge."

"Depth Charge?"

"Yeah," Cheetor confirmed. "You know this guy?"

"Try to… keep an eye on Depth Charge until we return," Optimus gave Cheetor new directions. "I'll try to get back as soon as I can."

* * *

"And that's when I decided to secure my ride to Colony Omicron," Protoform X told a fascinated Tarantulas. "I created a new alias for myself of course, since I couldn't just get aboard that shuttle and announce I was a lab experiment."

"Interesting," Tarantulas finally said. "What was that alias of yours?"

"Rampage," X sneered. "Such a lovely name, isn't it?"

"Why yes, of course," Tarantulas replied a bit nervously.

"And of course, once I arrived on Omicron," finished X. "The rest is, what you call, history."

"Sounds like the story of my life," muttered Tarantulas a bit jealously.

"If you'd like, you can call me Rampage from now on. It has a much nicer ring to it than Protoform X."

"Of course… Rampage."

Rampage was now the one who bore his eyes deep into Tarantulas. The mad Predacon scientist gulped, knowing that the killer was looking directly into his spark as if Rampage knew what kind of 'bot he was. That was enough to make even Tarantulas a bit disconcerted.

"Oh, and want to see something else I can do?" chirped Rampage.

One of the electrical conducts on the machine holding Rampage in his stasis field began fizzing due to some kind of overload. Rampage smiled as he flexed every inch of his robotic joints and muscles to counter against the force field holding him down. The optics on Tarantulas's eyes widened with fear as he suddenly realized what Rampage was doing.

"Bwaaaahhhh!" howled Rampage as his arm slowly began to move.

"No, it's not possible!" Tarantulas looked around as the machine went haywire from the overload. "You shouldn't be able to do this!"

"Hyaaaaaahhhhhh!" Rampage finally broke free of the force field.

Tarantulas held up the other half of Rampage's spark with his energon box.

"Stay back!" he warned.

"Ha, and you really thought your toys could restrain me?" Rampage snickered. "Pathetic!"

"You forced me to do this!" Tarantulas squeezed down on the spark with energon shards hanging from the box.

"Aaahhhh!" howled Rampage as a sudden surge of electricity overtook him. He fell down to his knees in pain.

"Now we know your weakness," Tarantulas mocked. "A little squeeze is all that's needed to reel you in."

"It takes more than that… spider!" Rampage growled defiantly.

"Make one more move to me and I'll squeeze down even harder!" threatened Tarantulas.

With a great deal of effort, Rampage reached inside and pulled out his missile launcher. Uneasily, he held it up with both hands and pointed it towards Tarantulas.

"No… you can't!" Tarantulas squeezed down on the spark even more harshly.

"I… will!" Rampage screamed and pulled down on the trigger.

A missile was unleashed and headed straight for Tarantulas. Fortunately for the arachnid, he was able to dodge the shot in the nick of time. He watched in horror as the missile destroyed his lab's console, which began a chain of explosions that began taking out his other equipment as well.

"Give it back!" Rampage got back up to his feet again.

"Never!" Tarantulas put away the box and transformed to vehicle mode. He drove out through the nearest exit as fast as he could.

Before Rampage could give chase, one of the machines in the crazed Predacon's lab blew up right in front of him. Rampage took one step back but then stepped through the fire. But before he could go any further, the entire cave began to collapse. Rampage looked up just as a massive boulder became dislodged and fell towards him. The psychopathic crab would not be deterred however, and raised his cannon up, firing a missile straight into the epicenter of the boulder.

* * *

On the sparkling beaches, Sarah and Aaron lay there enjoying the sun as they waited for their next tan. Both of them were on their romantic getaway and they were quite certain they'd be able to enjoy their vacation without much interruption.

So far, they had gone diving and sailing. What they had planned today was a possible swim with the dolphins, assuming they could get lucky enough to find a group of bottlenose dolphins.

"You ready for our swim?" asked Aaron.

"Am I?" Sarah rolled over and picked up a handful of sand. "You know how much I love dolphins."

"Which is why we're here," Aaron told her. "This beach home belongs to my uncle. He's on a business trip himself so he said it was okay to come over."

"He's really lucky to be living on this beach," Sarah said dreamily. "He has the cool sea breeze all the time with no worries."

"Well, he is a pretty successful guy," Aaron pointed out. "He didn't become the man he is today by taking it easy."

"Still, I'm sure he has plenty of time to sit back and sip lemonade on the beach," Sarah twirled her hair.

"Umm, Sarah…"

"Yeah?"

A how gust of wind hit them both from behind. They turned over and saw a large blue helicopter land on the beach, its winds blowing the sands into their faces.

"Hey!" shouted Aaron. "What's going on?"

"Is this the FBI?" Sarah raised her arm to prevent the sand from blowing into her face.

The chopper looked almost nothing like a police or military chopper to them. In fact, it did not look like a conventional helicopter at all. Its design was much more futuristic and it did not have any normal characteristics of modern-day flight machines. From what they knew, it did not seem like a helicopter from any other foreign country they knew.

"What is this place?" a gruff voice emanated from the helicopter.

"It's… the Crimson City beach!" Aaron shouted.

"Oh my gosh!" Sarah grabbed Aaron's arm. "I don't see a pilot in there!"

The helicopter finally turned off its blades. Just as Aaron and Sarah breathed a sigh of relief that the noise and the wind was over, the tail of the helicopter turned around and split in two. The rotors on the helicopter also disappeared as two enormous arms emerged from the bottom half of the chopper itself.

"What the…" the young couple reeled back in shock.

Finally, the chopper had transformed into a giant towering blue robot that stood over the two humans as if they were insects. He reached to his back and pulled out a huge rifle, brandishing it menacingly for Aaron and Sarah to see.

"…. Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"

The college students could take it no more and ran off in fear.

Depth Charge narrowed his red oval optics. "Huh… what's their problem?"

* * *

"Who is that guy?" Terrorsaur asked.

He, Waspinator, and Megatron were down at the beach after having detected a Maximal energy signature within the area. Megatron, as usual, had taken the lead and led them to the general location. The Predacon leader put down his binoculars and turned to his minions.

"I believe we have a new guest," Megatron stroked his chin. "Perhaps we could interrogate him and see exactly who he is and why he is here."

"Waspinator not know," the Predacon flier shook. "Blue helicopter 'bot not look very friendly…"

"Oh for pity's sake, he's a Maximal!" Terrorsaur told his companion. "Chin up and start being a Predacon for once. Don't let some wimpy Maxie scare you!"

"For once I agree with Terrorsaur," nodded Megatron. "We shall follow our honored guest and see what he is up to. Once that is done, we may jump him and take him prisoner… or slag him, either way is fine with me."

* * *

"Did Depth Charge go this way?" Cheetor landed on the rocky crevices of the beach with Jack and Luna on top of his back.

"I could've sworn he was headin' here," Rattrap looked at his tracer. "Seems like DC's good at hiding or something."

"Do you know anything about this new guy?" asked Luna. "Who he is… what his rank is… all that?"

"Not a clue," Cheetor shook his head. "But Optimus seems to know him."

"Could they have known each other at that academy he once talked about?" Jack piped in with another question.

"Maybe," Rattrap shrugged. "But then again, Optimus always did know a lot of people."

"Did you see how big he was for a Maximal?" Cheetor noted. "I could've sworn he had Autobot circuitry in him."

"Autobot?" asked Luna.

"They were ancestors of ours," explained Rattrap quickly. "Fought a Great War against 'da Decepticons some three thousand years ago."

"Are the Decepticons ancient ancestors of the Predacons?" asked Jack.

"Yeah, they were led by a guy named Megatron back then…" Cheetor told them. "This was the original Megatron."

"You mean this guy is a pretender to the name?" asked Luna.

"Well, yes and no," Rattrap continued. "A buncha guys after 'da Great War took on the title of Megatron for themselves. None of 'em lived up to his name."

"Except this one," Cheetor finished.

"Our Megsie is the latest Predacon who's taken on 'da name," Rattrap added.

"Wow, I never knew that…" Jack confessed.

"Of course you didn't," Luna crossed her arms. "That's because you never asked."

"Hey, I am too interested in Cybertron history!" Jack shot back.

"We'll tell ya's more later," Rattrap ushered the kids away with him. "Right now we gotta find Depth Charge."

As Cheetor and Rattrap left in their respective vehicle modes with the kids, a gigantic king crab appeared from one of the crevices, smirking deviously.

"So, it appears that my old friend has returned," Rampage clamped his claw down in excitement.

* * *

Depth Charge flew over the deep blue seas in vehicle mode. So far, he had deduced that creatures such as himself were not native to this planet. Hence, that would explain the fearful reaction given by those organic… what were they called again? Humans?

But in any case, it didn't matter what they were. All that mattered was that he hunt down and put a stop to Protoform X. In order to expedite his hunt, he would have to find beast mode of some kind of creature native to this planet. That way, he'd have a much easier time travelling around without Earth's inhabitants gawking at him.

He sent a waterproof probe down beneath the waves. Surely there would be some kind of life form suitable for him.

Above Depth Charge, Megatron and the two fliers looked down at him from afar with their zoom-in vision.

"What is he doing?" Megatron scratched his head.

"If Waspinator not know better, he'd say helicopter 'bot was fishing for new beast mode," commented Waspinator.

"Hey, whaddya know," said Terrorsaur. "I'd like to try fishing sometime."

"Quiet, you fools!" Megatron ordered. "This new Maximal is doing something!"

Abruptly, Depth Charge dove down into the waters and beneath the waves. And since neither Megatron nor the fliers could see THAT far with their vision, they swooped down for a closer look.

"Where is he?" asked Terrorsaur.

"Where new Maximal run off to?" inquired Waspinator.

"I don't know," Megatron powered his cannon. "But as soon as he resurfaces, we strike!"

Perhaps Megatron had spoken too soon. From the waves emerged a giant explosion of water that shot into the air, soaking all three fliers.

"What was that?" Megatron growled.

"I had a feeling I was being followed," Depth Charge now floated before them in the air.

His body was now more streamlined than before. Two wings were also decorating his back and his gun now remotely resembled a shark. Before any of the Predacons could react, Depth Charge transformed to beast mode, now revealed to be a Transmetal manta ray. The manta's jet propellers came to life, holding him up in the air easily. Without hesitation, he fired a spinning disc of energy from his mouth that struck all three fliers and knocked them away.

Megatron caught himself mid-air before he could hit and water and flew directly to shore. He waited there as Depth Charge closed in on him and charged up his cannon.

"Who are you?" demanded Megatron.

"I'll ask the questions around here," Depth Charge transformed to robot mode again. "Where's X?"

"Protoform X?"

"Yeah, now start talking."

"Very well," Megatron said, purposefully slowing down as he saw Terrorsaur and Waspinator fly above Depth Charge with their weapons loaded. "But I only wish to know why you pursue him."

Depth Charge backflipped away from where he stood as two missiles struck the ground. He criss-crossed his arms together and fired with both guns. Both shots took Terrorsaur and Waspinator out, knocking them down from the sky.

"You're good," Megatron charged his cutlass and fired, "but that will not save you from my wrath!"

Depth Charge simply lifted one of his wings forward and used it as a shield to block the incoming laser. The blast bounced off of the metallic wing ineffectually.

The water-based Maximal returned fire and hit Megatron's side with a salvo, injuring him and forcing him to step back.

"Argh!" shouted Megatron as he clutched his side in pain. "Blast you!"

Megatron would not give up, however, and took aim with the missile launchers on both his shoulders. He fired, hoping to take Depth Charge down there and then.

Depth Charge leaped up to avoid both missiles and rolled forward. Before Megatron could fire again, another whirling disc of energy erupted from Depth Charge's chest and struck Megatron, knocking him clear through the air and into a beach home that stood not too far away. The purple tyrant smashed through the walls and into the living room. With one last sputter, Megatron fell into stasis lock from the force of the attack.

"Whoa!" Cheetor flew down. "That was incredible! You took Megatron down fast!"

Rattrap came up as well and transformed to robot mode. "So anyways, DC. Mind telling us why 'yer here?"

"I came for one thing only," Depth Charge told them. "Protoform X."

"Well, ya came to the right place," Rattrap said. "If 'dat makes you feel any better."

"We haven't seen him in a while," Cheetor informed him. "I think he really was destroyed in a nuclear explosion."

"Really now?" grunted Depth Charge. "Then why did my ship still have his energy signature on this planet?"

* * *

"Hear what's going on over there?" asked Jack.

The two teens hid behind some rocks after viewing the action. Depth Charge was indeed a formidable and skilled warrior, they had to concede, despite his hard-nosed attitude. From what little they could hear, there was some kind of argument going down there between him and the two other Maximals.

"I think they're talking about some kind of… X?" Luna strained her ears a bit.

"Who could that be?" Jack shrugged.

"Why, who else, my dear children? Hah hah hah!"

"Whoa!" Jack cried. "What're you?"

A giant claw closed in on both children before either of them could run.

* * *

"Look," Rattrap sighed. "I appreciate 'yer enthusiasm and all… but I don't think Optimus is gonna appreciate you going off and playin' cowboy to hunt down X."

"What the slag do I care about what Primal says?" Depth Charge grunted. "It's thanks to him X is now on this planet."

"Hey!" Cheetor piped in on behalf of Optimus. "It's not his fault X got loose here! The Maximal Elders were the ones who forced him to take in Protoform X!"

"Precisely," Depth Charge shook his head. "Primal should've known better."

"Hey, it's not like 'da guy could just go up to his bosses and give 'em no for an answer," Rattrap also defended Optimus. "And how was he supposed to know X would get loose? His orders were 'ta dump X on some abandoned planet."

"Typical," snorted Depth Charge. "I knew you two were Primal's cronies, but I didn't think you'd be THIS sniveling!"

"Hey pal!" Rattrap got up and glared at Depth Charge. "Optimus is our buddy and if you mess with him, you mess wit' us all!"

For a moment it looked like Depth Charge would backhand Rattrap. But then the big blue Maximal turned his back towards the other two.

"Fine," Depth Charge told them. "Listen, if you don't have anything better to do, just tell your fearless leader I'm here to clean up his mess.

Suddenly, an explosion shook Depth Charge's back. He rapidly turned around to see the bodies of Rattrap and Cheetor sailing across the air from the explosion.

"What in the Pit is this?" he shouted.

"Surprise, surprise!" X leaped out of the flames.

Depth Charge did not get one chance to retaliate properly. Rampage's fist connected with the Maximal's solar plexus instantly. Then the war machine's elbow drove down hard on Depth Charge's shoulder, dislocating it immediately.

"X…" spat Depth Charge.

Rampage grabbed Depth Charge by the throat and held him up. "The name's Rampage now. Lovely name isn't it?"

"Go… to the Pit," Depth Charge managed to sputter.

"Been there already," said Rampage light-heartedly. "Wasn't my kinda place."

Then Rampage turned from bantering jokingly to dead serious. Mercilessly, he punched Depth Charge in the chin, his knuckles bearing enough power to uppercut Depth Charge clear into the air. After Depth Charge fell back first onto the sand, Rampage stomped down on his chest.

"Meet me in Coordinates Four Point Sixty Five," ordered Rampage. "If you don't, I'll take all four of your little friends, human and Maximal alike, on a joyride."

"You… monster…"

"I know you won't disappoint me," Rampage told DC cheerfully. "But for now, it's time to say nighty-night!"

Rampage clenched his hand into a fist once more. Then he pounded it down into Depth Charge's face one last time to hammer the Maximal into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Whoa… where are we?" Cheetor finally woke up.

"You're in a place of my choosing," a sinister sounding voice informed them.

"You again!" Rattrap shouted. "What've you done wit' Jack and Luna?"

"Oh, they're quite safe, I can assure you," Rampage told them. "Look up there."

The two teens were hanging from a rope tied to a hook. The hook's path led to a giant grinding machine, meant for fish. But with the way Rampage's mind worked, he had very different intentions indeed.

"I'll turn them into fish chow if my old friend Depth Charge doesn't show up," promised Rampage.

"A fish factory?" Cheetor grimaced. "What's for dessert?"

"I'll tell ya's what's for dessert!" Rattrap glared daggers at Rampage. "Crab cake wit' a side order of fries!"

"Oh, how very threatening!" Rampage feigned terror. "Whatever shall I do?"

"Oh yeah?" Jack shouted down at Rampage. "Well, Depth Charge'll come for us… I think…"

"Will he?" sneered Rampage. "He only has one thing on his mind and that's me."

"What do you mean by that?" demanded Luna.

"That means he'll be so fixated on trying to slag me that he'll forget all about the poor little captives I have under my watch," Rampage rubbed his hands gleefully. "Just think of all the fun he and I can have together."

"You know… you're more messed up than 'dat spider-bot, Tarantulas," Rattrap told Rampage.

"I take that as a compliment," Rampage bowed gracefully before the two captive Maximals. "The song and dance Depth Charge and I have together will come to its fateful conclusion today, I'm afraid. And once I'm through with him, you four are next on the menu!"

* * *

By the time he was conscious again, Depth Charge awoke with a throbbing headache. And unfortunately for him, he still felt some of the after tremors of the blows he had received from Rampage.

"I feel like slag," he finally got up.

Rampage had told him that he would be waiting for him at some location. If he didn't show up, then X would most likely kill both Rattrap and Cheetor along with those human brats. Depth Charge wasn't particularly close to either of the Maximals or the humans but he would be damned if he let Rampage have his "fun" with them.

No matter what, he was going to hunt Rampage down and make him pay.

And in the meantime, he would also try to save more innocents from becoming victims of Protoform X.

One thing he noticed, however, was the fact that his arm was now well again. Though Rampage had previously dislocated it, his arm had somehow snapped back into place again. Depth Charge knew the nanites in his system had the potential to heal all injuries, give or take a few days, but he had no idea that they could work THIS fast. Could his new style of armor plating have something to do with this?

In any event, he decided that question could wait for later. He still had a job to do for right now.

Depth Charge transformed to flight mode and blasted off into the direction X had given him.

* * *

"So what's your deal with Depth Charge?" Cheetor cried.

"Didn't he tell you?" Rampage chuckled. "Back on Colony Omicron, he was head of security there… until I arrived. The poor lad did everything in his power to stop me but even that wasn't enough. I had my fun and he was left a broken and battered shell of his former self."

"You monster!" shouted Luna.

"Am I?" Rampage's expression finally turned serious.

"Yeah… you psychotic creep!" added Jack.

"Fah!" snorted Rampage. "I am what I am because of what the Maximals made me."

Neither Cheetor not Rattrap spoke. Though they were thoroughly disgusted with Rampage and his actions, they had to admit he made a pretty good point about how the Maximal Elders had him created in the first place.

"Well, it still doesn't give you the right!" Luna shouted down at him. "You could've tried to get help!"

"All the Maximals cared for was prodding me like cattle," Rampage told them. "If you were only there to witness it for yourself, you'd see that not all Maximals are as friendly and as cuddly as the ones you've befriended."

"Hey, I'll have you know that the Predacons are the bad guys!" Jack cried.

"Hmph, the Predacons?" Rampage looked indifferent. "They don't seem like a bad bunch, though I would never join them myself."

"Why not?" Cheetor demanded. "You're every bit as crooked as they are!"

"Predacons only care for conquest," explained Rampage. "What I'm after is a jolly good time of chaos and wanton destruction!"

"Sheesh, 'dat's all you want?" Rattrap was disgusted. "At least the Preds don't wanna blow up everything in sight."

"Oh I can assure you that my goals have much more finesse," Rampage explained. "You see, I like toying with my prey just before I get down to business."

"This guy is a few screws loose," Jack whispered to Luna.

"Tell me about it," Luna concurred.

Rampage walked up towards a huge tank gallon of fish oil. "Anything else you four want to add to try and prolong the inevitable?"

Without warning, a large bat-like shape smashed through the window. As Rampage turned around, Depth Charge fired two laser discs that cut through the metal chords holding the huge fish oil tank. A wave of oil smashed down on Rampage and washed him away in that moment.

Depth Charge wasted no time at all. He transformed to robot mode, leaped up, and cut off the chains holding Jack and Luna. After flying them down, he undid the bolt fasteners on Cheetor and Rattrap's arms, freeing them.

"You alright?" asked Depth Charge.

"Now he asks us if we're alright," Jack rolled his eyes.

"Jack, he just saved us!" Luna protested.

"Doing fine, Captain Tuna," Rattrap saluted. "Now let's get 'dem kids to safety!"

"You get 'em out, Rattrap," Cheetor directed. "I'll stay and try to hold off X with DC."

Rattrap quickly ushered the kids away from the scene. As he did, Cheetor held both hands together after seeing Rampage make his quick recovery from Depth Charge's initial assault.

"Like that's going to stop me," Rampage mocked.

Cheetor did not hesitate and fired. The jade colored blast soared across the air and struck Rampage on the side of his shoulder, bouncing off like it was nothing. Rampage took out his assault rifle and returned fire. One shot was all it took to knock Cheetor into the side of the wall.

"No more interruptions," Rampage growled. "It's just you and me now, hunter!"

Depth Charge gladly obliged. He transformed to flight mode and flew directly towards Rampage, firing shot after shot of his energy discs. Rampage transformed to tank mode and launched three deadly cruise missiles directly towards his old nemesis. Depth Charge swerved past the three and flew directly over Protoform X, landing on a bridge made up high.

Just as he transformed back to robot mode, another of Rampage's missile hit the bridge, collapsing it instantly. As Depth Charge fell, he turned on his jet pack from behind and floated in the air. Then another missile collided into his back, effectively knocking him to the ground once more.

"You're getting sloppy, old friend!" Rampage jeered.

Depth Charge got up and took out his cyber-shark missile launcher. He fired an incoming missile directly towards X. Rampage merely slapped the missile aside, deflecting it as if it were a feather in the air. He grabbed on to one of the larger chains in the factory, ripping it off its hinges and spinning it in the air like a whip. Just as Depth Charge prepared to fire again, Rampage swung the chain, wrapping it around the former security guard's arm and yanking him forward, forcing Depth Charge to drop his gun.

Then Rampage yanked Depth Charge off his feet, slamming him against the wall. Before the hunter could make his recovery, Rampage swung Depth Charge again using the chain, this time launching him into the side of a fish tank. Depth Charge's body smashed through the glass, unleashing all the water and salmon inside.

"Truly pathetic," laughed Rampage as he stomped forward. "Pity it has to end on a small dustball planet, wouldn't you say?"

Depth Charge attempted to fight back, throwing a punch directed at Rampage's face. Rampage caught it easily and backhanded Depth Charge aside as if he were nothing.

"Get off of 'im, ugly!"

Rampage turned curiously to the side as several shots bounced off his armor yet again. He saw Cheetor and Rattrap firing upon him in hopes of distracting or even stopping him. Laughing maniacally, Rampage smashed both fists into the ground, sending a tremor that knocked both Maximals off their feet.

Before Rattrap could get up, Rampage was behind him faster than could humanly be. The behemoth transformed to beast mode and grabbed Rattrap from behind with one claw. The other claw clasped Rattrap's head and began squeezing ever so slowly and delicately.

"Now watch as your newfound friends suffer the fate of those on Omicron!" cackled Rampage. "Hah hah hah hah hah!"

Life sprung back to Depth Charge's optics as he suddenly realized the stakes. He had lived through the carnage once before, only to be spared. He did not want to live through it again and have anyone else suffer what he had suffered. With a jolt, Depth Charge's head snapped up in rage and determination as he blasted into the air using his jet pack.

He flew up and came down, slamming both feet onto the hard shall of Rampage's back with all his might. This was enough to get Rampage to drop Rattrap.

"I'll put an end to you right now if I have to!" Depth Charge roared.

"That's the spirit!" Rampage encouraged.

Depth Charge ran forth with both arms swinging. He struck Rampage repeatedly across the face with both fists. He didn't know whether his blows hurt Protoform X but he didn't care. All he wanted now was revenge.

Rampage caught the next blow and slammed an open hand into Depth Charge's chest. The force of the blow was enough to send Depth Charge flying into a metal tank. Depth Charge would not let this stop him, however, and leaped back to his feet. He grabbed what was previously his tail in manta mode and hurled it directly towards Rampage like a spear.

Protoform X's agility and reaction time were so fast that he caught the spear in mid-air just inches before the sharp end could reach his neck. But what he didn't realize was that the spear was just a distraction. The Maximal hunter charged forth and leaped up, striking Rampage with a flying side kick across the head. This time, Rampage was forced back a few inches. Luckily for him, he prevented himself from falling down.

Depth Charge grabbed the tail spear that Rampage had dropped. With a simple click, a handle opened up as the bottom end of the spear. Depth Charge gripped the handle and held the tail spear up now as a sword, the razor sharp ends facing Rampage. With a surging battle cry, he leaped into the air, somersaulted, and came down with all his might across Rampage's chest.

"That was unexpected," Rampage finally said after a few seconds had passed.

Depth Charge did not move from his position. Rampage finally turned around, exposing the slash wound the former security guard had made across his chest. The metal had been cut open and now, X's spark was exposed.

Seeing his chance, Depth Charge swung with his sword, slashing at Rampge again and again.

Rampage avoided the blows and finally caught Depth Charge's hands as he attempted a downward slash. He held up the hunter's hands in the air, easily restraining him. Finally, Rampage increased his vice-like grip on Depth Charge's hands, forcing the large blue Maximal to drop his weapon.

"This is getting tiresome," Rampage yawned. "Now to end this…"

"Ha hah hah!" Depth Charge chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"I got you right where I want!"

With that, Depth Charge unleashed a disc of energy that he had been storing for quite some time. The blast struck Rampage right in his wounded spot before it could be fully mended, the force of the explosion hurling them both back.

Depth Charge was thrown back several feet, finally falling down on the concrete floor. Cheetor and Rattrap quickly rushed over to his side to see if he was ok. In the distance, Rampage had fallen as well, with an even bigger wound now made across his frame. But then he got up again as if it was nothing. Cheetor and Rattrap looked down at their fallen Maximal comrade. He was heavily wounded now, looking much worse for wear.

The wounds on Rampage's chest finally closed up.

"It'll take more than that to stop me!" Rampage howled. "But for now, I'll let the games commence for another day."

Just as mysteriously as he appeared, Rampage disappeared behind the machinery.

"Where's… X?" Depth Charge asked weakly.

"He got away," Cheetor replied. "But we've gotta get you back to base first."

* * *

Depth Charge finally woke up after what seemed like a few hours. Cheetor and Rattrap stood before him in addition to a few other Maximals. He did not recognize all of them but one of them in particular did look familiar.

"Is that you, Primal?" he demanded.

"Yes," Optimus nodded.

"Man, have you changed," Depth Charge remarked.

"We've gone through… interesting times," confessed Optimus.

"Just want you to know I'm here to clean up your mess," Depth Charge told Optimus accusingly.

"Hey, uh, thanks for saving us," Jack said as he walked up to Depth Charge.

"Yeah, you really saved our lives," Luna commented.

"Whatever," Depth Charge got up. "I've got work to do."

"But you just recovered!" protested Cheetor. "You can't go back out there!"

"Wanna bet?" Depth Charge transformed to flight mode and blasted out of the mountain.

"Geez, what's stuck up his duct?" Rattrap complained.

"Trust me," Optimus shook his head. "He's gone through a lot."

* * *

Rampage crawled his way through the rocky terrain on the beach. Today had been some of the most fun he'd ever had. He met his old enemy Depth Charge again. And it had been quite a party getting reacquainted with him.

He wasn't sure what he would do now. Perhaps he would go and terrorize the nearby town or he could go into the seas and sink a cruise ship. Either ways, he was now living on a populated planet. There were so many options open to him now.

"Greetings Rampage."

"And who might you be?" Rampage turned around.

"I am Tigerhawk," the being replied. "And you will serve me well."

"I serve no one!" Rampage hissed.

"We shall see about that," Tigerhawk descended menacingly.

Rampage was getting angry now. Just who did this stranger think he was? He transformed to tank mode and raised his cannon, firing off his three strongest missiles at once.

The ensuing explosion took out nearly half the hillside. But when the smoke cleared, Tigerhawk was unscathed. Rampage was now quite shocked.

Tigerhawk floated into the air as electricity crackled around him, holding both hands together as small pebbles were lifted into the air from the sheer power. He brought his hands up and fired. A searing bolt of energy struck Rampage and slammed him into a boulder.

"Aaaaahhhh!" Rampage shrieked in a guttural voice. "This is not… possible!"

"It is," Tigerhawk growled. "You will obey me now. Never forget that!"

Sensing that Rampage had not quite learned his lesson from the defiant gleam in his optic, Tigerhawk increased the volume and intensity of the blast. This caused the king crab to howl even more loudly.


	32. Pantheon

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Pantheon_

"What're the stats on our floating island?" asked Optimus.

"Looks like it's steady right now," Rhinox told his commander. "It hasn't moved from its current location."

Thanks to their special weather monitoring system, the Maximal scientist had been able to pinpoint the exact location of Tigerhawk's floating island. Because of the sheer amount of clouds it was surrounded by, finding it did seem impossible. However, due to the island's volume, it became easier to find thanks to the system's ability to detect mass.

"So what's our next move gonna be?" asked Cheetor.

"I really don't know yet," Optimus admitted. "Aside from kidnapping me, they haven't done much else."

"Well, maybe they're just biding their time," suggested Rattrap. "Plotting their next big thing."

"I'd like to think there can be a peaceful resolution with this Tigerhawk," Optimus said hopefully.

"You saw what he did to us the last time?" Cheetor pointed out. "Hate to break it, but I don't think Tigerhawk's here to play nice."

"Cheetor has a point," Rhinox told Optimus. "He sic'ed his watchdogs on you and started the whole thing."

Optimus sighed. "Maybe you're right."

"There has to be a way to reach out to this Tigerhawk," mused Tigatron. "Whatever he is, I felt a spark beating within him. He is just as much of a Transformer as we are."

"Not to burst 'yer bubble, stripes," pointed out Rattrap. "But so is Megatron."

"And Rampage," Cheetor nodded.

"All I am saying is that this Tigerhawk deserves a chance," Tigatron tried to explain patiently. "We know Megatron's disposition and Rampage has already committed irredeemable atrocities. With Tigerhawk, his character is still unknown to us."

"That femme Windrazor kicked 'da snot outta us when I tried to rescue Optimus," argued Rattrap. "There ain't no way we can trust 'dis Tigerhawk!"

Optimus looked from side to side. Thus far, he did not know which side to take nor what his next course of action would be. It was during times like these that he wished the burden of leadership was not on him. No matter what, he had to come to a decision at some point about what would be most beneficial to his crew.

"I'm going out for some air," Airazor finally said.

"You sure you don't want to stay here?" asked Optimus.

"Nah," she shook her head. "You guys fight it amongst yourselves."

After Airazor left, Rattrap shook his head and pointed an accusing finger at Tigatron.

"See, now look what you've done!" he said critically.

"Grrr!" snarled Tigatron, baring his fangs. "I did not do that!"

"Guys, settle down," Optimus recommended. "I think it's time for us to take a breather."

* * *

Airazor felt the cool evening air in her face as the winds blew. To be honest, she could not take another nano-klik or two in that room full of alpha males constantly needing to assert their superiority. All this discussion over Tigerhawk wasn't answering any of their questions and it sure as slag wasn't making things better. They certainly weren't discussing it like gentle-bots either.

She herself didn't know what to do in this situation, though she was fairly sure that going into the situation with all guns blazing wasn't the right idea.

"Hello there."

Whirling around, Airazor directed her attention to the source of the voice.

"Windrazor!"

"Who else were you expecting?"

"I dunno, someone friendlier?"

"Aw, don't sell me short," Windrazor, in beast mode, flew around Airazor in a circle. "We're like birds of a feather, the two of us."

"We're nothing alike," Airazor shot back.

"That's too bad," Windrazor sighed. "The big 'bot wants to see you."

"And what makes you think I'd go with you?" demanded Airazor.

"Because I can strike you down if I really wanted to," Windrazor told her nonchalantly. "So I suggest you not try my patience."

Airazor turned her back to her doppelganger.

"I knew that would be your answer," Windrazor unsheathed her sword.

Flipping around, Airazor unleashed the two missiles she had prepared on her wrists. With an unnatural agility, Windrazor swung her sword, the first deflecting the missile and the second slicing the other missile in two with another swing.

Before Airazor could properly react, Windrazor was behind her in an instant. She gripped Airazor with a constricting chokehold around the neck. Try as she might, Airazor could not break free.

"It's too bad really," Windrazor whispered to her. "We could've been like sisters, you and me."

With that being said, a current of green lightning charged up on the fingertips of Windrazor. Unhesitantly, she jabbed her twin fingers into the back of Airazor, savoring her cries of agony before shocking her into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Where is she?" Tigatron leaped out of the cave. "Where is Airazor?"

"Don't worry, Tigatron," Optimus tried to reassure his friend. "We'll find her."

Two figures appeared before them in an explosion of flames. They were two of the four elementals that had attacked the Maximals previously.

"She is with the master," Ifrit informed them.

"Yes," Tengu affirmed. "If you wish to see her again, you will make your journey to the floating island."

"How 'bout you hand her back now!" Rattrap stepped forward, brandishing his blaster.

Ifrit's hand shot up and blasted a spat of flames at Rattrap's feet. The small Maximal immediately leaped back.

"Appear before him within the next few hours," Ifrit reiterated once more. "I've made my instructions clear enough."

Tengu surrounded himself and his partner with a whirlwind of air and lifted them both up. Soon, they were far into the distance of the sky.

"Rhinox," Optimus looked at his chief scientist. "Do you have the coordinates on Tigerhawk's island?"

"Brought it with me," Rhinox took out his GPS system.

"Cheetor and I can fly," Optimus took count. "Rattrap, you're with Cheetor… as for Tigatron and Rhinox…"

"I'll try to locate the nearest Maximal unit," Rhinox adjusted his GPS. "And it looks like… Depth Charge is it!"

"How close is he?" asked Optimus.

"Actually," Rhinox said. "He's—"

Just as he spoke, a high speed missile raced towards Optimus at a breakneck pace. The surprised Maximal raised his hands up in an attempt to block it. But the missile did not strike him as expected.

In that klik, Depth Charge leaped down from the air and kicked the missile aside. He took out his gun and returned fire, blasting a boulder apart and revealing the mysterious assailant.

Scorponok blinked. He had not expected Depth Charge to show up and make the save for Optimus Primal. But he could not go back and report that he had failed either. He clasped his claw and fired yet another missile. The large blue Maximal deflected it with a single wing and fired once more, knocking Scorponok on his back with one shot.

The Predacon attempted to get up but Depth Charge planted his feet firmly into his chest, grinding in ever so slowly.

"You got information I want," Depth Charge spat.

Scorponok's tendril-like tail flew up and dove towards Depth Charge's neck like a cobra. It was not enough, however. Depth Charge immediately grabbed the tail before it could strike him and held it firmly.

"Where's X?" he demanded.

"I don't know!" spat Scorponok.

"Gotta do this the hard way," Depth Charge rolled his optics. With that, he yanked down yard on Scorponok's tail, severing it from the Predacon's spine.

"Aaaaahhhhh!" howled Scorponok.

"Ready to talk now?" Depth Charge aimed his blaster at Scorponok's skull.

"Depth Charge!" Optimus called out. "That's enough!"

"For you, maybe," Depth Charge sneered. "I can get a lot of info from this scumbucket if you'd just give me five cycles with him alone."

"He doesn't know where X is!" Rhinox chimed in. "No need to go overboard!"

"It's not the Maximal way, Depth Charge," urged Optimus.

"Screw the Maximal way," Depth Charge cursed. "I'm here to bring a killer to justice."

"Airazor is missing," Tigatron informed the former security officer. "She is being held captive by Tigerhawk."

"Yeah, and we could use your help!" added Cheetor.

Depth Charge looked at the core Maximal crew and then down towards the helpless Scorponok. Finally, he took his foot off the silver Predacon's chest.

"Fine," he said, fighting back the urge to tell them off. "Once we're done with your little rescue mission, it'll be Rampage season again."

Just as Scorponok got up, Depth Charge slammed the blunt end of his rifle into the Predacon's face, knocking him out for good.

"What?" he looked at the dismayed Maximal team. "He was a low life creep."

* * *

"What do we have here?" Megatron stood before Tigerhawk's throne.

"I found her outside the Maximal base," Windrazor put Airazor's prone form down. "Then I brought her here."

"Excellent work, Windrazor," Tigerhawk told her.

"Taking hostages, I presume?" Megatron looked up at his new 'boss.'

"Hardly," Tigerhawk replied. "I require Airazor only for questioning."

"But why the Maximal wench?" asked Megatron once more.

"That is my concern," Tigerhawk glared at Megatron.

"Yes, and you will not speak unless spoken to!" Golem raised his elemental staff and pointed it towards Megatron.

"Megatron certainly thinks highly of himself," Windrazor chuckled. "He should really learn his place."

"Hmph," snorted Megatron.

Already he was getting tired of working under Tigerhawk. Being only the latest addition to the throne room, he was at the very bottom of the pecking order, something he was not used to considering his own high standing with the Predacons on earth. He was also aware that Windrazor did not like his presence here, and a few of the elementals were already talking down to him.

But he was here for something more. His new stint as Tigerhawk's 'servant' was merely a charade to hide his true ambitions. Back at base, Scorponok had been building a new machine for him. And when the time was right, he, Megatron, would use that device to drain Tigerhawk's cosmic powers all for himself. Then he would become unstoppable!

Megatron glanced up again to see Windrazor picking Airazor up.

"Take her to her new quarters," Tigerhawk instructed. "When she comes to her senses, I will speak with her."

"At once," bowed Windrazor.

* * *

The Maximals flew through the clouds and through the haze. Thanks to the addition of Depth Charge, they had enough fliers to take their other teammates along. Rhinox rode on the back of Depth Charge while Cheetor carried Rattrap and Optimus had Tigatron with him.

Due to Rhinox's tracking device, they found the floating island in only a few cycles. Everything was almost exactly as they remembered it. The huge chunk of landmass was still as pristine and as beautiful as it always was.

"Sheesh, nice place," muttered Rattrap. "Just as we left it."

"We're not here for scenery," Tigatron growled. "We're here for Airazor!"

"Where do you think she's being kept?" Cheetor landed, allowing Rattrap to dismount.

The citadel stood on one end while the massive dome was near the other closing stages of the island.

"We split up," Optimus decided.

"Good," Depth Charge looked down at his scanner. "I'll go over to that side."

"What're you doing, Depth Charge?" demanded Optimus. "You can't just go off on your own!"

Depth Charge did not reply. He flew up again after letting Rhinox step off and blasted off towards the citadel at full speed. In his haste, he did not even bother telling the Maximals that he had found Rampage on his scanners.

"That's just Prime…" Optimus put a hand over his forehead in frustration.

"We'll have to go without him," Rhinox transformed to beast mode.

"Yeah, Captain Minnow's a bit preoccupied right now," noted Rattrap.

Without any further haste, the Maximals sped off towards the huge dome structure. After they were gone, the figure hiding behind the trees reappeared again.

"So, the Maximals are here as well," Tarantulas said thoughtfully.

Tarantulas then transformed to vehicle mode. Only a few days ago, one of his aerial drones had spotted the floating island and made a thorough survey of it, including the inner chambers of both the citadel and the dome. Luckily enough, his aerial drones had managed to avoid Tigerhawk and his minions during its searches. Now that he had the blueprints to this place, he could explore it with at least a little bit of familiarity.

"No matter," Tarantulas mused. "I know what I came here for!"

* * *

"You awake yet?" Windrazor opened the door.

"Ugh," Airazor shook her head.

Then she noticed she was lying down on of the finest beds she had ever seen, with linen made from finest of fabrics. In her lofty room was a Persian carpet in the center and other a massive dinner table, decked with candles in one long row. A massive chandelier hung on top of the ceiling as well.

"Like your new quarters?" asked Windrazor.

"Why did you bring me here?" demanded Airazor.

"The master wanted a word with you."

"So that gives you the right to kidnap a 'bot against her will?"

"Pretty much," Windrazor shrugged.

"Well that's just Prime…" muttered Airazor.

"Hey, it's not that bad," Windrazor attempted to start a conversation. "At least I brought you to some place comfy and cozy."

"Yeah, after blasting me with that lightning of yours," Airazor scoffed.

"You didn't give me any other choice," explained Windrazor. "You shot first."

"Fair enough," Airazor conceded. "But don't I have a right to be suspicious? Especially since our first meeting consisted of your goons kidnapping Optimus?"

"That is true," Windrazor confessed. "But it was the Mystics' idea, not mine."

"Who are those four?" Airazor was puzzled.

"You mean the Mystics of Pali?" Windrazor gazed at Airazor. "You know about the Vok, darling? Oh, that's right, of course you do!"

"Go on," Airazor said tepidly.

"Before the dawning of the time we know, the Vok were at war with another race of elemental beings, the Paliyuga," explained Windrazor. "The war dragged on for millennia and most of the known galaxy was nearly destroyed in the conflict. Finally, the Paliyuga were defeated and the galaxy was allowed to replenish itself from the destructive fighting."

"I take it those four are the Paliyuga?" Airazor came to her own conclusion.

"The last surviving members of their race," Windrazor told her. "Lord Tigerhawk found them in the far reaches of this galaxy and recruited them… rather forcefully… to his cause."

"So what does Tigerhawk want with us?" demanded Airazor. "And what does he want with me?"

"Well, for starters, he's here to finish what the Vok started," Windrazor replied. "As for you… I'm not sure yet. You'll have to ask him yourself."

"And when do I get that chance?"

"Soon enough."

"Soon enough?"

"Listen, don't worry too much about it. I'll be back when he calls for you."

Windrazor got up and exited the room. After she left, Airazor was left there to muse over the situation on her own.

Though she had to admit the master bedroom was quite nice.

* * *

"It's no use hiding," Depth Charge called out next to the obelisk. "I know you're here!"

_Then why don't you come inside so we can have a little fun?_

Depth Charge gladly answered Rampage's offer. He swung open the doors of the citadel and stepped inside.

After walking across the grandiose marble floors, he entered into the main chambers of the building. In the center of the throne room was an even smaller obelisk. However, its function was something that was unfamiliar to the blue Maximal whose only goal right now was hunting down Rampage.

"Show yourself!" shouted Depth Charge.

"Nuh uh uh!" Rampage's voice rang out. "You'll have to find me first!"

"I don't have time for this," Depth Charge took out his gun and walked towards the altar.

"You're getting warmer!"

Suddenly, the sarcophagus on top of the altar popped open. The lid, made entirely of stone, was thrown into Depth Charge who barely had time to move. The metal cover struck Depth Charge in his chest and knocked him down. As he raised his head, a giant Transmetal crab leapt out of the coffin and pinned him down.

"Let go!" growled Depth Charge.

Rampage paid no heed to his old enemy and flung the Maximal aside using only one claw. Then the behemoth transformed to robot mode and stomped forward menacingly.

Depth Charge got back up as soon as he could and raised his missile launcher. As if he were dealing with an insect, Rampage slapped the gun aside. He grabbed Depth Charge by the neck in response and lifted him up.

Fighting back in desperation, Depth Charge planted both feet into Rampage's chest, managing to free himself. He flipped backward several times and then stood upright once more, firing two discs from his chest blaster. Using both hands adeptly, Rampage overturned one spinning disc and knocked aside the other.

As if triggered by something in the room, the obelisk at the center of the room began to glow ominously.

Depth Charge looked up at it. Just what in the slag was happening?

The obelisk let loose a massive yellow blast from its tip. The giant discharge rained down on Depth Charge who quickly blasted off with the jets on his own back to escape just in the nick of time. Burrowing deep into the ground, the colossal laser unearthed both rock and smoke as its explosion finally died down.

It suddenly dawned on Depth Charge. The obelisk had fired on him BECAUSE of his energy weapons! That gave him an idea…

From the smoke emerged Rampage who leaped up and clotheslined Depth Charge across the chest, knocking the Maximal over.

"What's wrong, X?" taunted Depth Charge as he managed to get up on one knee. "Afraid to finish what you started back on Omicron?"

"Hey, no fair!" Rampage protested. "I'm supposed to taunt you about Omicron!"

"Guess you're not 'bot enough to finish me off," Depth Charge's face twisted into a sneer.

"Oh, I'm going to finish you alright," promised Rampage who removed his blaster rifle from his holster. "But first I'll make it slow and painful!"

Seizing his one opportunity, Depth Charge flipped up with both feet, kicking the blaster into the air just as Rampage fired. The shot took out a portion of the ceiling, sending some of it crashing down on the war machine. From the corner of his optic, Depth Charge watched as the obelisk began glowing.

Immediately, Rampage burst out of the rubble just to see Depth Charge flying away.

"Where do you think you're going?" howled Rampage.

The ominous rumble behind him soon alerted his senses. Turning around, Rampage's eyes widened as the laser discharged from the obelisk and struck him head-on. The pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced, slowly searing away at him and rending his joints and reinforced armor apart. Soon, his final cry of agony was engulfed in the ensuing explosion that covered the entire room.

* * *

Having observed the entire battle, Tarantulas was now visibly impressed. The new 'bot managed to stand up against Rampage quiet well. Though, luck did play a part in his defeat of Protoform X also. Using that obelisk against the enormous killer was a stroke of genius.

Tarantulas entered into one of the openings through the columns in the room. Depth Charge was currently still buried underneath several layers of rubble at the moment and Rampage had been blown into several parts. Deciding that the two would no longer be an obstacle, Tarantulas ran through the hallway from where the Maximal was, entering into a series of maze-like floors.

He walked across the marble floors until he reached the inner chambers. Floating in the center of the room was an object surrounded by metal coils. In its nucleus was a bright red core that practically oozed power.

"This is what I came for," Tarantulas took hold of it. "Now to bring it back for further study!"

He was also thankful that the Maximals were here as a distraction for the masters of this floating island. Their presence meant that he could move about freely in the shadows while they would attract the full attention of Tigerhawk.

* * *

"This mission calls for stealth, Maximals," whispered Optimus to his troops.

They were near the dome now. On the other side of the building was Frost, the ice elemental, standing guard outside.

"Easy enough…" Tigatron said.

Looking around one more time, Rattrap saw Frost walking away towards the other end of the building and disappearing around it.

"Coast's clear, guys," Rattrap gave the thumbs-up.

The five Maximals snuck up to the great gates. Getting past the guards was one thing. Now they had to figure out a way to get in without getting caught.

"Any ideas now?" asked Cheetor.

"Give me a nano-klik," Rattrap stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Can't use explosives," Rhinox told Rattrap. "It'll cause a commotion."

"Maybe it's what we need," Tigatron growled. "Less stealth and more brute force!"

"Whoa there, stripes," Rattrap raised a hand. "You been drinking from DC's bowl?"

Tigatron turned around and roared angrily at Rattrap. The diminutive Maximal backtracked away from the angry cat.

"Whoa, easy Tigatron," Optimus attempted to mediate the situation.

Already, Optimus knew what was bothering Tigatron. Airazor's kidnapping had taken quite a stressful toll on him and he was projecting some of those frustrations on a few of his teammates. It was perfectly understandable for Tigatron but at the same time, Optimus had to be there to enforce some kind of order within his own team.

"I'm sorry, Rattrap," Tigatron finally sighed. "It's just that I wish no harm has befallen Airazor."

"Don't worry about it," Rattrap shrugged. "We'll get her back."

Suddenly, the great gates opened before them. The Maximals quickly hid behind both ends of the gates to avoid detection as three of the other elementals floated from the opening and entered into the main courtyard. Just as quickly, the Maximals slipped in undetected when the backs of the three minions were still turned and hid behind the pillars of the building.

Then the gates closed again after a few minutes had passed.

"Whew, close call," Cheetor breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, cut it a little close," Rattrap agreed.

"I'll radio Depth Charge," Optimus said. "Try and see if he's still around the area."

"Or still online," muttered Rattrap.

* * *

Ifrit, Frost, Tengu, and Golem had reached the citadel. The explosion that occurred had been duly noted by the four. Scanning the area, they quickly discerned what had happened. Around the room were parts of Rampage scattered all around. The titan had been blasted by one of the obelisk's beams which had the power to obliterate buildings.

"What has happened here?" Frost mused.

"Is it not obvious?" Golem replied. "The thrall has felt the power of the obelisk."

"No, I meant what really happened," Frost reiterated. "What caused him to open fire in this chamber and get himself blasted to pieces?"

"He could have been trying to destroy the island," Tengu reminded the Mystics. "He does, after all, despise us."

"Yes, a fact he made clear the moment he entered onto this island," Ifrit acknowledged. "It is fortunate we have Lord Tigerhawk here to subdue him. I am not sure even the four of us could've taken him."

"Well, now to gather him up," Golem exhaled noisily. "I hate picking up after others."

"Just do as you're told," Ifrit reprimanded.

The four Mystics of Pali began gathering the body parts of Protoform X. Golem picked up the torso while Tengu got the head. The remaining Mystics also picked up what they could and floated up in the air again, flying back to the dome through one of the walls that had been destroyed by the obelisk.

"Depth Charge… do you read?"

"Ugh…"

It was then that a hand finally emerged from the rocks. Slowly, Depth Charge managed to pull himself out of the rubble just as his com-link went off. Though somewhat injured, Depth Charge was still online and fully functional. In all honesty, he had seen much worse before. These injuries were minor at best.

"Is that you, Primal?"

"Where are you?" demanded Optimus through the link.

"I almost got 'im…"

"Got who?"

"X."

"You ran off to hunt Protoform X?"

"Yeah, but I think he escaped."

"Depth Charge, this is absurd! You promised you'd aid us!"

"I flew Rhinox here, didn't I?"

Depth Charge could've sworn he heard Optimus inhale deeply and angrily across the connection.

"Where are you?" Optimus repeated.

At this point, Depth Charge was no longer paying much attention. His concentration was now focused on the sky as his optics zoomed in on the four flying Mystics who carried something familiar in their arms.

"X…" growled Depth Charge.

"What?"

Depth Charge cut the connection and transformed to flight mode. Focusing his sole attention of the four, he flew off after them. They had what he was looking for and he would definitely keep his eyes on the prize.

* * *

"Now I remember why he and I never got along," Optimus shook his head.

"Is 'da big fish coming?" asked Rattrap.

"I don't know," replied Optimus. "But I wouldn't bet my servos on it."

"Hey guys," Rhinox told them. "According to my scanners, Airazor's signature is in this building."

"Hey, that's great!" exclaimed Cheetor. "Now we can go rescue her!"

"We must be careful," cautioned Tigatron. "We know not what Tigerhawk has in store for us."

"We'll be ready this time," Cheetor said confidently. "Don't worry, big cat. We'll get her back."

Optimus Primal took out his mace and the other Maximals followed suite, taking out their weapons as well.

"Time to party," Optimus declared.

* * *

In the grand chamber where Tigerhawk sat, Windrazor appeared before him per the instructions he left.

"I've brought her here as you instructed," Windrazor bowed slightly.

"I don't get it," confessed Airazor. "Why me of all 'bots?"

"You have special knowledge," Windrazor told her, putting a comforting hand on Airazor's shoulder.

"But…" Airazor protested.

"My, my," Megatron said to the side. "The little songbird isn't willing to sing, is she?"

In a puff of smoke, the four Mystics of Pali appeared. They had the body parts of Rampage with them.

"My lord," bowed Ifrit. "We found Rampage in this condition."

"Silence!" boomed Tigerhawk. "Can you not see that I am occupied?"

The four Mystics looked at each other and immediately stopped talking. They bowed and stepped to the side to allow Tigerhawk to continue his audience with Airazor.

"Now, where were we…" Tigerhawk's eyes fell onto Airazor.

"I… know so little about you," Airazor finally said. "Why are you kidnapping us against our will and why are you doing all this?"

"Because I wish to know something only you can tell me about," said Tigerhawk. "It is something you know best."

"What is it?" asked Airazor nervously.

"Tell me about my father," Tigerhawk told her softly.

Airazor could've sworn the color in Tigerhawk's optics had changed. Something else was in them now beyond the usual baleful and malevolent stare he would give. It was a sentiment she had never seen before. Whatever it was, he now looked more placid and almost poignant.

Before she could even answer, the gates to the throne room were knocked open.

"What?" Megatron cried. He was the one who stood closest to the gate.

"Surprise!" Optimus slammed into Megatron and tackled him.

"Guys!" Airazor did not know whether to feel elated or more worried.

"No!" roared Tigerhawk.

"You made a big mistake coming here!" Windrazor allowed the green flames to channel into her palms.

The rest of the Maximals came in with all guns blazing. Rattrap fired several shots at Tengu only for the wind elemental to spin his body around so fast that he formed a whirlwind around himself to deflect the blasts. Then he launched himself at Rattrap spinning into a razor sharp disc made of pure wind energy. The small Maximal quickly leaped aside as Tengu missed him narrowly, slicing through the ground on his path of destruction. Tengu boomeranged right back and Rattrap had to leap really high to avoid being sliced from his waist up. Instead, Tengu sliced through one of the columns.

Rhinox was the one to charge Golem. Golem easily unsheathed a large boulder from the ground and punched it, sending it flying towards Rhinox. Rhinox did not stop, however, and ran right into the path of the boulder, smashing it to pieces with one punch. Golem's eyes widened as Rhinox drove his fist into his face. This time, the force of the punch sent Golem flying into the wall.

Feeling exactly what the wall was made of, Golem allowed a slight smile to creep onto his face as Rhinox grabbed him and slammed him into the wall yet again. This time, Golem sank right into the wall, allowing his own elemental prowess to aid him. Rhinox was bewildered that his opponent had vanished right into the wall there and then. He was soon snapped out of it as a large column erupted from the wall and struck him in the gut. Staggering back briefly, Rhinox caught himself before he could spit out mech fluid. Golem gave him no reprieve, however, and launched another column of stone, this time into Rhinox's chin.

In the meantime, Cheetor was not faring too well against his opponents. Windrazor surrounded herself with a ring of green flames and then blasted one narrow beam towards him, knocking him over as it hit the ground. As he got up, Ifrit floated above him, sending down a sheet of flames that surrounded him in a ring. As Cheetor opened fire back, Ifrit deflected the green bolts with his staff. The Pali Mystic of Fire then cupped both hands together, sending down a giant blast of flames that struck Cheetor and send the charred body of the young Maximal skidding across the floor.

"Cheetor!" shouted Optimus.

This gave Megatron the opening he had been wanting. He slammed his elbow into Primal's face to knock him off. Before Optimus could recover, Megatron's foot connected with the Maximal's side where a human's ribs would normally be. Seeing his opportunity, the Predacon raised his cannon into the air, charging it up. But Optimus was equally as fast to react. Lashing out with his foot, the Maximal commander tripped Megatron and knocked the Predacon over on his back.

Immensely angered, Megatron charged up his cutlass as he got up again. Optimus noticed what his archenemy was doing and backed away.

"I'm going to enjoy doing this, Optimus!" laughed Megatron.

Tigatron leaped out from one of the columns he was hiding behind and rammed into Frost from behind. Without hesitation he raised the staff of the ice elemental and blasted Megatron's cutlass right before he fired it, encasing it in ice.

"No!" howled Megatron but it was too late.

The shockwave of the explosion threw Optimus back but it consumed Megatron entirely, searing him in purple energy. After the smoke cleared, Megatron's unconscious body hit the floor, having absorbed the brunt of the punishment.

"You have to stop this!" Airazor pleaded with Windrazor and Tigerhawk.

"Hmm, nah," Windrazor smirked. Tigerhawk said nothing.

"Please!" Airazor put her hand on Windrazor's shoulder. This seemed to be the wrong thing to do.

Immediately, Windrazor took her hand off forcefully and pushed Airazor back.

"Don't touch me, you filthy scrap heap!" Windrazor hissed.

"Airazor!" Tigatron shouted. He leaped over Frost's ice blast and charged Windrazor with the elemental's staff, swinging it at her.

Windrazor caught the staff with one hand and kicked the other end out of Tigatron's hands while flipping across the air. The next thing Tigatron threw was a punch which Windrazor also caught easily. She twisted his arm around his neck and drove her foot into his femur, forcing the Maximal scout to his knees.

"I don't want to hurt you… much," Windrazor whispered to him. "Just don't make it harder on yourself."

"Put him down!" Airazor charged.

"Take a seat," Windrazor used his open foot to connect with Airazor's mid-section with a kick that knocked her back.

The battle was not going well for the Maximal team. Rattrap was knocked down with a gust of air while Golem swung his stone club, striking Rhinox down as well. Optimus and Cheetor were also being forced back with the combined blast of Frost and Ifrit.

"Enough!" Tigerhawk finally bellowed.

The four Mystics quickly got the clue and vanished once again.

"I will take you myself!" growled Tigerhawk.

"Be careful!" Optimus told his team. "We don't know what he's capable of!"

A golden aura surrounded Tigerhawk's entire body as the energy pulsated through his complete being. Cheetor saw his chance and fired. Tigerhawk's aura, however, extinguished the blast before it came within several feet of him.

"What's 'dis guy made of?" Rattrap was clearly shocked.

Without warning, two eye lasers erupted from Tigerhawk and struck Rhinox, sending him spinning and skidding across the floor. With a wave of his arm, Tigerhawk sent a massive sheet of green flames towards the remaining three. Optimus managed to leap up just in time but Cheetor and Rattrap were not so lucky. It scorched across their chests and knocked them down as well.

Optimus got up again and transformed to flight mode. As his surfboard floated in the air, he took out both his maces and charged.

From Tigerhawk's hand erupted a massive green blast that headed towards Optimus. The Maximal was forced to swerve to avoid the emerald flames. The heat and intensity of the fire was almost too much to bear…

Then the unexpected occurred. Tigerhawk would have kept up with his attack until Optimus was reduced to cinders but a giant boot connected with the side of Tigerhawk's face just as he was pressing his assault. Tigerhawk staggered back a few inches but caught himself before he could fall.

"You… dare to touch me?" he hissed.

"I dare to do a lot of things," Depth Charge got into a fighting stance.

Tigerhawk didn't budge once inch as Depth Charge ran forward. Seeing his chance, Optimus flew up behind Tigerhawk and raised his mace. In a split nano-klik, Tigerhawk batted the Maximal commander aside with one wing flap.

Then Depth Charge's fist connected with Tigerhawk's jaw.

"Agh!" Depth Charge fell back clutching his own hand. He had nearly broken his own hand punching the large Transformer. Not even Rampage, as powerful as he was, was THIS strong or durable.

Tigerhawk was unfazed. There seemed to be no damage at all inflicted across his face. Before Depth Charge could recover, Tigerhawk transformed to beast mode and opened his jaws agape and unleashed a spat of orange flames. Having registered the threat, Depth Charge raised his wing shield just in time as the blast struck him, forcing him back further… and further…

Then Depth Charge's wing exploded as the flames destroyed it almost completely. The blue Maximal fall to the ground, grasping his side. Using his good hand, he crawled up on his knees.

Optimus rose as well. Then it hit him that they were losing… badly.

The winged terror raised a hand in the air. As if on command, the bodies of Tigatron, Airazor, Rattrap, Rhinox, Cheetor, Depth Charge, and Optimus levitated into the air, surrounded by a green aura.

"Now you see how futile it is to oppose me," Tigerhawk told them. "Come the winter solstice, whether or not you choose to side with me is up to you."

In a blinding flash of light, Tigerhawk had them teleported away again.

* * *

"He beats us to an inch of our lives again… then he lets us live!" Airazor said atop the mountain. ""What's with this guy?"

"He's toying with us, that's what," Cheetor declared.

"Also, he gave us an ultimatum," Tigatron looked down. "He said that we would have until the winter solstice."

Optimus did not pay much attention to the debates of his teammates. He was too busy arguing with Depth Charge.

"You said you would help us!" Optimus said accusingly. "Then you turn around and leave us!"

"What?" snorted Depth Charge. "I came back and helped, didn't I?"

"It was a little too late by then," Optimus crossed his arms.

"Listen," Depth Charge told the Maximal leader. "You got your duties and I got mine. Yours is saving this dirtball planet and mine is X."

"And what if they intertwine?" demanded Optimus.

"I'll think about it when it comes down to that," Depth Charge turned and limped away.

"Don't you walk away!" shouted Optimus.

But his orders were for naught. Depth Charge had already made up his mind to leave.

* * *

Later that night, the mood was much more pleasant around the Predacon base.

"Scorponok, do you have these conduits in place?" asked Megatron.

"Got it, boss," confirmed Scorponok. "They should be enough to channel even mystical power."

"The field test we did on the salvaged Vok drone was a success," nodded Megatron. "Their residual energy is the closest there is to Tigerhawk and Windrazor."

"Please," a foreign voice interrupted them. "You think your plotting and scheming will bring you success?"

"Tarantulas!" Megatron growled. He would recognize that voice anywhere.

Tarantulas swung down. "You honestly think you can drain Tigerhawk's power with primitive technology like that?"

"And you have any better ideas?" Megatron charged up his cannon.

"Yes, but first of all, I'm not here for a rematch," Tarantulas waved both hands in the air.

Megatron shut off the power to his cutlass. "What is it you want?"

"Only for business," Tarantulas took out the alien device in his compartment. "You give me the hyper-space drive to your ship and in return, I will give you the means to ascend to godhood."

Megatron looked at the alien device with great interest. A quick scan showed him that its power was off the charts, ahead of anything he had seen before. From the corners of his mouth, a grin began to form. How Tarantulas managed to even steal that from Tigerhawk was beyond him.

"We have a deal," Megatron replied. "When do you want the hyper-drive?"

"Oh, about now," Tarantulas confirmed.

"Agreed," Megatron smile widened as Tarantulas handed him the device.

Though he was more than satisfied, there was one more wrinkle to be worked out. As powerful as the device was, there was still a chance it could potentially be unstable. He needed something else to make it work.

"Hnn," Megatron stroked his chin. "All I require now is a test subject, yessss…"


	33. Prodigal Son Pt 1

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Prodigal Son Pt 1_

"This device is splendid," Megatron mused. "How Tarantulas ever stole it from under Tigerhawk's nose, I shall never know."

He and the Predacons had taken shelter in an archaic castle located in Eastern Europe. It was well over several centuries old and had stood the test of time well since the Middle Ages. Though it was no longer occupied, it was still a remnant of times long past. It was here within the walls of the palace that Megatron was plotting out his next plan to put into play.

Blackarachnia examined it carefully. "This 'Transmetal II' driver has the ability to supercharge the evolution of any prospective Transformer. But will it work properly?"

"Only if we a test subject," Megatron explained. "Then we shall see."

"In that case, I shall gladly volunteer myself for your worthy cause!" Terrorsaur bowed before Megatron in a servile manner which only served to multiply Megatron's disdain for the pteranodon.

"I could test it out for you," Blackarachnia bumped Terrorsaur aside. "After all, I helped you analyze its potential."

"I would never sacrifice any of my troops in a lowly fashion just for my own gain," Megatron told them sarcastically. "The guinea pig I have in mind happens to be a Maximal."

Both Terrorsaur and Blackarachnia's shoulders slumped in disappointment but Waspinator's interest was piqued.

"Maximal?" asked Waspinator. "Why Megatron choose Maximal?"

"Because this little Maximal is still young enough to, shall we say, be molded properly," smiled Megatron.

* * *

"I've developed new stun coils for our automated defense systems," Rhinox pointed towards the mountain. "They should work in case of an assault on our base."

All six Maximals stood outside on the mountain. They were out for a field test that day to see whether or not Rhinox's new innovations would prove fruitful.

"I'll need a test subject," Rhinox offered to the group.

"Eh, I ain't no lab rat," Rattrap shook his head.

"Aw, but what if he offered you some cheese?" joked Cheetor.

"Shut up, kid."

"I'll go," Optimus Primal stood up.

"Stand right over here," Rhinox led Optimus to a circle he had drawn on the ground.

"Looks like we got ourselves a lab chimp," chuckled Rattrap.

"This won't hurt at all," Rhinox assured Optimus. "But once the coils surround you, be sure to resist against it."

Rhinox stepped aside and took out his remote. Pressing down on the button, he watched as one of the auto-guns sprang to life from the cliffs and opened fire on the Maximal leader. A yellow bolt flew down and enveloped Optimus Primal like a python. It wrapped itself around him and began its constricting hold. Optimus did as promised and flexed out, resisting the pressure with his great strength.

Despite his best efforts, Optimus could not break out of it. Another bolt sprang from the gun and tied up Primal's legs as well. Then Rhinox pressed down on his remote to make the coils dissipate into thin air. The Maximal captain got up again.

"Those were some stun coils," Optimus felt his own wrists.

"Special stasis cuffs and force fields are also in the works," Rhinox explained. "They should be ready in a few weeks."

As Optimus continued his conversation with the others, Cheetor began to get a bit bored. When he saw that the details of the discussion amounted to nothing more than technical information, he walked off towards the edge of the cliff.

"Wait, Cheetor," Tigatron was behind him.

"Hey big cat," Cheetor waved. "I'm about to go on patrol."

"I would advise not going alone," Tigatron told him. "You could wait until Optimus and Airazor are done, and then go."

"I got it handled," Cheetor said nonchalantly. "No need to worry about me, I'm a big kid now."

"Very well," Tigatron nodded. "But be careful. We are family and we need to look out for one another in case anything goes wrong."

"Will do," Cheetor saluted, then transformed to flight mode and blasted off.

* * *

"Fah!" snorted Rampage. "Why not do it now and get it over with?"

"I do not appreciate your tone of voice, Rampage," Tigerhawk glared at the behemoth menacingly.

Rampage grunted in displeasure but dared not say anymore. Now in beast mode, he stood within the chambers of Tigerhawk. The only other person there with them was Tigerhawk's consort Windrazor.

"And what of Megatron?" asked Windrazor. "He is treacherous. Surely, you will deal with him soon enough?"

"I could've told you that," Rampage shot Windrazor a sardonic glare.

"Megatron is but a fool," Tigerhawk rose, levitating in the air. "He will pose no threat once the solstice comes."

"Mind telling me what this solstice is all about?" demanded Rampage.

"Be quiet, animal!" hissed Windrazor.

"Come and make me, female!" growled Rampage.

"At east, Windrazor," Tigerhawk raised a hand. "Since Rampage is our family pet, he does have the right to know."

Rampage bristled at the insult.

"Come the solstice, the floating island will be at the height of its power," explained Tigerhawk. When that time comes, I shall utilize the power of this magnificent landmass to raze the Earth of all its life. Once that is complete, a phoenix will arise from the ashes of the destruction… it will be a world inhabited solely by our kind for countless millennia to come!"

"Hmm, not such a bad idea," Rampage mused. "But why don't you just send me down there to do the job myself?"

To the very corner of the room, none of them recognized an inconspicuous spider drone lying there, recording their entire conversation.

* * *

"This is what I call flying in style!" Cheetor flew through the air at breakneck speed.

The young Transmetal performed several mid-air flips before going back down to his original pace. Today was a beautiful day and he would enjoy it for all it was worth.

And for what it was worth, the beautiful day would soon be interrupted. A missile sailed above Cheetor and exploded. The brunt of the explosion knocked the young Maximal down. As he looked towards the ground, he saw Megatron.

"Grrr, Mega-jerk again!" Cheetor growled.

He flew down and transformed to robot mode. Through it all, Megatron did not seem too concerned. In fact, he looked rather enthusiastic.

"How nice of you to drop by," Megatron smiled and then opened fire.

Cheetor dropped down and rolled out of the way of the blast, returning fire. The energy bolt from his hands struck Megatron to the side and sent the Predacon careening back.

"Argh," Megatron held his stomach. "Your skills have improved, Cheetor. But under my tutelage, you can become even better."

"Tutelage?" Cheetor was confused. "What?"

Soon enough, Cheetor fell to his knees. From behind him emerged Scorponok, his tail dripping with cyber-venom.

"You'll see soon enough," Megatron smiled as Cheetor convulsed from the venom. "Yessss…"

* * *

After what seemed like several hours, Cheetor finally woke up. He was strapped down to an operating table, restraining bolts pinning all his limbs down neatly. Then he noticed his captors.

"Ah, so you're awake!" Megatron's optics gleamed. "I was wondering when you'd join us!"

"Eat slag!" shouted Cheetor. "Where am I?"

"In a secure, undisclosed location, I promise you," Megatron leaned forward. "You shall participate in my grand experiment."

"Sorry, not in the mood to be your guinea pig!" Cheetor struggled against his bolts.

"No magical escape routes this time," Megatron warned. "A new page in the history of Transformers evolution will begin today… starting with you!"

Cheetor struggled in vain against the restraining bolts but it was no use. Seeing his captive still struggling, Megatron grinned and pressed down on the button to send a powerful surge of electricity into Cheetor's body.

Howling in pain, Cheetor could only quiver his body back and forth as more and more power coursed into him. From the corner of his optics, he saw Megatron taking out a Predacon programming chip on top of the lab table.

* * *

That night, the Maximals convened below the valley. Fruitlessly, they had searched for their youngest crew member but in vain, they could not find him.

Cheetor was missing. It started with him not coming back from patrol. The sirens were raised and the Maximals realized soon enough that he was gone. After hours, no results had been yielded as to his whereabouts. Jack and Luna were there as well. They had also confirmed that Cheetor was not with them when contacted.

"Still no sign of him?" asked Optimus breathlessly.

"No…" Tigatron sighed. "Airazor and I have been unable to locate him."

"Where could he be?" asked Jack.

"For one thing, his energy signature's gone," Rhinox informed them. "Wherever he is, he's not in this sector anymore."

"Spots can't be 'dat hard to find," Rattrap tried to lighten the situation. "I mean, all we gotta look for is a shiny metal kitty."

"Not now, Rattrap," warned Optimus. "This situation is serious. It's not like Cheetor to go off and not come back."

"He could've been ambushed," said Airazor.

"But by who?" Rattrap voiced his concern.

"Take your pick," Rhinox told them sadly. "Megatron… Sentinel… Tigerhawk… it could've been anyone."

"I should have never let him go off on patrol alone," sighed Tigatron. "I should have gone with him."

"Don't blame yourself, Tigatron," Airazor patted his shoulder. "None of us knew this would happen."

"Yeah," Luna expanded. "We know how close you are to Cheetor. What happened isn't your fault."

"So… what can we do now?" Jack rubbed his temple.

"It's time to expand our search," Optimus informed his them. "Airazor, you're with me. We can cover more ground this way."

* * *

The torture had lasted for Primus-knows-how-long. Eventually, the shocks and the cyber-venom serums had worn Cheetor down to such a degree that he could barely register what was going on. To his side were Scorponok and Blackarachnia. They were saying something to Megatron but he couldn't hear what it was. He almost couldn't tell what anything was at this point.

"Are we ready with the Transmetal II driver?" asked Blackarachnia.

"Yeah, I wanna see if this works," exclaimed Scorponok.

"Patience, Predacons," Megatron told them. "Have you forgotten our exalted code of honor?"

"Hoo boy," Blackarachnia whispered. "Megatron and honor go together like oil and water."

"We must first induct Cheetor into our honorary ranks!" Megatron exclaimed.

"_C-Can't give up_…" moaned Cheetor. "_Preds trying to b-break_…"

Scorponok stared in fascination as Megatron took out the Predacon programming chip. In all his years, he had never seen a Maximal actually get reprogrammed into a Predacon. It was something he couldn't afford to miss.

"The kid's resilient, I'll give 'im that," Blackarachnia looked at the near-prone body of Cheetor. "He lasted quite a while…"

"And his resiliency shall pay off," Megatron took an electrical drill from the surgical table and spun it to life. "He shall be the first of many to come!"

Cheetor's blurred vision finally blackened as Megatron walked towards him with the power drill and the Predacon chip.

* * *

Airazor was by far doing her best to locate him. With her razor-sharp vision, she could spot a fly from a thousand feet above the ground. But as good as her beast mode was, it still could not help her find Cheetor. She flew across the mountainsides alongside Optimus Primal. Together, they could not even find him.

She knew how worried Optimus was as well. The young Maximal practically looked up to him as a father figure. If anything happened to Cheetor, he would never forgive himself.

For her, Cheetor was also like a little brother. They had shared many adventures together and she had come to grow quite fond of him. In a way, she considered herself and Tigatron to be his surrogate parents.

Her moment of contemplation was soon interrupted as a large bat-like shadow flew over her and Optimus.

"Depth Charge!" Optimus looked up.

Depth Charge flew down next to them. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Cheetor's missing," Airazor answered before Optimus could. "He's been gone since yesterday!"

"What happened?" asked Depth Charge. Airazor suddenly noticed a hint of concern in his voice.

"We don't know," responded Optimus. "But we're doing all we can to find him."

"I'll be patrolling the surrounding areas," Depth Charge told them finally. "I'll be sure to radio you if I see any signs of Cheetor."

Depth Charge flew off, leaving Airazor and Optimus on their team search.

"I guess any help will do," Airazor sighed.

"Let's just hope Depth Charge doesn't get side-tracked," Optimus said, hinting at the hunter's obsession with Rampage.

"He sounded for real this time," Airazor told her leader. "I can't speak for him personally, but I really do think he'll try his best to help us."

* * *

In the medieval castle, all was set up according to Megatron's calculations. One of the blank stasis pods retrieved from the area had been set up as the containment unit for Cheetor's unconscious body. After carefully inserting the Predacon chip into his neurological circuitry, Megatron determined that the experiment was to go according to schedule.

Waspinator flew up with the Transmetal II driver but nearly dropped it before placing it in properly in between the two energy conduits.

"Careful, insect!" shouted Megatron. "I can afford no mistakes to this!"

"Waspinator not mean to!" protested Waspinator.

Terrorsaur flew up and helped the Predacon bug to set the driver in properly.

"Not now," he told Waspinator. "I don't think Megatron's in the mood to fool around."

"Oh… okay," Waspinator agreed after getting a good look at Megatron's expression.

The two of them flew down again after putting the device in its place.

"If this works, we may have the next evolutionary step for Transformer-kind," Blackarachnia gestured her claw towards the pod. "If not… it'll be a Maximal wind-up toy in the recycling bin."

"Active the power switch!" ordered Megatron.

Scorponok did as he was told. The conduits soon hummed to life, filling the stasis pod with the power of the Transmetal II device.

"This had better work…" Megatron whispered.

Lightning erupted from the conduits and struck the stasis pod. Now brimming with power, the stasis pod shook violently as an unearthly howl erupted from within.

"It… it's alive," Waspinator murmured. "Waspinator have bad feeling about this…"

Finally, the conduits exploded in a shower of fire and shrapnel. Megatron covered his face as debris fell everywhere. After the smoke cleared, the stasis pod stood there seemingly unscathed.

"Did it work?" Scorponok walked over to the pod.

Suddenly, the eerie roar that was heard from the stasis pod initially erupted again. The hinges to the pod was broken in an instance as a large cat-like beast leaped out and pounced on Scorponok, knocking him down.

"Yes… yessss!" shouted Megatron. "It worked!"

The feral beast got off of Scorponok and looked at Megatron almost warily with its glowing red eyes.

"Cheetor… terrorize!"

Immediately, the Transmetal II beast leaped up and transformed to robot mode. In this state, he was a savage and unwieldy combination of both organic and technological components. The line between robot and animal was further blurred, seeing how spots of fur lined his body in a non-symmetric pattern along with the new metal armor. His sharp teeth shone like knives and his claws extended out, giving him a most ferocious demeanor.

"W-Where am I?" demanded Cheetor. His voice was much deeper now, with a cold, mechanical glint.

"You're home at last!" Megatron reached out and put his hand on Cheetor's arm. "Back where you belong, my son."

"Son?" Cheetor was shocked. "Are you… my father?"

"Yes, yes!" Megatron nodded. "For years, I have tried to save you from the clutches of Optimus Primal and the Maximals. And it gives me great joy knowing that you're alive and well again!"

"Maximals…" Cheetor murmured. "Are they the enemy?"

"Correct!" affirmed Megatron. "They are the ones who took you from me!"

"Who are these guys?" Cheetor looked at the rest of the Predacons. "They Preds as well?"

"They are your friends and allies!" Megatron informed him. "They are faithful servants of mine and now, their services extend to you, my only son!"

"Wait a minute, we gotta serve Cheetor?" Terrorsaur whispered to Waspinator.

"Guess so," shrugged Waspinator.

"I… don't know what to say," Cheetor finally confessed.

"Say nothing!" Megatron put his arm around Cheetor. "You have undergone a terrible ordeal at the hands of the Maximals and it is time we begin your recovery once again!"

"Hmm," Cheetor scratched his head. "I don't feel anything wrong with me."

"Are you certain?" asked Megatron. "The Maximals are not known for their mercy."

"Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good in fact," Cheetor informed him. "Right now, I think I could use some exercise."

Without warning, Cheetor's fist was driven into Scorponok's face, knocking the Predacon over.

"What was that for?" Scorponok shouted. The visor covering his eyes was broken from the punch.

"Dunno," Cheetor shrugged. "Just felt like it."

"Argh!" Scorponok leaped up and made a move towards Cheetor, only to be restrained by Terrorsaur and Waspinator.

"Not now!" Terrorsaur warned him.

"Yes, Scorponok not want to make Megatron upset!" Waspinator urged.

"Hmm, I see that you have a lot of energy to burn off," Megatron said to his new ward. "We shall test your mettle in combat soon enough."

"Alright," Cheetor smiled. "Just bring it."

* * *

Cheetor stood in the center of the throne room. To all four corners were Scorponok, Blackarachnia, Terrorsaur, and Waspinator. The Predacons brandished their weapons menacingly, eager to test out the Transmetal II's mettle.

The new Predacon recruit was unconcerned however. In his confidence, he was fairly certain that he could take on a hundred Predacons and still come out on top.

Megatron stood further away from them on the throne. He was the referee for this field test.

"The rules are… anything goes!" Megatron declared. "Now begin!"

Blackarachnia and Scorponok opened fire first. A missile dislodged from Scorponok's claw and flew towards him. In the meantime, Blackarachnia opened fire with her machine guns.

Cheetor side-flipped out of the way of the machine gun fire and ducked underneath as the missile soared past him. The world seemed like flowing water to him as he moved. The speed of the missile and bullets appeared to be moving in slow motion. In an instant, he was right in front of the silver Predacon.

"Boo," Cheetor smirked at the hapless Predacon and slugged him across the jaw, knocking him down.

Scorponok landed on his chest. How Cheetor got to be so fast and so strong even in his new body was incomprehensible. All he knew was that he had to defeat Cheetor and impress Megatron. And on a more personal note, he wanted to wipe that cocky grin off Cheetor's face.

The tail on Scorponok's spine whipped to life and lashed out. At normal speeds, the tail was so rapid and dexterous that it appeared to be a blur to the optics of most Transformers. But not for Cheetor.

Cheetor grabbed the tail with both hands and swung Scorponok around and around before finally letting go. The screaming Predacon soon found himself crashing through the stained glass window of the tower and plummeting several hundred feet to the ground, screaming.

Blackarachnia attacked Cheetor next with a volley of kicks and blows, all of which Cheetor bobbed and weaved through as if he was fighting a practice dummy. Catching her incoming roundhouse kick, Cheetor flipped her around, watching her spin. As soon as Blackarachnia regained her footing, Cheetor planted his foot into her mid-section with a well-placed spinning sidekick, knocking her back.

The female Predacon got up, in front of one of the statues of the Saints. Cheetor leaped up in front of her and punched out with his fist. Blackarachnia quickly raised both arms in a defensive posture but soon realized that Cheetor didn't hit her as she thought he would. With a quick glance backwards, she realized Cheetor's fist had connected with the statue instead of her.

Before she could strike back, Cheetor spring-boarded himself into the air and back-flipped away from her. Seething with anger, Blackarachnia took out her gun but before she could fire, the entire statue crumbled to pieces and fell on top of her, crushing her underneath several tons of rocks and broken debris.

"Slag I'm good," Cheetor looked at his own fist.

Two shots struck at his feet from the air, alerting him that the battle was not yet over. Waspinator and Terrorsaur rained lasers and missiles down at him. Cheetor transformed to beast mode and ran towards a nearby wall as the two gave pursuit. Rapidly, he scaled the wall using his claws and the rocket pack on his back to give him an extra boost. When he was higher in altitude than the flyers, he back-flipped off the wall and transformed to robot mode again in mid-air, as the rocket transformed from a flight pack to a gun. He fired off a shot which struck Terrorsaur and instantly took the red Predacon out of the fight before landing neatly on his feet.

Megatron smiled inwardly. His new "son" was really learning to land on all fours.

Waspinator landed soon enough but another shot from Cheetor's gun disarmed him of his own weapon.

"Oh no…" Waspinator muttered as Cheetor's ferocious form fell upon him.

That happened in the next few seconds was not quite clear to Megatron since it was executed so rapidly. But it appeared, in his eyes at least, that Cheetor had swiped his claws across Waspinator several times. Truthfully, he lost count after the first or second slash.

Finally it was over. Cheetor stood up and faced Megatron.

"It's over, father," Cheetor informed the Predacon overlord.

The body of Waspinator fell to pieces as the head rolled next to Cheetor's feet.

"Oooohhhh… Waspinator not feel good," the decapitated head groaned.

"Commendable job, Cheetor!" Megatron clapped. "Excellent work indeed!"

"Eh, it was nothing," Cheetor scratched his head sheepishly.

"Oh, but it meant the world to me," Megatron got up. "With you by my side, we may establish the Predacons as the true rulers of the galaxy!"

"Does this mean we gotta go through the Maximals to do that?" asked Cheetor.

"Yes indeed," Megatron replied. "But they will not be a match for your abilities."

"I like the sound of that," Cheetor smirked.

"Ooh, someone help Waspinator!" Waspinator's head rolled around the ground in hopes of attaching himself to another of his body parts.

"Sure I'll help you rustbucket," Cheetor promised and then kicked the Predacon flyer's head clear across the air.

"Noooooo!" shouted Waspinator.

"Hahahahaha!" cackled Megatron. Cheetor look at what he had done and smiled as well. Soon, he joined Megatron in the laughter.

* * *

In frustration, Tarantulas banged his fists onto his consoles, setting off some sparks.

"Blast it! The ship isn't even completed yet!"

A few hours ago, he had received an incoming transmission from one of his drones which acted as a spy in Tigerhawk's island. The message was most distressing.

As soon as the winter solstice arrived, Tigerhawk would begin his razing campaign to cleanse the world of all life. It was quite similar in nature to what the Vok had planned a few months back but that was not what concerned him the most.

His work was not done yet. The trans-warp drive he got from Megatron had not yet been installed into the ship he had been working on. By his best estimates, it would be complete far after the solstice was done. And the razing campaign would occur during the solstice itself.

He was in quite the predicament.

Sure he could escape onto the floating island when that time came but he needed to get done with his work. There were still so many genetic and biological experiments he had yet to perform on his specimen. And also, more importantly, he needed to complete that ship to get back to Cybertron.

Then something crossed his mind. It was daring but still feasible.

"By the horn of Unicron!" he perked up. "I've got it!"

He would have to sabotage Tigerhawk's operations. In order to do so, he would require help from multiple sources.

And who else would be better for the job than the very Transformers who managed to help stave off the Vok invasion. Tarantulas cared nothing for Earth or its people, but he did care enough about his own spark to want to save it.

They would keep Tigerhawk occupied, leaving Tarantulas to continue his work unfettered.

* * *

"Wake up, saurian!" a commanding voice erupted from out the window.

Megatron got up from his CR bath. It was nightfall already and he had dozed off inside his bath.

He had been inside one of the rooks of the castle, plotting his next step to seize power on Earth and then return to Cybertron with Cheetor by his side. During that time, he must have gotten a bit drowsy and fallen asleep. Windrazor was next to the window in her eagle mode. When she realized she had his attention, she transformed to robot mode and stood upright.

"You," Megatron glared at Windrazor.

"I saw what you did," she informed him with a glint of savage triumph to her face.

"Say again?" Megatron rubbed his optics drowsily.

"You used the device on the island to transform Cheetor into this," said Windrazor. "Lord Tigerhawk will be most displeased."

"I never stole it," Megatron informed her as truthfully as he could. "An honest business-bot by the name of Tarantulas sold it to me."

The part about Tarantulas being an honest business-bot was, of course, a lie. Even Windrazor could see through that.

"It's all the same," Windrazor shook her head. "You're now in possession of it and you're the one who used it."

"And what if I have?" demanded Megatron. "I've breathed new life into the history of our kind!"

"Yes, hyper-charging the evolution of a helpless Maximal until he's mutated into the next evolutionary chain," Windrazor allowed electrical energy to flow through her fingers. "Cheetor can now move as fast as the lightning storms of Turbash and fight with the strength of a hundred Combaticons. He's quite a piece of work."

"Why thank you," Megatron got out of his bath. "I helped to mold and create him myself."

"Don't be so overconfident," Windrazor warned. "I'll be sure to tell Tigerhawk all about this and when that happens, not even Transmetal II power will save you."

"Go right ahead," Megatron gestured towards the window. "Now if you please…"

Without another word, Windrazor leaped out the window and flew off into the night.

"Hmph," Megatron crossed his arms smugly. "I think I've made my point."

* * *

Despite his tumbling and turning, Cheetor could still not sleep. Megatron had provided him with some of the best chambers available in the castle but it did not help. Somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, there was something calling to him. He didn't know what it was, however.

He was grateful to his father for providing him with all this. But he didn't really know what it was that was bothering him so much.

Cheetor flipped over and leaped out of bed. Even after having a good day's worth of activities, he still felt energetic enough to last through the night.

"Having trouble sleeping?" a sultry voice asked.

"You," Cheetor immediately deduced who it was and pointed his gun straight at Blackarachnia's forehead.

"Easy, I'm not here to start anything," she told him. "I just came to see how you were doing."

"I'm good," Cheetor put the gun away. "What's it to ya?"

"You know, you were really good out there today," Blackarachnia told him. "You made us all look like fools."

"Well, I already knew that," Cheetor rolled his optics.

Blackarachnia frowned. The Transmetal II power had made Cheetor quite conceited, in addition to the fact that he was now reprogrammed as Predacon.

Of course, she was also a Maximal protoform before being reprogrammed as a Predacon so she was one to talk, Blackarachnia mentally reminded herself.

"You still seem pretty restless," Blackarachnia remarked.

"Yeah, I guess," Cheetor acknowledged.

"Something on your mind?"

"Father wants to conquer the galaxy," Cheetor told her. "I don't know if I'm ready for that, much less Cybertron."

"Hah!" Blackarachnia patted his back. "You'll do just fine. There's no way the Maximal Imperium can stop you!"

"But part of it feels overwhelming," Cheetor continued. "I don't mind going out and kicking the slag out of other 'bots… but I'm too much of a free spirit to be tied down."

"But you're a Predacon," Blackarachnia protested. "It's in our nature to conquer and rule!"

"I don't mind the conquering part," Cheetor smiled. "But I think I'll leave the ruling part up to Megatron."

"He'll want you by his side."

"I know," Cheetor lowered his head. "I have the great power. I just don't think I'm ready for the great responsibility part."

"If you don't mind, I could help put your mind at ease," Blackarachnia put her arm around him.

"You?"

"Yeah," Blackarachnia cooed. "I could be anything from your personal intern to your massage therapist."

"So you can be anything I want you to be?" asked Cheetor.

"You got it, furball," Blackarachnia scratched his chin.

"Sorry," Cheetor pointed out. "But I don't think you'll make a great therapist with those claws of yours."

"Aw, come on, we could—"

Abruptly, Cheetor took Blackarachnia by the arm and shoved her out. Then he closed the door on her.

"Well that was uncalled for!" Blackarachnia shouted.

"Sorry," Cheetor told her from the closed doors. "Not in the mood!"

* * *

"Cheetor, I expect you are well-rested?" Megatron asked early the next morning.

Cheetor strolled into the throne room casually. His proud air of confidence did not budge on inch. The only other Predacon there was Scorponok who gave Cheetor a brief, jealous glance.

"I had a good night's sleep," Cheetor replied quickly.

"Excellent," boomed Megatron. "Which is why you are the one Predacon I can depend on most!"

Scorponok opened his mouth as if to protest but quickly shut it after careful consideration.

"Since I was but a spark, I had but one dream," Megatron said. "And that was to unite all of Cybertron under the Predacon flag. With you by my side, that dream may soon be realized. Once I form my empire, I will need someone to pass it on to when I am gone. And that, my son, is you."

Scorponok was about ready to explode. After all his years of service under Megatron, wasn't he the Predacon Megatron should have trusted the most? Did it not matter that he stuck with Megatron through thick and thin?

Through gritted teeth, Scorponok tried to analyze the situation. Normally, Megatron was an exceptionally good liar and could turn black into white if he tried hard enough. Scorponok had been around Megatron long enough to learn some of his tricks and facial expressions to the point where he could normally tell when Megatron was being truthful or not.

In this case, he really didn't know whether Megatron was being honest or not in taking up Cheetor as his new "son." And it bothered him greatly.

"Thank you, father," Cheetor finally bowed. "What will we be doing today to further the cause?"

"We make a pre-emptive strike on the Maximal forces," Megatron commanded. "You and I will be there to greet them."

"Shall we rally the other Predacons?" asked Cheetor.

"There is no need," Megatron said to Scorponok's horror. "Only you and I will be sufficient enough."

"Sounds good to me," Cheetor tipped his head.

"Ooh, Waspinator not get any sleep last night!"

Cheetor glanced over at the still-decapitated head of Waspinator. Someone had not been successful at pulling himself together last night apparently.

"Shouldn't someone have fixed him up by now?" asked Cheetor.

"Yes, Waspinator greatly appreciate it!"

"Fah!" snorted Megatron. "Leave him be! He can pick up after himself!"

"Okay," shrugged Cheetor who left with Megatron.

"Scorponok help Waspinator?" Waspinator looked up to the Transmetal scorpion hopefully.

"Deal with it yourself!" Scorponok stormed off, still angry with Megatron's preferential treatment for Cheetor.

"Oh no…" Waspinator croaked. "Why universe hate Waspinator?"

* * *

"Still nothing?" Luna asked as she walked up to the Maximal base with Jack.

"Not a sign," Rattrap said wearily. "Haven't found spots yet."

"He's gotta be around somewhere," Jack folded his arms up. "Cheetor couldn't have just disappeared off the face of the earth."

"Haven't found any leads yet," Airazor landed from the sky. "All we got were traces from his jet's exhaust fumes. And they're gone by now."

"It's a dead end," Rhinox had to admit.

"Think Megatron's behind this?" asked Luna.

"We're considering the possibilities," Optimus replied. "He and Sentinel are two possibilities. Then there's Rampage."

"We already have a truce with the Order of the Vok," Tigatron was the next to speak up. "They're out of the equation."

"We already have a strong suspicion it may be Tigerhawk," Optimus Primal told the kids. "After all, he's made it a habit of abducting us."

"Who is this Tigerhawk?" asked Luna.

"I pray you kids never have to find out," Optimus sighed wearily.

"Oh, pray that they do, Optimus…" the familiar voice of Megatron was heard from above.

"Take cover!" Optimus shouted towards the kids as soon as he saw the tyrant.

Airazor grabbed the two and flew them away just as Megatron opened fire. The shots forced the Maximals to scatter and return fire. But just before they could, a large beast leaped from the undergrowth and pounced on top of Rhinox and Tigatron, knocking them to the floor. The creature bounded towards Megatron and roared fiercely.

"What is that thing?" shouted Optimus.

The female Maximal flew the kids down next to a boulder where they quickly hid. After Airazor flew back to engage in the battle, Jack and Luna peeked out from under the boulder to observe what was going on.

Megatron blasted Airazor from the sky with a missile and then fired off several shots from his cutlass which Optimus quickly used his maces to deflect. Before Optimus could land a blow on Megatron with his weapon, the swift cat-like creature transformed to what appeared to be his robot mode and caught the mace with one hand.

Cheetor hissed aggressively and punched Optimus with his free hand. The force of the blow sent Optimus flying back straight into Rattrap.

The Maximal-turned-Predacon charged into the heart of the battle as Megatron watched with savage glee. Rhinox threw a punch only for Cheetor to catch with one hand. The Transmetal II cheetah drove his own fist into the Maximal engineer's mid-section, causing Rhinox to lower over in pain. Cheetor let go and spun around with a spinning wheel kick, catching his opponent across the face and sending the green Maximal crashing to the ground.

Rattrap drew his gun and fired. Cheetor dodged the shots as if they were moving in slow motion and flipped to the side, returning fire from his own cannon. The energy blast trailed through the air and just before Rattrap could pull down on the trigger, the shot entered into the barrel of Rattrap's pistol, destroying it utterly in a small explosion.

"Aaagh!" shouted Rattrap.

As Rattrap held his injured hand, Cheetor picked him up by his injured arm and threw him into the side of the hill.

Cheetor glared at Tigatron who was in beast mode, bounding towards him. He did not hesitate one bit and transformed to beast mode himself, slamming into Tigatron in mid-air.

The two of them fell to the floor rolling around. Tigatron took the opportunity to rake Cheetor across the face and bite down on his neck.

The Transmetal II howled in fury and flipped himself over, using both legs to kick Tigatron off.

He charged into Tigatron and with one blow from his paw, felled Tigatron.

"You've done well," Megatron walked up to Cheetor. "But there's still room for one more."

Cheetor looked at Optimus who was in surf mode, flying towards him, firing off several shots with his gun. He blasted forward and wrapped his tail around Optimus Primal's neck in the mid-air to drag him down from the air, slamming him into the ground and effectively grounding the Maximal leader.

"W-Who are you?" Optimus demanded.

"You mean you can't tell?" Megatron jeered. "Surely I thought you'd recognize him by now."

Cheetor bared his teeth and roared again.

"Show them just who you are, my son," Megatron ordered.

"Cheetor," the savage creature growled in an eerily familiar voice. "Terrorize!"

Now in robot mode, the new Transmetal II Cheetor walked towards Megatron jubilantly.

"Huh," sheered Cheetor. "You Maximals aren't so tough."

"Cheetor…?" Optimus looked up helplessly.

"Is 'dat…" Rattrap was in disbelief.

"Oh no…" Rhinox muttered.

"I can't be!" shouted Airazor.

"Aaagghhh!" Tigatron snarled at Megatron. "You're the one responsible!"

Though Tigatron was badly wounded across the face from being raked by Cheetor's claws, he still got up and charged at Megatron.

Megatron did not stand there idly. Before Tigatron could even get close, he flew up into the air and unleashed an exceedingly powerful laser beam. The shot struck the ground where the Maximals stood and triggered a massive detonation of purple energy which consumed all five of them.

_To be continued._


	34. Prodigal Son Pt 2

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Prodigal Son Pt 2_

"Hahaha!" laughed Megatron. "Now to destroy you Maximals!"

The tyrant charged up his cutlass again, staring down at the downed Maximals. With one more shot, he could annihilate all of them and be done with it.

"We just finish 'em like that?" asked Cheetor. "Shouldn't we take them prisoner?"

"We Predacons take no prisoners, Cheetor," Megatron explained to the cat as he felt more power brimming along the lines of his cutlass. "This is war."

"Yes, and this is also Tigerhawk's domain," Windrazor flew down from the sky.

"You again!" Megatron hissed. "Leave here at once!"

"No, I suggest you leave," Windrazor warned.

"Lady, you've got a lot of nerve talking to Megatron like that!" Cheetor stepped forward.

Windrazor had been observing the battle the entire time. She had been quite impressed with how Cheetor carried himself. No more was he the inexperienced whelp who charged foolishly into battle. He had the instincts of an animal and the honed skills of a warrior. In no time, he had made short work of the Maximal team. Cheetor had come quite a long way, she had to admit.

"If your 'son' harms one plating on my armor, you'll have to answer to Tigerhawk," Windrazor reminded Megatron as she watched Cheetor stalk her in a circle menacingly. "I know you don't want that."

"Cheetor, stand down… please," Megatron gestured towards the new Predacon.

"Uh, okay," Cheetor looked confused. "Why's that?"

"We have more important matters to take care of," Megatron glanced nervously at Windrazor before flying off.

Cheetor shrugged and flew into the air as well, disappearing across the clouds with Megatron.

"Windrazor!" the badly damaged frame of Tigatron stood up. "What have you done?"

"I just saved your lives," Windrazor told them. "You should be grateful."

"No doubt to toy with us more," Optimus crawled up to his knees. The blast had also injured him quite a lot as well.

"Hmm, you're right, I do want that too," Windrazor admitted.

Just as Rattrap got up, Windrazor suddenly spun around and fired a streak of green flames from her two fingers which struck Rattrap.

"Aaaahhh!" Rattrap cried and fell down into stasis lock.

"No!" shouted Rhinox who immediately raised his chain gun and fired.

Windrazor looked on apathetically as she created an energy barrier in front of her body which absorbed all of the bullets. As more Maximal firepower poured down onto her, she created a wall of flames surrounding herself which consumed all the blasts from Tigatron, Optimus, and Airazor.

"Ha hah hah!" laughed Windrazor as the flaming vortex carried her higher and higher into the air. "If you want to see Cheetor again, go to Coordinates Thirty Six Hundred in the European subcontinent! I'm sure he'll be glad to see you!"

The flames disappeared into the night sky and with them, Windrazor.

Optimus looked at his badly injured troops and sighed.

"Let's get to the CR chambers," he told them.

None of them needed to be told what they would be doing after that. Taking Cheetor back was the first priority on their minds.

* * *

"To Cheetor!" Terrorsaur raised his glass of energon gin.

"To Cheetor!" all the Predacons echoed in the banquet halls.

"Aw, you're breaking my spark," Cheetor sat back slothfully in his chair and put his feet on the table.

"With you by my side, the Predacons will be unstoppable!" Megatron declared.

"Yeah," Terrorsaur patted Cheetor on the back. "Who knew you had such a vicious Predacon streak in you after all!"

Megatron glared at Terrorsaur to shush him. He did not want the pteranodon giving Cheetor any clue as to what his past was like. After seeing Megatron's furious glare, Terrorsaur decided to do the best thing in any given situation with an angry Megatron and shut up promptly.

"Why cat-bot and Megatron not destroy Maximals?" Waspinator buzzed curiously.

"Because Windrazor got in the way," growled Megatron. "But we will deal with her in due time as well."

"She a Maximal too?" asked Cheetor.

"Not quite," Megatron explained. "But she is a thorn on our side nonetheless."

A low-level frequency on Megatron's com-link soon alerted him to a new call. The signature was an exact match with that of Tarantulas. And it was coming from his tower.

"Excuse me," Megatron got up. "I have important business to attend to."

"Aw, come on dad," Cheetor protested. "We still haven't finished the party."

"My apologies," Megatron looked at Cheetor. "Blackarachnia, keep Cheetor company while I'm away."

"Sure thing," Blackarachnia draped her arms over Cheetor.

"Um, hey," Cheetor looked at Blackarachnia nervously.

* * *

Megatron walked into his chambers, adorned with bookshelves and a table that had once been used by alchemists in the Middle Ages. He didn't know why Tarantulas was here but if he was here to take back the Transmetal II device, then he would be most disappointed indeed.

To the center of the room was Tarantulas. This time, he did not make any flashy or mysterious entrances.

"You again," Megatron said blandly.

"Hello Megatron," Tarantulas sneered.

"I presume you are not here for pleasantries?"

"No, I'm here for more business."

"Pray have a seat," Megatron offered.

Tarantulas sat down on the seat offered to him and glanced over at Megatron. He reached into his compartments and took out a spark sealed within an energon cage.

"And whose unfortunate spark would that be?"

"The spark of Protoform X!"

"How did you—"

"It's not his full spark," Tarantulas quickly corrected himself. "After Rampage sank to the bottom of the ocean floor from the explosion of your nuclear submarine, I had my underwater drones retrieve him."

"And removed part of his spark too," Megatron concluded.

"Correct," Tarantulas snapped his fingers. "Which is why I'm here to offer you something new."

"You'd give up such a priceless piece of work?" asked Megatron, eyeing the half-spark of Protoform X hungrily. "What's the catch?"

"No catch at all," Tarantulas handed it to Megatron. "It's yours."

Megatron accepted the gift rather shakily with one hand. He took it and held it up high above the light to examine it. The spark was everything that he had hoped for. It was powerful, durable, and strong. It would be molded into the finest Predacon warrior ever, under Megatron's guidance of course. But why was Tarantulas giving it to him so easily? Surely there was something in it for him as well.

"Thank you for your assistance," Megatron finally said, deciding to play it smooth. "We really should work together more in the future."

"Yes," Tarantulas bowed and got up. "It's been an honor doing business with you."

* * *

None of the Maximals said a thing as they piloted the Axalon towards Eastern Europe. Their chief concern was to reach out to Cheetor and try to bring him back safely.

Rhinox and Optimus were at the front, piloting the ship. Rattrap sat near them, twiddling his thumbs nervously. What happened to Cheetor had a lingering emotional effect on them all.

The siblings were there as well. Though Optimus had told them that it was too dangerous, Luna managed to convince him that Cheetor was their friend too and that they had to be there to help him. Maybe even try to aid in regaining the young Maximal's memories.

"This stinks," Jack looked down at his feet. "Why would Megatron do something like this?"

"Because he's Megatron, that's why," Luna answered.

"This would have never happened if I had stopped him," Tigatron couldn't help the guilt overwhelming him. "I should have looked after him more."

"Come on," Airazor put her hand on Tigatron's shoulder. "Cheetor's not lost to us. We'll get him back, I promise."

"Where are we going?" Jack asked.

"In Eastern Europe somewhere," Airazor told them. "That's where Windrazor said Cheetor was."

"So what do we do when we get there?" asked Luna. "We all saw what Cheetor did back there."

"We do what we can and hope for the best," Airazor replied glumly, not entirely sure about their chances of bringing the cat back.

"What did Megatron pump 'im up with?" Rattrap looked at them. "It's like he's some kinda Super-Transmetal."

"Cheetor doesn't look like any Transformer I've seen before," Luna stated. "It's almost as if he was part organic."

"We've never seen any Transformer like him either," Tigatron admitted.

* * *

At the castle, Cheetor found no solace in his victory against the Maximals for some strange reason.

He stood outside at the balcony of his tower, looking up at the night sky. Thanks to his superior vision, he could pick out the stars in the sky better than any advanced telescope on Earth. His senses were so enhanced that he could practically smell the cold night air around him and feel the cool air blowing in his face.

Though he was happy that he had pleased his father with his performance, there was a part of him that wasn't pleased with himself.

During the battle, the Maximals had acted like they'd known him before.

Megatron did tell him that those were the Maximals who had held him captive and destroyed his memory circuits after years of solitude and torture. And he was confident that his father was telling the truth.

But these Maximals acted as if he was somehow their former comrade. It shone in their eyes when he announced who he was and transformed. The look of horror in their optics was so profound, as if they had lost someone dear to them.

Cheetor wasn't sure if he knew any of them personally, though Megatron had briefed him on their names.

It troubled him greatly that he was feeling unsure about fighting the enemy. After all, the Maximals were the ones who were oppressing his people. They were the bad guys, no question about it.

Just why was he feeling this way?

"Cheetor, you out there?" a female voiced called from inside.

"Yeah," Cheetor answered.

Blackarachnia came out. She did not seem too happy with Cheetor's brooding.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing, just thinking things through."

"About what?"

"Nothing important," Cheetor lied.

"Come on," Blackarachnia tugged at his arm. "Let's go inside before it gets too cold."

"But you don't feel any cold," Cheetor noted.

"I don't," Blackarachnia reminded him. "But you're a Transmetal Two. Your organic side is gonna feel it."

"Guess you're right," Cheetor shrugged and went inside with her.

* * *

"Greetings," Tigerhawk looked down at Tarantulas. "I don't believe you've introduced yourself to me."

Tarantulas had made his presence known to Tigerhawk and the floating island. If he did things according to plan, he'd have a thorn out of his side forever. That thorn had a name too… Megatron.

"I am Anansi," Tarantulas lied. "And I have information of utmost importance for you, my liege."

"You are a Predacon by symbol," Tigerhawk stated. "But yet, there is something amiss within you that is decidedly not Predacon in nature."

"I am a free agent by trade," Tarantulas replied, careful to humble himself. "But I will serve those worthy of my loyalty… those of the highest integrity."

"You are not here for flattery," Tigerhawk deduced. "Tell me what it is you want."

"You!" Rampage, in crab mode, leaped towards Tarantulas.

Immediately, he was frozen in mid-air thanks to a telepathic wave of Tigerhawk.

"I see you and Rampage have been acquainted before," Tigerhawk pointed out.

Though Rampage could not move while trapped in mid-air, he could still talk.

"You are the one who took my spark from me!"

"Did he now?" Tigerhawk was bemused.

"Only part of his spark, I can assure you," Tarantulas explained. "His other half is beating in his chest-plates."

"This is all very interesting," Tigerhawk dropped Rampage who immediately subsided into silent submission. "Now, explain why you are here."

"I come with ill tidings," Tarantulas told him. "Megatron has betrayed your trust and stolen something valuable of yours. When I paid him a visit, he bragged about being able to steal some sort of device from under your nose!"

"I already knew that," Tigerhawk replied. "Windrazor told me about it."

Tarantulas shifted his foot nervously. He was careful, however, not to let Tigerhawk see his uneasiness.

"She also told me the one who gave him the device was one named Tarantulas," Tigerhawk informed the purple Transformer. "You wouldn't happen to know this Tarantulas, would you?"

"Tarantulas?" Tarantulas lied on the spot. "You mean the femme-bot under Megatron's command with the beast mode of a spider?"

Tarantulas was fortunate that he was now a Transmetal. In robot mode, his beast mode was not as visible or as recognizable, aside from the legs sticking out of his back. Today, it seemed as if luck was on his side.

"In any case," Tigerhawk informed him. "Megatron and Tarantulas will pay for their crimes."

Tigerhawk waved his hand and summoned a portal out of thin air, maintaining it as his hand glowed with power.

"Rampage," Tigerhawk ordered. "Bring me the heads of Megatron and Tarantulas."

"Feh," grumbled Rampage as he leaped through the portal.

Tarantulas breathed a sigh of relief. He was fortunate that he had not told Rampage his name while he had kept the behemoth as a captive. And he was even more lucky that Tigerhawk had not found out _he_ was Tarantulas. Everything was going according to plan. The chips were falling in place just as he had intended.

* * *

"We're here," Rhinox told them. "Like Windrazor's coordinates specified."

The Axalon floated above the medieval castle. So far, it didn't seem like Megatron had installed any defense systems into it yet.

During the whole trip, Optimus had remained uncharacteristically somber and quiet. The Maximals knew quite well that he was upset. But still, they were not prepared for their leader's grave mood. He had said nothing the entire trip and as they got closer to the castle, they noticed that he was breathing deeply.

"So how do we plan this out?" asked Jack.

"For starters, you and your sister stay put as soon as we find a place to land," Rhinox told them. "Once that happens, stay inside and stay safe."

"Please bring Cheetor back…" Luna said with tears brimming at her eyes.

"We promise," Airazor told them comfortingly.

"Yeah, we'll get 'da kid's memories back," promised Rattrap. "He's part of 'da family!"

"Are we ready?" Tigatron asked.

"Wait a minute!" Rhinox suddenly got out of his chair. "Where's Optimus?"

The Maximals and the two kids looked towards the escape hatch which had just been activated.

"Oh no…" Rhinox murmured.

* * *

Megatron lounged back on his throne. The day had been eventful. After several megacycles, he had finally drawn up his blueprints for his takeover of Cybertron. Tarantulas did have the ship's hyperdrive, that was true. But on such a mineral-rich planet, he would eventually build another

one with Scorponok's assistance. Then he would return to his home planet with an army of Transmetal Two Predacons to conquer in one quick stroke.

Before his glorious return, he would deplete Earth of all its resources. The humans would be used as slave labor and the raw minerals, trees, rivers, and oil fields would be used to fuel their machines of war.

He would return to Cybertron as its conqueror. He would return as its savior. He would return as the planet's undisputed ruler.

And no 'bot would stand in his way.

"MEGATRON!"

Megatron looked up and reacted quickly by rolling out of the way as Optimus leaped down and smashed Megatron's chair to pieces with one blow of his mace.

"Primal," Megatron smiled. "What a pleasant surprise."

Optimus answered by charging and raising his mace. Megatron held up his cutlass just in time as Optimus smashed his mace across his hated enemy.

The blow stunned his entire arm but Megatron was relatively unscathed. Unfortunately for him, he made the mistake of lowering his cutlass. Optimus drove his fist into Megatron's face, flooring him completely.

Megatron got up again but Optimus, in his rage, pummeled him across the face yet again with his hand clenched.

"Agh!" Megatron fell down once more.

"Bring him back!" Optimus shouted and swung his mace.

Megatron rolled out of the way just in time as Optimus Primal's mace made connection with the marble floor. He got back up and wiped the mech fluid from his mouth. He still felt the blows he had endured from his hated enemy. And they hurt like slag… so this was what Optimus Primal was like when he was enraged.

"I think Cheetor's happy the way he is," Megatron told Optimus derisively. "Yessss…"

Optimus cried out in anger and charged again. This time, Megatron step-sided him as Optimus swung. As soon as he had a clearing, he shoved Optimus in the back.

The Maximal stumbled forward but regained his balance. As he turned around, Megatron's cutlass caught him by the face and slammed him into the floor.

Megatron squeezed down on Optimus's face as hard as he could, savoring his enemies cries as sparks flew out of Primal's circuitry. He lifted Optimus again and slammed him down yet again before lifting him up and throwing him against the wall.

* * *

For hours, Depth Charge had flown across the Atlantic Ocean for this.

He had finally located the signature of Protoform X at some kind of medieval castle. Initially, he had promised Optimus that he would help them find Cheetor, but other duties were tugging at him. What he needed to do was to find the killer and bring him down at all costs. Everything else was a secondary concern to him.

He flew over the mountains and saw the castle just up ahead. In a few more minutes he would be there.

"Surprise!"

Rampage, in beast mode, leaped down from a boulder and landed on top of Depth Charge.

"What?" Depth Charge was caught off guard completely. "No!"

"Not to worry!" Rampage assured. "It'll all be over in a few nano-kliks!"

The claws of Rampage squeezed down on Depth Charge's wings, crushing them ever so sadistically.

Reacting quickly, Depth Charge raised his thrusters, jetting himself forward with Rampage on top. With Protoform X on his back, he had to do something quickly before the behemoth could really cause some damage.

What had utterly shocked him was that he had not detected the right energy signature. Protoform X was supposed to have been inside that castle and all of a sudden, he was out here? Something was clearly not right. But right now, Depth Charge didn't have the time to figure out how X's spark could be in two places at once.

While on top, Rampage transformed to robot mode and slammed his fist down on Depth Charge's head, causing him to lose his momentum in the air. Rampage raised his fist once more and punched Depth Charge across the head again, this time knocking him completely off balance.

Still in manta mode, Depth Charge crashed down onto the forest floor as Rampage leaped off.

Rampage looked at Depth Charge eagerly, as if waiting for him to transform and make the first move.

In turn, Depth Charge was happy to answer Rampage's request. He transformed to robot mode and fired off a shot which Rampage countered with his own.

As the two missiles exploded in mid-air, Depth Charge ran through the smoke and leaped out, kicking Rampage in the chest, forcing him back a few steps.

"Ha, you think that can stop me?" Rampage beckoned.

Depth Charge said nothing and threw the first punch which Rampage caught. Depth Charge drove his other fist into the side of Rampage's face but Rampage grabbed his wrist immediately afterwards, criss-crossing both of Depth Charge's arms and holding Omicron's guardian in a helpless position.

Rampage then let go and head-butted Depth Charge. The blow knocked Depth Charge on his back.

Wasting no time at all, Rampage grabbed the blue Maximal and lifted him up high. With a frenzied cry of brutal fury, Rampage slammed Depth Charge's back down on his knee, severing his mechanical spine.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!" screamed Depth Charge.

Rampage let the body slide to the floor and watched gleefully as Depth Charge sputtered uncontrollably into stasis lock.

"It's been fun while it lasted," Rampage told his unconscious enemy. "But it's really time for me to move on."

Protoform X drew his gun and pointed it towards the prone body of Depth Charge.

"Your mission was to go after Megatron and Tarantulas," a voice from above said. "Now you'll learn the price of disobeying me."

"Uh no," Rampage groaned.

One energy blast from Tigerhawk was all it took to send Rampage slamming through several trees before crashing onto the undergrowth.

During the entire incident, Scorponok was watching the whole thing. The arrival of Tigerhawk was going to throw a wrench into Megatron's plans. He needed to inform his boss as soon as possible.

Still, he couldn't help but watch in morbid fascination in hiding as Tigerhawk blasted Rampage with another outlet of blue lightning as punishment for his failure.

* * *

"Give it up Primal!" Megatron cried as he held Optimus in a headlock with both arms. "You've lost!"

"I… think… not!" Optimus slammed both feet into the wall and used the rocket propellers beneath his feet to launch both himself and Megatron backwards.

Both of them crashed into one of the enormous statues with Megatron receiving the worse end of it. Optimus Primal's body only served to sandwich Megatron into the statue back-fist. As Megatron fell, Optimus rolled to the side and opened up his missile launchers, firing off several shots that destroyed the base of the giant statue of the knight.

Megatron got up and tried to get out of the way in time but Optimus slid forward and kicked him in the chest with both feet, knocking him back right where the statue was falling. The statue then came crashing down on top of Megatron, trapping him there.

"Where's Cheetor?" Optimus demanded.

"And why would I tell you that?" Megatron refused to be intimidated.

"Tell me or else!" Optimus amped up the electrical currents on his mace.

"Right behind you," Megatron intoned.

Surely enough, Megatron was right. Optimus barely had time to react as Cheetor side-flipped over Optimus and his fist connected with the Maximal leader's face, sending Optimus skidding across the floor.

"Cheetor, it's me!" shouted Optimus, getting back up.

Optimus received a reply in the shape of a leaping side-kick into his neck. Cheetor landed gracefully on his feet afterwards, watching impassively as Optimus's body fell to the floor unconscious.

Finally, Megatron pushed the statue off of him and walked towards the fallen Maximal.

"Now… to extinguish your spark!" Megatron brandished his cutlass.

"No," Cheetor told him.

Megatron ignored him and pointed his blaster down at Optimus.

"I said no!" Cheetor grabbed Megatron's cutlass and held it up high.

"Cheetor!" Megatron shouted. "What is the meaning of this?"

"You're not going to do it!"

"And why not? I am your father! You owe me your life!"

"Because I said so!" Cheetor growled. "We'll let him live but we'll take him back to Cybertron as a hostage!"

"You do not make the decisions around here!" Megatron struggled in Cheetor's grip.

"I'm your son," Cheetor reminded him. "I have an equal say in this."

Megatron finally broke free of Cheetor's grasp. He did not retaliate, however. Merely, he backed away a few steps.

"Very well then," Megatron said. "Take him down to the dungeons and lock him there."

"My pleasure," Cheetor hoisted Optimus Primal's body over his shoulder and walked off.

Megatron stood there, seething in anger. Just what was Cheetor doing, questioning his orders like that? He was supposed to be the subservient one, ready to follow Megatron's command at every beck and call.

He ruminated over the situation carefully. During his torturous experiment on Cheetor, he had made sure to destroy every last memory chip the young Maximal had contained. There was no way he could remember his past life with the Maximals or Optimus. There was simply no way.

Unless of course he missed something. When it came to science of technology, he was never quite as thorough as Tarantulas.

It dawned upon him that perhaps now, Cheetor was no longer as reliable as he thought. And this incident showed it too. The cub was developing a mind of his own and did not appear to be as malleable as he had hoped.

All that plus the fact Cheetor could easily rip him to shreds if the whelp truly wanted to made Megatron very uncomfortable.

Perhaps now, he required someone else as his second-in-command. Someone who was not so individualistic and independent.

* * *

"I'm not so sure it's a good idea coming out here like this," Luna told her brother.

"Cheetor's our friend too," Jack told her insistently. "We should have a say in this."

"But this is dangerous," Luna reminded him.

The two teens had snuck out of the Axalon and went through the forests. They had crossed the moat and had entered the castle already.

In their backpacks contained the newly enhanced stasis cuffs Rhinox had invented. Of course, they had taken it without permission, just as they had left the safety of the Axalon without the rest of the Maximals knowing. The other weapons on the Axalon's inventory were too heavy for them to carry. Luckily, the stasis cuffs only weighed roughly fifteen to twenty pounds, being the only thing they could carry in their backpacks. They were no lightweights but they were the only means of defense Jack and Luna could take with them.

"You wanna save Cheetor, right?" asked Jack.

"Yes," Luna admitted.

"This could be the only chance we get," Jack told her. "Or we might lose him to the Predacons forever."

"Alright," Luna admitted. "We've already come this far."

"Let's go down there first," Jack pointed towards a winding staircase leading towards the dungeons.

* * *

"This half of Rampage's spark will become most useful," Megatron mused aloud. "If properly molded this time, I could have myself an even more powerful Transmetal Two soldier."

He was in the laboratory with the Transmetal II device. Though he did not have a stasis pod nearby, he was hoping to retrieve at least one spark-less protoform. That way, he would be on his way to creating a loyal new minion.

Despite the new gift he had received from Tarantulas, he knew that he would have to work as fast as he could. There was no telling when Tigerhawk would come breathing down his neck or Cheetor would turn on him.

He was fairly certain that for now, Cheetor would stay put. But the seeds of independence had already seemingly been sowed into his mind. And that was not a good thing for Megatron, to put it mildly.

"Where's Cheetor?" a gruff voice demanded.

Megatron turned to the side. Airazor, Tigatron, Rattrap, and Rhinox were there with their weapons trained on him.

"You really want to know?" Megatron smiled cheerfully.

Seeing that smile on Megatron's face was the last straw. Tigatron charged forth angrily in beast mode, followed closely by Airazor. Megatron raised his cannon in time and slammed both of them against the wall.

He let the two Maximals drop to the ground before firing off a blast that struck Rhinox in the chest and knocked him down. Rattrap dodged the second blast and returned fire.

Three of his shots hit Megatron on the chest plate and one on his shoulder, forcing him backwards.

As he took a step back, Tigatron pounced onto his back, followed by Airazor. Struggling briefly, Megatron managed to grab hold of them and throw them off.

Their bodies hit the floor but Rhinox had already gotten off by then. Fighting off the pain, Rhinox charged forward, tackling Megatron and slamming him against the wall.

Megatron raised both his arms to bring his hand and cutlass down on Rhinox's back but a shot from Tigatron's gun rang out and froze both arms against the wall.

Rhinox backed away and charged against once more. This time the force of the tackle sent both himself and Megatron smashing through the wall and into the throne room.

* * *

"Is something going on up there?" Terrorsaur looked to the ceiling. "Could've sworn I heard a fire fight."

"Perhaps Waspinator and Terrorsaur should go see?" suggested Waspinator.

"Maybe," Terrorsaur yawned. "But we're supposed to watch Optimus."

The two of them were down at the dungeon guarding Optimus Primal who had been thrown in the cage. For guard duty, the two of them were surprisingly lax.

Jack and Luna took note of this as they watched from a corner.

"Security's kinda light," Jack noted.

"Aren't you forgetting something though?" Luna reminded him.

"Huh?"

"They're still big robots who can blast us to smithereens!" Luna whispered harshly. "How is the security light?"

"Hmm," Jack glanced from the corner. "Follow me. I think I have a plan."

"What is it?" asked Luna.

Jack took his chance to whisper his plan into his sister's ear.

"I know I'm going to regret this," Luna intoned.

"Hey fellas," Jack stepped out of the corner and waved.

"What?" Terrorsaur turned around with Waspinator.

"Didn't you get the memo?" asked Jack. "We're the new humans Megatron hired to—"

"We're his new stockbrokers," Luna said quickly. "We're here to help with the financial stuff for the remains of Megatron Industries!"

Terrorsaur and Waspinator looked at each other. While it was true that Megatron did occasionally have human minions, it seemed highly unlikely that he would have hired human assistants for more delicate missions, especially those involving bigger stakes. Most of his human servants did not get to interact with Megatron much, and they especially did not get the privilege of knowing where Megatron's secret bases were.

"Say, don't Waspinator recognize you?" asked Waspinator.

Jack and Luna gulped. They had indeed encountered Terrorsaur and Waspinator before. But what were the chances the two aerial Predacons remembered them?

"I dunno who they are," Terrorsaur looked at Waspinator. "But I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to be here."

"Waspinator agree," Waspinator nodded.

"Wait, I promise we're here on behalf of Megatron!" Jack told them. "Look, you can even lock us up and go up there to ask Megatron himself."

"Hmm," Terrorsaur mused. "What do you think, Waspinator?"

"Waspinator okay with that," agreed Waspinator.

The two Predacons opened up one of the cells with their key and lifted both human teens. This was the chance Jack had been waiting for.

"Now!" he shouted to his sister.

The two of them whipped out the stasis cuffs they had behind their backs and quickly snapped them onto the wrists of Terrorsaur and Waspinator. Almost instantly, the immobilizing effects of the cuffs took place and both Predacons fell down, paralyzed from head to foot from the energy.

"Raaawwwk!" Terrorsaur screeched.

"What happened?" Waspinator demanded, the shackles constraining almost all his movements except his vocal processors.

"Those stasis cuffs are really good," remarked Luna.

Jack looked down and found the keys Terrorsaur held. He and his sister went towards the cell the two Predacons had previously been guarding. Sure enough, Optimus was inside.

Fumbling briefly with the keys, Jack finally found the right one. He stepped forth and opened the cell.

"Come on, Optimus," Luna told the somewhat dazed Optimus. "Cheetor needs you right now."

* * *

Rattrap swung his tail spear as a bat and drove it into Megatron's femur. The tyrant cried out in surprise pain and fell. At that moment, Rattrap grabbed onto his cutlass, restraining it onto the ground. Airazor grabbed onto his other arm, holding it down as well, while Tigatron in beast mode leaped onto Megatron's legs, pinning them down neatly.

Finally, Rhinox was on top of Megatron, sitting on his chest to prevent him from moving. He took the chance to drive his fist into Megatron's face, weakening him somewhat.

"Where's Cheetor?" demanded Rhinox.

"And I always thought Maximals asked nicely," Megatron taunted. "I will never—Agh!"

Rhinox slammed his fist into Megatron's face yet again.

"Talk!" Rhinox demanded.

"And what if I do bring him to you?" demanded Megatron. "Will you take him prisoner and reprogram him? That goes against everything you Maximals stand for? Denying Cheetor the free will to choose!"

Rhinox knew that Megatron made a good point. But right now, he was so furious that he was ready to smash the Predacon's head in.

"Raawwwrrr!" a savage mechanical roar erupted. "Get off of him!"

All four Maximals soon found themselves knocked down by a quick flash of black dots and gold fur. As soon as they raised their heads, they saw Cheetor standing next to Megatron.

"Are you okay, father?" asked Cheetor.

"I am now," Megatron said. "Destroy the Maximals!"

Cheetor walked up to Tigatron and took out his blaster. He pointed it directly to the Siberian tiger.

"Cheetor, don't do this," Tigatron pleaded.

"And why not?" Cheetor hissed.

"Because we are family," Tigatron replied. "And we look out for one another."

Cheetor froze.

A green glow from his chest emerged. It was the energy given off by his spark, his now mutated Transmetal II spark. The green energies surrounded him and finally entered into his head while he held it in muted pain. Every memory came flooding back to him as he fell to his knees. He remembered how close he was to the Maximals. He remembered all the adventures they had been through together. He remembered how much Optimus, Tigatron, Airazor, and the others cared for him. He remembered his torture and brainwashing at the hands of Megatron…

"I… I remember now," Cheetor stood up. "B-Big cat?"

"That's impossible!" Megatron screamed. "I destroyed all your memory circuits!"

"Destroy all the circuitry you want, Megatron," Tigatron stood upright. "But there are some things in the spark you cannot erase."

"No!" Megatron cried and blasted off through one of the balconies in the throne room.

Cheetor looked at the fleeing Megatron as a grave expression crossed his features.

"He's mine."

* * *

Megatron flew as fast as he could away from the castle. He had run out of options now that Cheetor had regained his memories.

He did not get very far, however. Moving as fast as quicksilver, Cheetor in flight mode raked Megatron across the chest, his claws making quite a deep wound. Megatron howled in pain and

fell from the sky. Catching himself in mid-air, he made a safer landing, falling down on part of the mountainside as he clutched his slash wound tenderly.

"This is for what you did to me!" Cheetor screamed and transformed in mid-air, taking out his gun and unleashing every bit of ammo he had.

Megatron fell back, unable to withstand the siege. Finally, a shot struck him and knocked him off the mountain. He smashed down the mountainside, through boulders and pebbles alike until he fell to the basin.

"Don't do this!" pleaded Megatron.

Cheetor landed and punched Megatron clear across the air. Megatron felt his back slamming into the side of the mountain again and screamed in agony. As if he didn't understand the mere concept of mercy, Cheetor grabbed the Predacon leader by the throat and slammed him into the wall again. His other hand stretched into the air, allowing Megatron to see all five of his claws extended.

"Now I'm gonna rip out your spark," Cheetor told Megatron, who suddenly realized his very life was hanging by a strand.

"Cheetor…"

A gentle hand grasped Cheetor's open wrist in the air. It was Optimus Primal. Next to him were Jack and Luna.

"No more… please," Optimus pleaded.

Cheetor looked at Optimus and the two teens. He then looked at Megatron, whose eyes were even pleading for life. Then he looked back towards Optimus just as the other Maximals arrived.

"Aaaagh!"

With an anguished roar, Cheetor threw Megatron aside.

Taking what could possibly be his only chance to live, Megatron managed to get up and limp away from the scene, disappearing into the woods. Tigatron and Airazor watched him leave, to make sure he would not return. Rattrap had his gun trained on the Predacon as well. When he was sure Megatron was gone for certain, he turned back to his teammate and friend.

Then the unthinkable happened. Cheetor fell to his knees as fresh tears streamed down his face.

The effects of the Transmetal II device had undoubtedly made part of him organic. They gave him powers and abilities beyond most Transformers. They also gave him distinguished emotional features unseen in the Transformers race, beyond the understanding and comprehension of any Cybertronian. The other Maximals could only look on in awe and sadness.

"He… he's crying," Jack looked on sadly.

"Oh Cheetor," Luna felt tears in her own eyes pouring out.

In the midst of Cheetor's sobs, the green energy from Cheetor's spark emerged once again, enveloping his entire body.

When it was over, Cheetor was passed out on the ground, this time in his original Transmetal form.


	35. Dark Side of the Moon

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Dark Side of the Moon_

Just last week Silverbolt had received the bad news about Cheetor. The young Maximal had been tortured and brainwashed by Megatron. He had been turned against his friends after being mutated into some kind of new Transmetal breed. Though he was back to normal, the damage had been done to Cheetor both physically and psychologically.

The Maximal had lay in bed, passed out, for nearly a whole week. Just yesterday, Silverbolt had received the transmission telling him that today would be a decent time to call Cheetor to check up on how he was doing.

Silverbolt was admittedly nervous. He usually did not interact with the Maximal team much, outside of the important missions and occasional visits on the events deemed to be human holidays of earth. He was their friend and their teammate. But the core Maximal team of Optimus, Rhinox, Cheetor, Rattrap, Tigatron, and Airazor were like a close-knit family unit almost. He, Silverbolt, could not replace them for Cheetor, nor could he come up with the appropriate thing to say.

He turned on his monitor and waited patiently. Soon, the faces of Jack and Luna popped up on the screen.

"Silverbolt," Luna smiled. "Nice to see you again."

"Yeah, how you doing, bird-dog?" asked Jack.

"I am doing fine," Silverbolt greeted. "And you?"

"We're good," Jack replied. "Had a rough week, nursing Cheetor back to health. Our school work sorta took a hit in the past few days."

"We'll be pulling an all-nighter this time," Luna said. She also looked like she had lost some sleep.

"Silverbolt," Optimus Primal's face appeared on the monitor. "How is everything?"

"I am doing well," Silverbolt nodded. "Is Cheetor alright?"

"He's recovered more or less," Optimus sighed. "I'll transmit you to his line."

"Thank you, sir," Silverbolt saluted.

The connection flickered briefly before switching over to Cheetor's quarters. The young Maximal lay in bed in his original Transmetal form. A look of emptiness stretched across his usually lively face. Something was clearly not right here. This was not the jovial young soldier Silverbolt had gotten to know. Not anymore.

"Hey," Cheetor said, his voice emotionless.

"Cheetor," Silverbolt said. "I called to make sure that you are alright."

"Never been better," Cheetor intoned apathetically. He lay there without so much as a reaction.

"I'm truly sorry for what happened to you," Silverbolt tried his best to say the right thing. "But know that in your time of need, the Maximals will be there for you. If you need anything… anything, I will do whatever is necessary to help your recovery."

A single cycled followed. But to Silverbolt, it almost seemed like a mega-cycle. Finally, Cheetor replied.

"Thanks bird-dog," he said. "Don't worry about me. I gotta figure this out on my own."

"I will be there if you need anything," offered Silverbolt. "You can count on my assistance!"

"Appreciate it," Cheetor smiled sadly.

"Well, I must be going now," Silverbolt told him. "Just remember that your friends will be there for you."

"Yeah… friends."

Silverbolt cut the connection slowly. There was no more he could do at this point. Cheetor's full mental recovery was up to him at this point. The lad had to find his own way.

The fuzor walked up the steps from the basement towards the nave of the cathedral. Here, in Notre Dame, he had established his base. He had become friends with the local clergy here. At first, it took a while for them to get used to his strange appearance but over time, he had gained their trust. One man, Father Cousteau, had become his chief ally and friend. He protected Silverbolt from the public eye and gave him sanctuary here in this house of worship. In the nearby chairs, one of the nuns was there in a praying position with her head down.

Father Cousteau walked up. "How was your friend, Silverbolt?"

"He will recover," Silverbolt replied. "That much I am sure of. I still regret not being there during his time of distress."

"Some things we may not be meant to help," Father Cousteau told him. "Silverbolt, believe me when I tell you that you are a gift from God. Not many have accomplished the good that you have done in our continent. You should not regret what has already happened. One thing we should concern ourselves with is life, not death or things beyond our control."

"You are right, Father," Silverbolt finally smiled. "Is there anything else you wish to tell me before I go on patrol tonight?"

"Actually," Father Cousteau held up a newspaper. "There is something going on in the province of Gevaudan. I thought this may interest you."

"_The Beast of Gevaudan Returns_," Silverbolt read off the headline. "Pray tell, what is this beast?"

"In the 18th Century, Gevaudan was terrorized by a strange wolf-like beast who took prey in livestock and humans alike," Father Cousteau explained. "It was finally shot and killed by a hunter, putting an end to its reign of terror. But now it seems the Beast has resurfaced."

"Interesting indeed," Silverbolt's eyes narrowed in suspicion at the headline.

* * *

The next day, Silverbolt took flight. It did not take him too long to reach the local province of Gevaudan. Air travel often took less time than traveling by foot.

He landed in the meadows to one of the county. It was five o'clock right now and the sun was already in the process of setting. From a safe distance in the undergrowth, Silverbolt looked onwards to the meadow. There, a young peasant girl was tending her sheep. They grazed contentedly as if nothing was wrong.

Silverbolt had done some extra research on the beast. Its favorite prey tended to be young children and women. Its attacks on humans were so fierce that some considered it to be a werewolf, something he had been mistaken for on several occasions.

He knew he had to be careful. If any of the humans here saw him, they may as well mistake him for being the beast.

A rustling of leaves behind him alerted Silverbolt. He bared his fangs, preparing for whatever would come out.

Out of the bush leaped a deer. It sprinted away after seeing Silverbolt in beast mode.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Silverbolt turned back to watching the sheep and their shepherd.

His relief was short-lived. In an instant, an unearthly roar shattered the tranquility of the pasture as a large, savage creature bounded towards the young shepherd on all fours. Silverbolt sprang into action and flew up into the sky.

As the beast lunged at the young woman attending the sheep, a blur of silver and grey struck it, sending it crashing to the side.

The beast stood up on two legs. It looked every bit like the glamorized representation of the werewolf so commonly found in Hollywood movies. It had stood upright baring its chest as fresh drool dripped from its fangs. Its fur was grey, though there were also stripes of blue.

"I know not who you are, sir," Silverbolt declared. "But I will not let you harm that young lady or her flock!"

"Who are you?" the creature demanded.

"You can talk?" Silverbolt was surprised.

The werewolf tackled Silverbolt with no further attempts to try to talk. He and Silverbolt rolled across the ground, wrestling at each other. Finally, Silverbolt pinned him down and used both his front paws to restrain the creature's arms.

"What are you?" demanded Silverbolt. "And why are you doing this?"

"I… am… Savage!" the creature roared, attempting to throw Silverbolt off.

"Silverbolt, watch out!" the young girl suddenly shouted. Apparently, she had not run off yet and more surprising was the fact that she knew his name.

Silverbolt decided that he would question her later, quickly getting off of the werewolf as a spat of green cyber-venom sailed past him, grazing his shoulder slightly.

The winged Maximal transformed to robot mode and turned to the source of the blast. Before he could return fire, however, the werewolf leaped onto him from behind and knocked him to the ground. Taking his chance, the creature ran off and disappeared into the forests.

Getting up again, the fuzor looked at the young lady who had alerted him to the danger. She took off her hood to reveal a familiar face.

"You!" Silverbolt gasped. "You were one of the humans in the Order of the Vok!"

"Yeah, cool, huh?" Selena smiled. "I'm Selena, remember?"

"What are you doing here?" Silverbolt asked.

"I just wanted to see what you do out here," Selena told him. "You're not like the other Maximals."

Silverbolt looked at one of his own wings. He was indeed the only Maximal on the planet with a combination of two beast modes. In that respect he certainly was unique. But something else needed to be answered.

"How did you find me out here?" Silverbolt asked sternly, crossing his arms.

"I was the one dressed as a nun in the Notre Dame cathedral," Selena told him. "I overheard everything and wanted to tag along."

"By putting yourself at risk?" asked Silverbolt who raised an eyeridge. "Selena, with all due respect, I am investigating the sightings of this beast and it could be a dangerous mission for a young lady of your stature to take part in."

"Oh, so you're saying I can't handle it on my own?" Selena asked in a pouty voice.

"Well no… I was merely just concerned for—"

"Then it's settled," Selena smiled. "I'll help you crack this mystery."

"But—"

"Hey, with me on your side, we'll do it lickity-split!"

Selena walked off to herd the sheep back into their pens with Silverbolt following her closely from behind.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Silverbolt shook his head.

* * *

From a good distance Blackarachnia watched Silverbolt help to lead all of the young girl's sheep back into their pens. A subtle smirk crept across her mouth as she watched him clumsily try to guide all the sheep. He was quite an interesting character to her.

The past few days had not been so good. Megatron had gone missing for nearly a week and hadn't contacted her or any of the Predacons since. She hadn't really bothered trying to get in contact with the other Predacons. At this point, the team was as good as split without Megatron's guidance. Just where was old grape-face anyways?

Now she was left with nothing to do. She certainly wasn't going to get involved with the Maximals, no. But she was a smart enough femme. Sooner or later, she'd find some way of attaining more power for herself.

Passively, she looked on as Silverbolt transformed to beast mode and allowed the young woman to mount his back. Looks like someone had made a new friend. She watched as he flew towards the directions of the mountains.

"Very interesting," she observed. "Now to see what he's up to."

Blackarachnia transformed to beast mode and swung herself onto the tree tops with her webbing.

* * *

"You fool!" Tarantulas struck the werewolf across the face with an open hand. "Why did you not return with the ores as I had instructed?"

"I was… ambushed," the wolf creature whimpered. "A winged wolf just like me attacked."

In truth, it was only a half-truth. Tarantulas did want him to dig for certain mineral ores in this area to power his ship. But on the way, he got side-tracked by the girl and her sheep. His desire for a meal was what had caused the whole debacle with the winged wolf.

"Silverbolt?" Tarantulas demanded. "What is he doing here?"

"I'm sorry, master," the upright wolf groveled. "I will not fail you again."

"You ignorant savage!" Tarantulas turned his attention back to his servant. "Your job was simple and yet you failed!"

"Forgive me!" the werewolf pleaded.

Tarantulas ignored the plea and pressed down on a remote he held in his hands. A surge of electricity overtook the hapless creature and drove him to the ground in agony. Finally, Tarantulas ended the torture and allowed his minion to get back up again.

"Learned your lesson now, beast?" asked Tarantulas.

"Yes, yes!" the creature bowed.

"Good," Tarantulas waved him aside.

"Master, will you require our assistance?" a man clad in black asked.

Tarantulas turned to the band of assassins waiting there. They were the ninjas associated with the infamous Disciples of the Watch. In the past few years, he had become the leader of the group, replacing their original leader who had vanished under mysterious circumstances. The entire assassin's guild served him well. He could always count on them to get the job done in most cases.

"Yes, see what Silverbolt is up to," Tarantulas instructed the ninjas. "And you as well, beast!"

The four ninjas put a restraining collar on the werewolf and led him out roughly.

"Now to continue my work uninterrupted," Tarantulas turned back to his computer console.

* * *

"This is where the Beast's been sighted," Selena told Silverbolt.

Silverbolt looked around the woodlands area. The area was quiet and serene. There was nothing to disturb the peace here, so far.

"I understand," replied Silverbolt. "For how long have these sightings occurred?"

"In the past few weeks actually," Selena informed him.

"Well, at least we know this beast is real," said Silverbolt.

"Rumors in the tabloids have started up," Selana looked up. "Some say he's a werewolf; others say he's a secret government experiment that escaped."

"And… what do you believe this creature to be?" asked Silverbolt.

"I dunno," shrugged Selena. "That's why I'm here with you."

"But you are the member of a secret society with connections to an otherworldly alien race," Silverbolt reminded her. "Should you at least not have some indicator as to what this beast is?"

"Touche," Selena replied. "But to be honest, I don't know what it is. I've seen a lot of strange creatures over the years travelling with grandpa. But I've never seen this before. For all we know, it could really be the Beast of Gevaudan."

"I see," Silverbolt unfolded his wings. "In any event, I must thank you for your assistance in this matter."

"What's going on?" asked Selena.

"Whatever this beast is, it can only travel by ground," Silverbolt explained. "But I am capable of flight so I will fly you to a safe location."

"Aw come on," Selena protested. "I already got this far with you!"

A disturbance in the air soon alerted Silverbolt's nostrils. His keen sense of smell quickly picked up that there was someone or something nearby.

"Look out!" Silverbolt quickly shielded Selena with his wing.

Three ninja stars flew out of the thicket and embedded themselves into the fuzor's wing.

Silverbolt quickly unsheathed two feather daggers from his wing and stood in a defensive position as four ninjas leaped out of the thicket. With a quick hand motion, the leader of the group ordered them to attack.

Two of them attacked from the side with their katanas, swinging in a downward motion. The fuzor was fast to react, bringing both his feather daggers up to halt the blows. Then the leader unsheathed his sword and attacked. Silverbolt quickly threw off the two ninjas and countered the leader. The ninja slashed at Silverbolt who swung and parried in return.

The fourth ninja of the group closed the distance between himself and Selena. He had no idea a young girl would be accompanying the fuzor but he certainly wasn't about to complain about doing his job.

"Selena!" shouted Silverbolt. Two of the assassins leaped onto him from behind in an attempt to restrain him. Quickly, Silverbolt threw them off, knocking them out as their backs hit the trees.

The leader of the ninjas attacked again but this time, Silverbolt struck true and knocked the sword out of his hand. He grabbed hold of the ninja by his collar and threw him into the bushes.

Just as the assassin closed in on Selena, she grabbed hold of his arm and threw him using a judo technique. The ninja's back hit the ground with a thud. Clearly, he had not expected such a young girl to be able to pull off something like that.

"Told you I can take care of myself," Selena beamed at Silverbolt.

"Watch out!" Silverbolt cried.

The ninja got up once more and leaped towards Selena, intending on putting an end to her once and for all with a leaping kick. Silverbolt moved in front of her and caught the man by the sole of his foot. He swung around and threw the man into his three other companions, knocking them all out.

"That takes care of that!" Selena smiled, dusting off her hands.

"Yes, but we are not out of this yet," Silverbolt pointed out.

The lupin creature walked out of the woods and stalked the two of them menacingly.

"You defeated them," it said. "They mistreated me."

"Just who are you?" asked Silverbolt, careful to have Selena stand behind him.

"I'm Savage," the creature replied. "That's what the Master calls me."

"The master?" asked Silverbolt. "He named you that?"

"Yes, sometimes he also calls me Worthless, or Animal."

Then it dawned on Silverbolt. Savage was not the creature's real name. Whoever was giving this hapless creature orders had been using the term as an insult more than an actual name.

"Who is this Master?" asked Silverbolt.

"He feeds me and gives me commands," Savage replied matter-of-factly.

"I see, and despite his colorful use of degrading terminology, you still obey him?" asked Silverbolt.

"Yes, he gave me life!"

"This is really creeping me out," Selena whispered to Silverbolt. Now she was starting to regret coming with him.

"What is your name?" demanded Savage.

"I am Silverbolt," the winged Maximal replied. "And I am here to inform you that your attacks on the locals and their livestock must end."

"Why?" Savage growled. "They are prey!"

"Because freedom is the right of all sentient beings!"

"Freedom? Sentient?"

"Yes, sentient," Silverbolt informed him. "Being such as you and I who are capable of logic, reasoning, emotion, and compassion."

Savage was confused. He had his orders to take out this Silverbolt if necessary, in addition to his labors. But yet, here Silverbolt was, attempting to talk to him and reason with him. Though he was by no means a genius, he was still cunning enough given his limited intelligence to figure out that Silverbolt truly did not want to fight him.

"I'm here to rip out your throat," Savage told Silverbolt bluntly. "That's what I was told to do in case those assassins failed."

"Why?" asked Silverbolt.

"Because my Master told me so."

"I see," Silverbolt shook his head regretfully as Savage stretched out his claws preparing to attack.

"You should get rid of that girl," Savage told him. "She is a liability to you."

"She is a human female worthy of respect," Silverbolt informed Savage. "I will not stand aside, nor will I let you take her as you would any other prey."

Savage snarled and attacked.

"Go Selena!" ordered Silverbolt. She promptly obeyed and ran off into the bushes.

Just as Silverbolt turned around, Savage slammed into him and knocked him down. As he was on the ground, the werewolf pounced on him, attempting to bite down on his head. Silverbolt avoided the snapping jaws and flipped Savage over, the two of them wrestling each other on the dirt.

Finally, Silverbolt placed his feet underneath Savage and threw him off with a kick. Savage landed neatly on both feet and roared ferociously. Both were now aware that their battle had taken them near a wide cliff.

From the side, Selena observed the battle in awe. Even more unnoticed was a strange on top of the trees watching Silverbolt's every move. Blackarachnia sat on top of a branch with her legs crossed. She had been trailing him every step of the way without being detected and she was most fascinated by the fuzor.

Savage grabbed a nearby boulder and held it up. Silverbolt reacted quickly and threw fired one of his feather missiles, obliterating the giant slab of stone and sending debris flying everywhere.

Selena leaped aside as one of the rocks crashed near her feet. Unfortunately in the same step, she lost her footing and plummeted off the cliff, screaming.

Ignoring his battle against the mutated wolf, Silverbolt quickly flew down. He helped to lighten he impact of Selena's landing by allowing her to grab on to one of his wings. Slowly, he helped her on to his back and flew her to safety near another portion of the cliff.

"Thanks Silverbolt," Selena gasped. "I would've been a goner if it weren't for you!"

"You saved her," a deep voice above them said. "She was a liability but you still turned your back to me and saved her."

Savage stood over them. He was now the one who had the high ground on top of a crevice above them.

"She was a friend," Silverbolt declared resolutely. "And I do not turn my back on friends!"

"Friend…" Savage seemed to be in deep thought. "And you would do the same for all _sentient_ beings?"

"I do not claim to be perfect," Silverbolt informed him. "But I try my best under all circumstances."

"I see," Savage growled. "And that is who you are, Silverbolt."

Without warning, Savage bounded away into the woods once more, leaving Silverbolt and Selena there. The two looked at one another in confusion.

"Well, all that remains is the matter of who his Master is," Silverbolt said to Selena.

"Yeah, but first could you fly us down?" she requested. "I think I've gotten enough excitement for one afternoon!"

* * *

Blackarachnia had already seen it all. The werewolf and the girl were of no concern to her but Silverbolt was something else entirely.

Yes, he was prudish and yes, he did have a corny way of saying things. But there was something about him that was… charming, as much as she hated to say it.

He went out of his way to talk to the werewolf whose mind seemed set on disemboweling him and the girl. He saved her despite not knowing her for too long. And the werewolf had been right. She was completely useless to him.

Silverbolt as made up of all the sentimental Maximal gush she despised and then some. Unlike the other Maximals, he took it to the Nth degree.

But somehow, she couldn't bring herself to hate him for that. Sure she hated him at first but watching him now was a different experience altogether.

And really, it was getting on her nerves.

* * *

"You let him go?" demanded Tarantulas. "Why?"

"He tumbled down the cliff," Savage lied. "Both his wings had been torn off. He could not have survived."

"I see," Tarantulas said. "And why did you not go down to search for the body?"

"I thought that was the end of him," Savage replied.

"So, it appears that you aren't quite as useless as I had thought," Tarantulas stroked his chin. "Still, a more thorough job next time would be advisable."

"Yes, master."

"Here," Tarantulas threw Savage his slab of meat. "Your work for the day is complete. I expect you to be up early for excavation tomorrow."

Savage grabbed the piece of meat and feasted upon it hungrily. Tarantulas looked at him condescendingly as he did. Upon the piece of meat had been a liquid tracer. With it now in Savage's system, he could hone in on the beast's signal at any point. The creature was hiding something from him, he was sure of it. Something about his behavior had changed. Now Tarantulas had a chance to find out what it was exactly.

* * *

"Tell me," Silverbolt said to Selena as they sat near the campfire next to the farm. "Just how did you get involved with the Order?"

"I guess you could say I've been in it my whole life," Selena told them. "When my parents passed away, my grandpa raised me. He groomed me to be High Priestess of the Order."

"So you were raised to engage in a life of service?"

"Yeah, but I never got to choose my own path in life," Selena told him. "Up to now, everything was to prepare for the second coming of the Vok. Until, of course, we found out they were here to wipe out all life on earth."

"I take it the faiths of many members were shaken after the invasion?" inquired Silverbolt.

"Yes, some of them even left," Selena replied. "My duties haven't been the same ever since."

"Ah, so you are now afforded the gift of a more happy life?" Silverbolt asked.

"I guess," Selena sighed. "The pressure for me to being high priestess is off. But I still need to learn to adjust to life in the real world."

"Perhaps socializing with other young humans your age can be helpful," suggested Silverbolt. "Have you met Jack and Luna already?"

"I have," affirmed Selena. "They're pretty nice. I'd like to get to know them better when I have the time."

Suddenly, Silverbolt's optics shifted to Selena's right. In the distance was a familiar shape moving towards them. It was Savage who made no attempt to hide his stalking of them.

"Selena, get behind me," Silverbolt said calmly.

Savage made no move of aggression, however. He walked towards Silverbolt on all fours at first but eventually stood upright.

"I do not understand you," he told Silverbolt. "You defend the weak and you speak of the dignity of _sentient_ beings."

"It is my duty after all," Silverbolt told him truthfully. "As a Maximal."

"A Maximal…" Savage pondered. "There are others out there like you?"

"Yes, we Maximals originate from a different world than yours."

"How is it that you are able to take on forms similar to us?" asked Savage curiously. Silverbolt knew that the wolf was referring to his beast mode.

"As Transformers, we Cybertronians have evolved the ability to take on different shapes and forms," explained Silverbolt. "Some of these traits have evolved naturally over time thanks to scientific discoveries and some… due to warfare."

"Survival of the fittest," Savage rubbed his nose. "It is what I was taught."

"And who was it that taught you?"

"My master," Savage replied. "He is the one I serve."

"Tell me something," Silverbolt asked. "Do you really believe _Savage_ to be your true name?"

"Perhaps. It is what I am called."

"No," Silverbolt told him frankly. "For in your eyes I see something else."

Savage said nothing. But the expression on his face was clear enough to indicate that some inner turmoil was taking place within him.

"I can sense the struggle in you," Silverbolt said calmly. "In your life, you have no experienced kindness or friendship. Despite that, there is an inner quality to you that is decidedly noble."

"Noble…" Savage muttered. "I like that name."

"Perhaps from now on, I should refer to you as Noble instead of Savage?" offered Silverbolt.

"Yes, yes… I would like that," Savage nodded his head.

"Very well then, Noble," Silverbolt walked up to him offered his hand. "I do not know everything there is to know about your past but perhaps I could help you."

The werewolf now named Noble was hesitant to take Silverbolt's hand, partly because he didn't understand the concept of a handshake. That brief moment of hesitation was all it took for a missile to come crashing in between them, throwing them apart.

Tarantulas came in between them in vehicle mode. He transformed to vehicle mode and kept his gun trained on Silverbolt.

"I see you two have met," he sneered.

"Master…" Noble's eyes widened in fear.

"So… you are the one who has twisted and manipulated this poor being for your own selfish ambitions!" Silverbolt growled. "I should've known it was you!"

"But you didn't," Tarantulas pointed out. "Having the average intelligence of a canine is so frustrating, isn't it?"

"Master… why have you followed us?"

"To take back what's rightfully mine!" Tarantulas snipped.

"And what of Noble?" demanded Silverbolt. "Was he some innocent man whose life you ruined by mutating him into this?"

"You've named him already?" Tarantulas cocked an eye-ridge in amusement.

"Answer the question, villain!"

"If you must know, I created _Noble_ thanks to some old blueprints I found on a project I began years ago under Megatron," Tarantulas explained. "The first batch of mutants I created were the Metal Beasts, cybernetically enhanced mutants who were Megatron's first field test against the Maximals. After unearthing my old notes, I decided to embark on a new project. Utilizing the more advanced technology I possess now as opposed to back then, I created Noble from scratch using the DNA strands of _Canus Lupus_, the gray wolf."

"Leave it to you to try to play God!" accused Silverbolt.

"Of course," Tarantulas snickered. "Noble's intelligence quotient is significantly higher than those of the Metal Beasts. Though, I still had to engineer him to be subservient to me."

"You won't get away with this!" Selena told him.

"Who's this?" Tarantulas turned his head to Selena contemptuously. "A member of the Silverbolt Fan Club?"

"Leave her out of this," Silverbolt snarled. "This is between you and me!"

"I thought you'd say as much," Tarantulas shrugged.

Without warning, Tarantulas swung his arm around and pointed his gun towards a horrified Noble. Silverbolt saw it and reacted quickly, leaping over Tarantulas and getting in between him and the mutant wolf.

It was what Tarantulas had counted on.

"Predictable," Tarantulas said and pulled down on the trigger. Just as Silverbolt turned around, the blast of cyber-venom struck him in the chest and sent him skidding across the dirt.

"Silverbolt, no!" Noble shouted.

"Come, we are leaving!" Tarantulas ordered.

"But Silverbolt—"

"Now!" Tarantulas pressed down on his radio. The collar around Noble hummed to life and electrocuted him yet again.

"Y-Yes, master…"

Tarantulas transformed to vehicle mode and drove off with Noble following him. When they were gone, Selena ran up to Silverbolt to check up on him.

"Silverbolt!" she gasped. "Are you alright?"

"I will recover from the venom in a little while," Silverbolt promised. "Meanwhile, I want you to take refuge in the farm."

"Got it," Selena promised.

* * *

Noble was strapped to one of the tables in the lab of Tarantulas. He had been imprisoned here right after Tarantulas got back. And his master was in a foul mood today.

"So you turn on me," Tarantulas turned to face him. "After all I've done for you."

"Silverbolt… also did much for me," Noble replied weakly.

"Gave you a sense of identity, did he?" Tarantulas scoffed.

"He gave me dignity…" Noble muttered.

"And I gave you life!" Tarantulas grabbed Noble by his chin. "What's dignity without life?"

Noble did not answer. He turned his eyes away from Tarantulas, refusing to look at the Predacon spider.

Tarantulas let go. The mutated wolf was nothing to him. He was only one of many disposable servants. Deciding to reveal his true intentions, Tarantulas activated a switch and the wall in front of Noble opened up to reveal an inner chamber. In that chamber were at least ten vats of humanoids with animal features. They were kept inside the chemicals and not yet ready for Tarantulas to use. One chimera had the head of a lion and the tail of a scorpion. Another was a lizard with the wings of a bat. And there were much more too.

"I suppose there's no point in keeping you anymore," Tarantulas told Noble. "Not when I have other, more reliable servants on the way."

"Why do you not finish me then?" asked Noble.

"Because right now, you still serve as bait!" Tarantulas informed him cooly.

* * *

Wasting no time at all, Silverbolt blasted open the front doors of the mountain hideout with his wing missiles. Tracking down Noble and Tarantulas had not been an obstacle for him. In vehicle mode, Tarantulas had left a clear enough trail for him to follow along with Noble's footprints and smell, which the fuzor could sense quite well.

He had expected another hidden lair in this area. It was Tarantulas's gig after all. Who knew how many other hidden lairs he had in this world.

Silverbolt eschewed stealth in favor of a direct approach. He flew himself down the hall until he entered into the inner chamber.

"Silverbolt…" a weak voice came out.

"Noble!" Silverbolt saw the werewolf strapped to the table. He quickly rushed over to try to help the creature.

"It's a trap…" Noble's voice barely came out in time.

"Argh!" Silverbolt cried out as a sudden pain erupted across his lower back.

Tarantulas stood behind him with a gleaming ninjato blade, one that had been fashioned for him by the society of assassins who now worked for him. As Tarantulas raised it up high, it glowed with an iridescent gleam, exposing the green cyber-venom that could be released from the blade upon contact. Of course, Tarantulas had added his own cybernetic touches to the blade, assuring that it could cut through solid steel.

"You're so predictable," mocked Tarantulas. "I knew you'd come for this monster!"

"I think we both know who the true monster is, villain!" growled Silverbolt. "You will release Noble from his bonds!"

"You want him so badly?" Tarantulas taunted. "Take him if you can!"

Tarantulas lunged again. He slashed at Silverbolt only for the Maximal to deflect it with a single blow from his own feather sword that he had pulled out at the last second.

Silverbolt knew that he had taken two doses of cyber-venom from the spider already, which wasn't a good sign. And he also knew that despite the Predacon's reputation as an unhinged "mad scientist" who'd sooner hole himself up in darkness to work on weapons of destruction than risk his life in a fight, Tarantulas was quite a skilled and dangerous warrior when he really wanted to apply himself to the battlefield.

"Face it!" Tarantulas crossed blades with Silverbolt again. "He's a worthless piece of genetic garbage! Why risk your life!"

"He is no such thing!" Silverbolt swung back, only to miss the Predacon by a hair. "Noble is a dignified sentient being!"

Tarantulas avoided a quick stroke by Silverbolt and slashed Silverbolt across his leg. Silverbolt howled in pain and took a step back.

Noble watched the entire fight as certain memories resurfaced.

"_You fool!" Tarantulas struck the werewolf across the face with an open hand. "Why did you not return with the ores as I had instructed?"_

Tarantulas backed Silverbolt against the console, pressing the blade down in an attempt to cut him open by the throat. Silverbolt held up his own feather blade to prevent it from coming down.

"_You ignorant savage!" Tarantulas turned his attention back to his servant. "Your job was simple and yet you failed!"_

Slowly but surely, Noble flexed his muscles and began tearing off the metal restraints that held him. As he looked on, Silverbolt finally kicked Tarantulas off.

"You're finished!" Tarantulas swung.

Silverbolt's swing was more precise. In an instant, Tarantulas's blade went flying. Silverbolt held his blade at Tarantulas's throat.

"_And I gave you life!" Tarantulas grabbed Noble by his chin. "What's dignity without life?"_

"You think it's over?" Tarantulas chuckled. Suddenly, a spider drone leaped onto Silverbolt's back and injected a solid dose of cyber-venom into his system, soon followed up by another.

"Agh!" yelped Silverbolt.

The surge of cyber-venom had done its job. Silverbolt fell to his knees as Tarantulas took out his gun, pointing it at the fuzor's skull.

"Game over, hero," he told the Maximal.

"No!"

Noble rammed into Tarantulas from behind and knocked him into the room where the vats of the other mutants lay. The mutated wolf slammed his fist into the console, sending sparks flying everywhere. He grabbed a piece of machinery and lifted it up. Then using all of his strength, he threw it into one of the vats that held a minotaur creature. The console exploded on contact, engulfing the entire room in flames. Eventually, the fires also reached the Predacon scientist's main lab.

"Noble…" Silverbolt looked up weakly.

The werewolf pinned Tarantulas down and attempted to bite down on him. Tarantulas quickly raised one forearm and blocked Noble by the muzzle. Enraged at the betrayal of his servant, Tarantulas grabbed his gun and blasted the wolf in the stomach with a lethal dose of cyber-venom. Noble howled in anguish and fell down once more.

From the top of the balcony, Blackarachnia swung down with a strand of her webbing. She landed gracefully before Silverbolt and looked at the helpless fuzor with a mixture of mild disdain and interest.

"Blackarachnia, destroy him!" Tarantulas ordered. Suddenly, Noble leaped onto him from behind and pinned him down once more with his remaining strength.

"Take him and leave!" Noble ordered her.

The black widow raised her gun and pointed at the wolf mutant. Almost hesitantly, she chose not to fire.

Silverbolt felt the cyber-venom overtaking his system from within slowly but surely. Noble took one last look at him with empathy in his eyes.

"My greatest thanks, Silverbolt," Noble said as he struggled to keep Tarantulas from moving. "You taught me what it meant to be a sentient being… you showed me the true meaning of… dignity!"

"No…" Silverbolt groaned.

"Thank you, friend…" Noble growled once more.

Blackarachnia smirked and fired a grappling hook into the air. She grabbed the fallen fuzor and swung up. Around Noble and Tarantulas, the cave around them began collapsing. Finally, the Predacon broke free of Noble's grasp, throwing the wolf off. But before he could do anything to salvage the situation, a fiery explosion engulfed the entire cave.

* * *

"You awake now?"

Silverbolt blinked a few times. No, he definitely wasn't in the Matrix yet. The towering trees above him were the first sign.

Blackarachnia tapped her foot briefly to alert him.

"You," Silverbolt got up. "You saved me."

"Yeah, what about it?" Blackarachnia huffed. She did not like showing any sign of compassion or weakness around Maximals.

"Is Noble…"

"The wolf?" Blackarachnia did not seem too concerned. "He's gone. And so is Tarantulas."

"I couldn't save him…" Silverbolt lowered his head in sorrow.

"Hey, it's all in the past now," Blackarachia said to him. "We gotta keep looking ahead."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Silverbolt. "After all, are you not a Predacon who wishes my destruction?"

"Actually, no," she told him honestly.

Silverbolt cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"So listen up," she continued. "I got a proposition for ya."

* * *

Father Cousteau stood at the top of the Notre Dame bell tower. It was usually around this time that Silverbolt returned, sometime late in the evening when the busy night life had died down.

A few moments later, Silverbolt flew down from the sky, landing near the bell. As soon as Father Cousteau ran up to him, he could immediately tell that something was wrong.

The Maximal fuzor was looking the worse for wear. Something in his optics was clearly troubling him.

Silverbolt could not find a single way to express the confusion he felt to the priest.

"Silverbolt," Father Cousteau ran to his side. "Is everything alright?"

The fuzor looked down at the ground. After all he had been through, he had been given a proposal by Blackarachnia and he accepted. It wasn't even a bad proposal either but the simple fact that he was now fraternizing with the enemy was what got him in his current mood.

She was something strange and new to him. There was an untouchable quality to her that attracted him. Blackarachnia was like a dark rose in a midnight garden. And though he was sometimes prone to naiveté, even Silverbolt realized that every rose was inevitably guarded by its thorns as well. Just what was it that he wanted by playing with fire in the form of this deadly female Predacon?

"Forgive me father," Silverbolt said to Father Cousteau, "for I have sinned."

Perhaps what he truly wanted was to trim those thorns.


	36. Ragnarok

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Ragnarok_

"No… the calibrations cannot be right," Megatron muttered to himself.

The tyrant pulled down on the lever to activate another control panel tied in to the protoform in the center of the room.

Time was running out for him. In the past few days, he had made a deal with the Devil in an attempt to gain more power. His plan backfired on him and due to that, he was on the run. He didn't know whether he feared Cheetor or Tigerhawk more. Chances were, if Tigerhawk caught up with him, the cosmic Transformer would not be so merciful.

But there was still a chance for him. He did have the supposedly immortal half-spark of Rampage with him. After he activated the protoform with the spark, he would have a powerful new warrior on his side to defend him. And as Cheetor's experiment demonstrated, the Transmetal driver was operational. When he was done with his new Transmetal Two servant, he would use the device on himself to gain power beyond imagining. From this abandoned military base in Qatar was where he hoped to complete his work.

Once his new Predacon servant was activated, Megatron would once again have the edge on his side.

"So this is where you've been hiding," a smooth voice behind him said. "Like the cowardly worm you are!"

"Tigerhawk!" Megatron gasped. "How did you find me?"

"I can trace Rampage's spark anywhere on the planet," Tigerhawk informed him. "Did you really believe you could truly hide from me with it in your possession?"

"No, please!" Megatron pleaded. "Stay back!"

Tigerhawk only floated towards Megatron at a menacing pace.

"Should've known your place," Windrazor leaned against the wall. "Then you wouldn't be in this position."

Abruptly, Megatron raised his cutlass but Tigerhawk was much faster. Two laser beams erupted from his eyes, catching Megatron in the chest and raising the Predacon into the air with supernatural grace.

In that moment, Megatron finally understood how Terrorsaur or Tarantulas must have felt whenever their attempts to betray him turned to failure. He was in their shoes now, playing the role of the archetypal Starscream. Due to his lust for power, he made an enormous gamble and he failed. Now he was paying the price.

Megatron howled in agony as crystals erupted from his body, encasing him in the gemstones.

Finally, after the cries of horror were over, a giant star-shaped crystal surrounded the now petrified body of the Predacon leader.

"He would make an excellent decoration, would he not?" Tigerhawk asked Windrazor.

"I agree," Windrazor nodded. "The solstice is also coming up soon. Shall we send invitations to the Maximals once more?"

"Yes we shall," Tigerhawk affirmed. "If our kind is to thrive, then we must be greater in number."

"I eagerly await this new Eden you have in store for us, my lord," Windrazor bowed.

"And you shall not be disappointed," Tigerhawk smiled. "That I promise you."

* * *

"They should be here any minute," Optimus looked at his chronal band.

"Was it a good idea not to tell Cheetor?" asked Rhinox. "He'd want to be a part of this."

Optimus sighed. "I know… but I want him to get his rest. I don't want to put him through anything more traumatic."

Optimus, along with his main crew sans Cheetor, stood outside the valley awaiting the arrival of Silverbolt and Inferno. The two Transformers had been called in to help with the situation involving Tigerhawk and the coming solstice.

"I agree with Optimus," Tigatron said. "It is important Cheetor recovers completely from his ordeal."

"We could use all the help we can get," admitted Airazor.

"Eh, 'dat's why we called in 'da ant and bird-dog," shrugged Rattrap.

"Yup, and speaking of which," Rhinox pointed to the sky.

Both Inferno and Silverbolt landed at the same time. Silverbolt transformed to robot mode but Inferno had no such need.

"Greetings friends," Silverbolt saluted. "It is an honor to work together with you once more."

"Feh," Inferno glanced at Optimus. "To think that I would be reduced to aiding a primate once more."

"You're no prize yourself," Optimus responded sarcastically.

"Say… what about Depth Charge?" asked Rhinox.

"I don't think we can ever persuade him," Tigatron shook his head.

"What do you mean?"

Depth Charge stepped out from behind a large boulder.

"Of course I'm in this with you," he told them matter-of-factly.

"Well," Optimus looked up at him. "We could use all the help we can get."

"Oh, I'll help you alright," Depth Charge crossed both arms, glancing over at Inferno and Silverbolt briefly.

He didn't know who those two were and frankly, he didn't care. All Depth Charge knew was that Rampage was still on the floating island somewhere. And he was going to be the one to destroy Protoform X no matter what. The other Maximals could either understand that and get with the program or just slag off.

"That's all of us," Optimus announced. "Now let's get going. We don't know when or where the floating island is going to strike."

"Um… Optimus," Rattrap pointed up.

From the night sky, a meteor sailed down at them. Before the Maximals knew it, it hit the ground, sending dirt flying into the air. All the Maximals, in curiosity, went over to the crater to see exactly what it was.

"Wait a minute," Rhinox looked at his scanner. "This thing doesn't have the density to be a meteor!"

An enormous arm broke out of the meteor. In mere seconds, an iridescent glow surrounded them, blinding them slightly.

In the air, hovered a Vok warrior holding his axe menacingly. They had encountered him before back when the Vok had invaded Earth.

"Greetings to you," Lagash bowed.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," Optimus asked. "You've been sent by the Vok High Council to help us?"

"That is correct," Lagash replied.

"But I thought that the Vok would never interfere with Earth again," Rhinox pointed out.

"That is true," Lagash said. "But desperate situations require desperate measures."

"Which is why you're here," Tigatron finished. "The threat Tigerhawk presents is galactic as it is worldly."

"I've come to offer my assistance," Lagash told them as he got up. "In order to face the threat of Tigerhawk, we must be prepared."

"How will we do that?" asked Airazor. "With all due respect, Tigerhawk mopped the floor with us the last few times."

"I have been granted the powers of the Avatar," explained Lagash, revealing a red, pulsating core glowing in his chest. "The powers and experiences of all Vok warriors in the past are at my behest. My master Akkad granted it to me after the unanimous approval of our council. I am now the Grand Avatar of my people."

"Is 'dat some Vok version of 'da Matrix of Leadership?" asked Rattrap.

Optimus only shrugged.

"Now is the time," Lagash told the Maximals. "I will bestow upon you the power of the elements!"

"The what now?" Rhinox was puzzled.

"Do no fear," Lagash promised them. "You will only gain stronger, more durable robot forms to combat the forces of Tigerhawk's acolytes."

Depth Charge snorted. "I'll pass."

Lagash turned to Rhinox. "I realize in our last meeting, Akkad had not given you a new form. Perhaps you'd like—"

"No thanks," Rhinox said firmly. "I've learned to get along just fine without shiny new upgrades."

"Perhaps you two would like to receive the upgrades," Lagash offered to Tigatron and Airazor.

"Is there a way you could give us the power without turning us into Transmetals?" requested Tigatron. "Airazor and I have grown quite fond of our organic beast modes."

"I can," Lagash promised as he enveloped the two Maximals in a glow. "Henceforth, you, Tigatron, command the raging storm of blizzards while you, Airazor, hold mastery over the power of the nomadic wind!"

After it was over, both Tigatron and Airazor felt their own bodies oozing with power. Tigatron held out with one hand and allowed the energies to surround it. Taking careful aim, he unleashed a blue beam from his hands and froze a portion of the wall. Airazor flew up and created a miniature whirlwind which she promptly sent in the direction of a boulder, smashing it to pieces.

"Whoa, stripes and bird lady got some moves," commented Rattrap.

"Now that was cool!" Airazor smiled at Tigatron.

"As for you," Lagash turned to Inferno.

"Feh," Inferno grunted.

"Don't look so glum," Lagash told him. "You should be happy. Not many can claim to have defeated a Vok warrior singlehandedly."

Finally, Inferno allowed a toothy smile to appear on his face. "That's true."

Lagash held his hand out to bestow the new powers to Inferno.

"To you, I grant the raging torrents of fire," he said. "Use it well."

Without hesitation, Inferno turned to a patch of dirt and struck out both hands, allowing an enormous surge of flames to envelope the ground.

"So this is what true power feels like," Inferno grinned.

"As for you," Lagash said to Silverbolt. "I had considered granting you powers of the earth since Rhinox rejected the offer… but I have something else in store for you."

"I am open to anything," Silverbolt replied.

"To you I grant the spirit of the white light… with it, you shall never tire or fall in battle," Lagash bestowed the energy from his hand upon Silverbolt.

"Thank you," Silverbolt said graciously. "It is an honor to receive this gift. Rest assured, I will use it in the name of justice alone."

"That leaves only two more," Lagash looked around.

"I'm wit' DC," Rattrap shrugged. "I'll pass. Magical mumbo jumbo's never been my thing."

"Do you have any specific information on when the floating island will strike?" asked Optimus.

"Tomorrow is when we begin our journey," Lagash informed him. "The solstice will begin then, where Tigerhawk's ship will be at the height of its power."

* * *

All four of the Pali Mystics stood before the crystal chamber set aside for Tigerhawk's special prize. Before them was Megatron frozen solid in his crystal star. He was now part of the decorations.

"Splendid!" Frost crooned. "Megatron makes an excellent addition to our décor!"

"What can I say?" Golem shrugged. "I always knew it would come down to this."

"Megatron betraying us?" asked Tengu.

"What else?" Golem nodded. "We all saw it coming."

"True as that may be," Ifrit pointed out. "I wonder why the master did not immediately crush Megatron."

"Because that fool served his purpose," Tigerhawk suddenly announced behind them.

All four of the mystics gulped. Tigerhawk and Windrazor were behind them observing them methodically. None of them dared to speak unless spoken to first.

"Megatron has been most informative about each and every one of the Maximals," Tigerhawk told them. "He was useful in his own way."

"Speaking of which, the solstice is tomorrow," Windrazor reminded Tigerhawk. "Will you offer the Maximals one last chance?"

Tigerhawk's eyes narrowed.

"I will," he declared. "But all things come with a price. The Maximals must learn to let go of their worldly passions, including their sympathy for the primordial slime that inhabit this planet."

"If it pleases you, master," Ifrit said. "Let us join in your assault of this world."

"You will get that chance," Tigerhawk promised. "When the time comes, all life on earth will burn to make room for our master race."

None of the Paliyuga looked too pleased. They knew that the term "master race" was not used in reference to them. Rather, it was the Transformer race that Tigerhawk meant. Eons ago, they had been one of the supreme beings of the known galaxy. Now, they were mere servants and Tigerhawk did not seem to mind reminding them of that crucial fact.

"Perhaps when all is done, master," Tengu suggested. "Might you grant us our freedom?"

"Your… freedom?" Tigerhawk's eyes glowed malevolently.

"Yes, we have served you to the best of our abilities," Frost added.

Malignantly, Tigerhawk held out his hand and a blast of blue energy struck all four of the Mystics. As they cried out in pain, Tigerhawk savored the moment by sustaining his attack and increasing it.

Finally, all four Mystics fell down in agony.

"You serve me now," Tigerhawk reminded them. "Forget that fact at your own peril."

Tigerhawk flew up and left the crystal chamber without another word. Windrazor lingered there for a few seconds longer, the look of amusement evident on her face.

"Sorry guys," she reminded. "Rules are rules."

Then she too left. The Mystics of Pali said nothing but the lines that dotted their eyes did not hide the frustration and anger they felt.

* * *

The night had not gone any easier for the Maximals. After the sun had set, Optimus left the base to go out for a stroll.

Many things were going through his mind right now. The addition of one of the Vok in their struggle against Tigerhawk was a great asset. Now that Lagash was on their side, the tides seemed like they really could turn.

One thing still bothered him though. And that was why he was going to see to that problem tonight.

"Depth Charge," Optimus said as he neared the blue Maximal.

Depth Charge was at the front of the cave, sitting calmly against the wall. He had his gun held in both hands.

"You called," Depth Charge replied. It was not so much a question as it was an acknowledgment.

"Yes I did," Optimus said.

"Well whaddya want?" Depth Charge demanded.

"I want to know that you're with us," Optimus told him plainly. "I want you to tell me that you're not going to run off and abandon us again."

"You got nothing to worry about, Primal," Depth Charge got up. "I know what's at stake."

"Do you?" Optimus furrowed his eyes. "Last time you ran off to chase Rampage."

"You see what Tigerhawk did to me the last time?" Depth Charge looked down at Primal who was a few feet shorter. "I'm not taking this lightly."

"Let's hope you don't," Optimus sighed.

* * *

Tigatron and Airazor both stared up at the moon in amazement. Tomorrow was the big day and there was no telling what would happen. This night, they would try to make the best of the situation despite the tensions.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Airazor asked.

"Yes it is," agreed Tigatron.

"It's something we really have to savor," Airazor sighed. "After tomorrow, we may see such a sight again."

"Everything will turn out alright," Tigatron said. "I am certain of it."

The two of them moved closer.

"Tomorrow it'll be determined," Airazor said with a hint of fear to her voice. "What Tigerhawk has in store for us all."

"Whatever it is, we'll find some way of stopping it," Tigatron promised her.

Finally, the moment came. Tigatron took Airazor's hand.

"We won't have to do it alone," Airazor promised him.

"No, we won't," Tigatron leaned in closer.

Before any further action could be taken on behalf of both Maximals, the silhouette of Lagash appeared before them both. Tigatron and Airazor both stopped and decided to put a hold on what they were about to do.

"Lagash," Tigatron looked up. Airazor blushed and moved away.

"I arrive with important news for you, Tigatron," Lagash told him.

"I assume it is about Tigerhawk?"

"Yes it is," Lagash confirmed.

Airazor looked at Tigatron with great concern. Whatever the Vok warrior had to say, it must be important.

"I am here to tell you about Tigerhawk's origins," Lagash said.

Both Tigatron and Airazor glanced at each other furtively.

"You have a right to know," Lagash continued. "Which is why I'm telling it to you now."

"I'm listening," Tigatron turned his full attention to what the Vok was about to say.

"Do you remember when you were on the Easter Islands in search of clues to ward off our invasion?" asked Lagash.

Tigatron nodded his head.

"My master performed a mind fusion with you," Lagash explained. "In the process something went horribly wrong."

"_What is this?" Tigatron demanded, his eyes still glowing from the aural connection they shared._

"_Wait… this was not supposed to have happened!" Akkad cried._

_A black temporal rift was forming between the two of them, one that crackled with dangerous amounts of electricity. From that rift, a demonic skeletal face could be seen with an unending look of malice. More and more electrons gathered around the energy rift as Tigatron looked on helplessly. Finally, Akkad severed the psychic connection between himself and the Maximal, cutting off all the energy to the rift. _

"Unwittingly, my master had awakened a part of Tigatron's psyche deep within his spark that had long stayed dormant," Lagash went on. "Most human psychologists call it the _id_."

"So that's how Tigerhawk was born," Airazor said silently.

"Soon the essence of Tigerhawk floated into the remote corners of the galaxy," Lagash's face darkened. "Containing both the combined memories of Tigerhawk and Akkad, he drew his powers from the darkness of space, in addition to the prodigious Vok powers he had siphoned off Akkad."

"So Tigerhawk is my son…" Tigatron said softly.

"Depends on how you look at it," Lagash told him. "He contains remnants of your memories and at least a fragment of your spark."

"Do you also know why he's here?" asked Airazor. It was the question she had been meaning to ask for quite a while.

"Because he also contains memories of the Vok," Lagash admitted. "Which is why he is here to cleanse Earth of human life and re-create it in his image."

"What more do you know of his goals?" Tigatron inquired.

"In wiping out the human race, he hopes to make Earth a new homeworld for Transformers," Lagash replied ominously. "It is his grand desire."

"Is it possible to stop him given his power?" Tigatron asked uncertainly.

"We shall see," Lagash closed his eyes. "We shall see."

* * *

Morning came. The first order of business was devising a battle strategy. The Maximals, plus Inferno were gathered there in a circle around the rocks in the valley. Optimus and Lagash stood at the center to explain the details.

Each and every one of them was prepared for what was to come. Depth Charge himself had sworn inwardly that he would, for this time, focus solely on the mission.

"The floating island is divided into two sections, the citadel and the obelisk," Optimus showed a map of the island.

"The citadel is what we must focus on," Lagash continued where Optimus Primal left off. "Four crystal diadems are contained on four sides of the dome structure."

"What about the Mystics?" asked Optimus. "They'll be there as part of Tigerhawk's squadron."

"We will take care of them!" Inferno raised a fist, channeling a whirlwind of flames around him.

"Yes, you may count on our services, sir!" pledged Silverbolt.

"Rattrap, Rhinox," Optimus requested. "Can I count on you two to take out the engines to the ship in the obelisk?"

"Gotcha," noted Rattrap. Rhinox nodded in affirmation.

"Lagash and I will confront Tigerhawk and Windrazor," Optimus vowed.

"And what about me?" asked Depth Charge.

"Depth Charge," Optimus stared at the sometimes disobedient Maximal. "Can I trust you to destroy the crystal diadems on the dome?"

"You got it," Depth Charge gave a quick nod.

"Good, anything else we should cover?"

"Nope, you covered everything, boss monkey," Rattrap reminded.

"Lagash, shall we set off now?" asked Optimus.

"Yes, but first we'll need transportation."

After saying that, Lagash raised his hand and a large ship materialized from thin air. Apparently, Vok technology was far more advanced then even Cybertronian technology, being able to avoid detection by most of the Maximal sensors.

"Sweet ride," Rattrap whistled.

"Come," Lagash gestured. "We've got a battle to finish."

* * *

Floating above the dome was Tigerhawk, Windrazor, and their acolytes. The dawning of a new era for them was here and they were going to see it through.

The island was held aloft in the air firmly as it sailed over the Pacific Ocean. Its weapons were poised to rain death and destruction on civilization. The Mystics in particular were craving the massacre that was soon to come.

"Today is the day, my brothers!" Ifrit held his staff up high. "A new day has begun!"

"All hail Lord Tigerhawk!" Frost declared.

Tigerhawk raised a hand in gesture. In an instant, the obelisk glowed with a bright yellow tinge as it hummed violently to life.

"Let there be light!" Windrazor's body began surging with green electricity.

The clouds above began to gather around the island in a whirling formation. Then the island moved forward towards the North American continent. It would be Tigerhawk's first destination to complete his mission. And he planned to leave it a barren wasteland after he was finished.

Soon, the other continents would follow and he, Tigerhawk, would establish the supremacy of his kind over this planet.

"We have company," Windrazor turned and pointed to the sky.

Tigerhawk narrowed his optics. In the distance were the Maximals on some sort of alien vessel and next to them was a Vok warrior of some kind. Cheetor was nowhere to be found and there was one Transformer he hadn't seen before. He had the wings of an eagle and what appeared to be the features of a canine.

Frowning deeply, Tigerhawk clenched his fist. He hadn't counted on the Maximals bringing extra help.

"What shall we do?" asked Golem.

"Go into defensive positions," ordered Tigerhawk.

The four Mystics obeyed and flew off.

"Shall we?" asked Windrazor. Tigerhawk smiled in agreement.

Together, the two of them cupped their hands together and unleashed a massive green blast towards the Maximals and their Vok ally. Fortunately for them, Lagash saw it coming and created an energy barrier to surround them all. The blast struck the shield and bounced into the sky.

On the ground, the four Mystics stood their ground defiantly. Due to his extrasensory perceptions, Lagash sensed where they were. He was the first to reach the ground and greet them.

With one swing of his battle axe, Lagash sent a powerful wave of energy forward that struck all four Mystics and knocked them down.

After the initial shock wore off, the Mystics of Pali got up once again.

This time, they were met with a surprise. Tigatron leaped off the vessel and fired a blue beam towards the ground that froze their feet where they stood. Airazor was the second to follow up with the attack, spinning around and transforming her body into a cyclone. She dived down and drilled into the ground in the center of them, creating a powerful gust of wind that threw them all back.

Ifrit got up. "How is it possible that you—"

He never got to finish what he was saying. From behind him, a ball of fire hit his back and dropped him like a fly.

"Burn in the fires of the Inferno!" Inferno shouted.

"We'll keep them busy!" Tigatron promised Lagash and Optimus. "You and the others stop Tigerhawk!"

Taking heed of that, Depth Charge, Optimus, and Lagash flew off towards the dome while Rattrap and Rhinox ran towards the obelisk on the other side of the island.

Ifrit got up and fired a blast back to counter Inferno. Their flames met and seemed evenly matched for that instance. Tigatron quickly fired a freezing blast that solidified Ifrit's hands together in ice. Before Ifrit could get himself loose of his encased hands, Inferno fired another deadly blast, this time consuming Ifrit in the gaping maws of a flaming dragon.

Golem slammed his fist into the ground, sending a wave of jagged rock formations speeding towards Silverbolt. The noble Maximal surrounded himself with a white light and quickly dissipated the attack with his energy.

Taking advantage of his new powers, Silverbolt raised a hand and threw a ball of energy at Golem, Frost, and Tengu, scattering them.

* * *

"So, we finally meet," Tigerhawk floated in front of Optimus, Depth Charge, and Lagash, blocking their way. "I take it you Maximals decided not to join me?"

"By the power of the Vok, I will put an end to your madness!" promised Lagash.

"Two Maximals and a Vok parasite," Tigerhawk stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Just when I thought this day couldn't get more anti-climactic."

Lagash raised his battle axe and before Tigerhawk could even see him, disappeared from plain sight. A searing pain to his side soon alerted him. Lagash slashed Tigerhawk across his waist and came back again, cutting open a portion of his arm. Tigerhawk fired in rage but Lagash avoided that again and slammed the blunt end of his pike into Tigerhawk's chin.

"Go!" Lagash told Depth Charge. "Destroy the crystal diadems that power the island's weapon!"

Depth Charge transformed to beast mode and flew off towards the dome. This left Optimus and Lagash with Tigerhawk.

"You actually managed to injure me," Tigerhawk hissed. Optimus charged his mace and attacked but Tigerhawk merely backhanded him away.

Lagash held his outstretched arms out. A golden hue surrounded his body altering his body into that of a bear. Tigerhawk responded by transforming to beast mode and tackling Lagash.

The two beasts struggled briefly in the ground. Tigerhawk lashed out with his paw and raked Lagash across the face. Lagash returned the favor with a jaw-crunching strike across Tigerhawk's face and then hit a devastating blow that drove Tigerhawk's forehead into the ground.

Tigerhawk rose uneasily. By the time he was aware of his surroundings, a giant leviathan had wrapped itself around him. Tigerhawk howled as the giant serpent squeezed his body even harder. It opened its jaws agape and bit down on Tigerhawk's shoulder, sending his entire body into pain that he had never experienced before.

Lagash unwound Tigerhawk's body and threw him into a boulder with one swing of his tail. He transformed back to normal and held his pike in one hand.

* * *

As the dome hummed ominously, Depth Charge landed on the very top. Surrounding the dome were the crystal diadems engraved on all four sides.

He had never been the kind of 'bot for small talk. Depth Charge was always the type to get the job done, no matter how unsavory or mundane. Right now, he had a responsibility. The four crystals which powered the weapon needed to be destroyed.

Right away, he set to work. He raised his gun and fired the first shot, blowing the first crystal to pieces. Soon enough, the second and third diadems followed. Depth Charge made his final turn towards the final crystal diadem. Destroy that and nearly half the mission would be complete. Unfortunately for him, he would be occupied with something new.

A blast of emerald flames raced towards him at white hot intensity, exploding on contact. But Depth Charge was fortunate, however, to have raised his wing shield up at the right moment.

Windrazor flew down from the air and kicked Depth Charge square in the chest. The impact sent the blue Maximal skidding across the floor. Seeing her opportunity, Windrazor raised her sword and leaped up, coming down with the aim of impaling the former Omicron security chief where he lay.

Depth Charge reacted just as fast and slammed his boot into Windrazor's solar plexus to knock her back.

As expected, Windrazor got up. She was not the kind of femme-bot who would be taken out by a single blow.

"The floating island will accomplish its mission," Windrazor warned the large Maximal. "And neither you nor your little friends can stop it!"

"Lady," Depth Charge stretched out his hand and gestured for Windrazor to attack. "Just bring it."

* * *

"Alright, 'dis is it!" Rattrap stepped inside the crystal chamber of the obelisk.

Towards the middle of the room was the power cell held in a giant pillar. It was the engine that powered the entire floating island. Before they arrived, Lagash and Optimus had briefed them on that.

In the back entrance of the room they saw Megatron encased in a giant star-shaped crystal. The look of horror was strewn across his face and the two Maximals could only guess what his final moments were.

"Our job's simple enough," Rhinox looked at Rattrap.

"Gotcha," Rattrap opened his arm-band to reveal two detonators he had prepared for this trip.

They took one step closer but a dark outline from behind the pillar made them stop on their tracks.

"Hello Maximals," Rampage growled.

"Aw man," Rattrap groaned. "And I thought 'dis couldn't get any worse!"

* * *

"Surrender Tigerhawk," Lagash warned. "Or by the Hand of Akkad, I will bring judgment upon you as the Avatar of the Vok!"

"You presume… to judge me?" Tigerhawk's eyes glowed fiercely.

Tigerhawk screamed inhumanly. Optimus looked all around him. Electrons in the air were bending themselves towards Tigerhawk's aura. Finally, Tigerhawk unleashed a shockwave that knocked him back.

Lagash, on the other hand, held his ground, though he was pushed back more and more. He dug his feet into the dirt and held his axe defensively.

With a roar, Tigerhawk charged. His fist slammed into Lagash before the Vok Avatar could react properly. Sailing across the air, Lagash smashed into one of the boulders nearby.

Lagash quickly leaped up to avoid a blast of green flames from Tigerhawk's palm and spun his pike in a circle to deflect some of the other fire. He sailed out of the way but did not move fast enough as a pillar of earth slammed into his chest and knocked him down yet again. As he got up, vines arose from the ground and gripped him tightly, lifting him into the air.

Try as he might, Lagash could not break out. Tigerhawk shot another stream of green flames, this time engulfing the Vok. He held the blast for several minutes before relenting. When it was over, the charred body of Lagash fell to the ground.

"Neither you nor your masters can stop me," Tigerhawk bared his fangs.

"Hah hah hah…" Lagash slowly began to laugh.

"You laugh in the face of certain doom?" asked Tigerhawk.

"I'm laughing with you," Lagash closed his eyes as his chest center glowed red.

From the skies, a colossal thunderbolt came down and struck Tigerhawk. When the smoke cleared, Lagash got up and walked over to the crater. Tigerhawk's body was covered in dirt but he was still recognizable despite the tremendous damage he had taken.

"Is it over?" Optimus went over to Lagash's side.

Then a dim glow hummed to life in Tigerhawk's optics. Lagash felt the elements being channeled through the air to help the demonic Transformer's recovery.

"Not by a long shot," he replied to the Maximal leader.

Quickly, he telekinetically lifted Optimus up and pushed him far away from the scene. Tigerhawk burst from the rubble of the crater and held his hands in the air, summoning four simultaneous energy blasts from the ground that surrounded them both. Lagash tried to move out of the way but an energy blast from Tigerhawk's mouth struck him and froze him in place mid-air.

"N-Naagh!" struggled Lagash.

Tigerhawk channeled the energy of the floating island and focused the four beams to move in a spiral around them as they closed in. Finally, they met at the center where Lagash was and covered him entirely, engulfing him in a searing inferno.

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!" Lagash screamed.

* * *

Depth Charge and Windrazor unsheathed both their swords and attack. Their blades crossed again and again. Windrazor backed away and allowed the blue Maximal to make the next move which he did.

Without restraint, Depth Charge swung but Windrazor ducked and sweep-kicked him, knocking Depth Charge on his back. Seeing her opportunity, Windrazor raised her sword and brought it down, looking to behead him with a single blow. Reacting instantly, Depth Charge blocked the strike with his own weapon. Frustrated, Windrazor pressed down with her sword until its blade was nearly touching Depth Charge's neck. With an extra burst of strength, Depth Charge managed to push the sword off with his own blade and leap back on his feet.

Windrazor reacted by blasting at him with a fireball. Depth Charge deflected it with his wing but Windrazor was not finished. She spun around and pointed both fingers together, unleashing her most powerful blast of emerald lightning yet. The blast caught Depth Charge by his wing and forced him to the ledge. Finally, the lightning stopped. Thankfully, Windrazor's powers weren't as powerful as Tigerhawk's, otherwise he, Depth Charge, would be done for.

Still, she had done her fair share of damage, noted Depth Charge as he gazed at his wing briefly.

To his surprise, the dome on top of the building rose into the air. Hadn't he destroyed three of the four diadems already? How was that thing still able to operate?

Another blast this time struck the ledge and knocked Depth Charge off the building. As he fell, he gathered enough energy in his chest plate before stomping his feet on top of the vertically lined wall and unleashed his own blast. He backflipped over and launched himself into the air with his jet boosters.

Windrazor peered over the ledge of the building but unfortunately for her, the energy disc from Depth Charge exploded on contact with the ledge, throwing her back. She managed to flip over and land on her feet gratefully just as Depth Charge flew into the air and hurled his tail spear at her like a javelin. Moving with grace and precision, Windrazor moved aside as the spear sailed past her.

"You missed!" she shouted.

"Did I?" Depth Charge shouted. "Look again!"

Windrazor turned around. The spear had not been intended for her all along. Embedded into the crystal chamber was the spear with fragments of the final crystal diadem laying all across the floor.

The dome that hovered above came crashing down just as Depth Charge flew away. By the time she had turned around, the dome made contact with the building, slamming into it violently with a violent shockwave of energy that struck Windrazor and sent her body flying to the ground. Before she even reached the floor, she was already in stasis lock.

* * *

"Oh boy, this ain't getting' any easier," Rattrap stepped back from the behemoth.

"You want to destroy this floating island?" Rampage gestured with both hands. "Be my guest."

"You aren't trying to pool the wool over our eyes, are you?" demanded Rhinox.

"Under normal circumstances, I'd pull your hide over your eyes," Rampage said sadistically towards Rhinox. "But this time is different."

To show that he was serious, Rampage stepped away and vanished into the shadows. He cared nothing for the Maximals but this time was different. He acted only out of passive aggressiveness in defiance of Tigerhawk. Even if it meant sparing these pathetic Maximals, he'd gladly do nothing if it meant ruining Tigerhawk's best-laid plans.

Once Rampage was gone, Rattrap and Rhinox only blinked.

"Well, that was interesting," remarked Rhinox. "Anyways, let's get to work."

"Right ahead of ya, big guy," Rattrap took out his explosives.

After the charges were set, the two of them left the building. Just outside, they met the rest of their comrades just in the remaining seconds of their battle with the Mystics.

Combining their attacks at once, Airazor, Inferno, Tigatron, and Silverbolt blasted the Mystics with simultaneous energy attacks, striking them down at once. As the four Mystics fell in defeat, Rattrap and Rhinox ran up.

"All finished up?" asked Rhinox.

"As a matter of fact, we are!" Silverbolt beamed.

Rattrap pressed down on the remote he had. From within the obelisk, the bombs went off, consuming the entire structure in a massive explosion.

It was then that the bright aura surrounding the bodies of the four mystically-enhanced Maximals began fading away.

"Whoa, what's goin' on?" Rattrap asked.

"It's Lagash…" Tigatron held his head. "He is fading…"

"I feel it too!" Airazor said.

* * *

"Stand back!" Optimus trained his gun on Tigerhawk as he stood in front of Lagash's fallen form. "I won't let you hurt him!"

"You'll fall back if you wish to live," warned Tigerhawk.

A large cloud storm was forming in the distance from where the dome building had been completely devastated. It was headed towards them right now from afar.

"Optimus… no!" Lagash cried. He got up and charged. Mercilessly, Tigerhawk drove his fist into Lagash's stomach, forcing him back.

Soon, the other Maximals arrived, training their weapons on Tigerhawk. As they did, the island lurched sideways. The destruction of the main engines had ensured that it would not be able to fly for much longer. From beneath the floating island, a small volcanic island in the pacific lay peacefully. At the very edge of the floating structure, Megatron slid down further and further until it fell off the ledge.

Plummeting downward, Megatron in his crystallized form plunged into the molten hot lava. Briefly, the head surfaced but soon, Megatron sank into the burning lava once more. The last that was seen was the look of utter horror on his frozen face as the crystal sank underneath for good this time.

With the last of his powers, Lagash summoned the space vehicle he had waiting on the sidelines and brought it over telepathically. He gestured with one hand and telekinetically scooped up all the Maximals, placing them inside the vessel. Moving frantically, he raised both hands and sent the ship into the air as far away from the floating island as he could.

He turned back to Tigerhawk.

"You will pay for this!" Tigerhawk vowed. "You destroyed the utopia I wished to build!"

Lagash felt the powers of the Vok Avatar leaving him as his body grew weaker and weaker. He had done his best but in the end, he had been no match for Tigerhawk. Still, he had no regrets.

Almost passively, he sat down, crossing his legs. He closed his eyes stoically and waited. Tigerhawk formed an energy blade in his hands and swung it down just as the dust storm from the dome's destruction covered the two of them completely.

Finally, the floating island's downward descent was brought to a conclusion as it crashed into the waves.

* * *

The funeral for Lagash was straightforward. On the beach was a simple gravestone for the fallen warrior and all the Maximals were there, including Inferno.

"We didn't get to know him for long," Optimus said softly. "But he was a great warrior… and he deserves our respect."

Most of the Maximals bowed their heads in sorrow. In sadness, Airazor gripped Tigatron's hand.

"Let us remember his sacrifice," pledge Optimus. "If not for him, we may not be standing here today."

Finally, Inferno got up and walked away with a scowl on his face. He walked a short distance before reaching the beach. He looked towards the horizon, contemplating Lagash's sacrifice.

The Vok had been a warrior and he sacrificed himself for a greater purpose. There was nothing more to be said, in Inferno's mind.

Still, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of an emotion alien to his system. Though unfamiliar to him, it added a heavy burden to his spark. Sadness was what it was, unbeknownst to Inferno.

Finally, he turned away and fired up his rotors, flying back towards the distance that led back to the Colony.

Towards the faraway waves, a green light glowed steadily from beneath the sea.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Yes, both Noble and Lagash are dead. That's two violent deaths in a row. And before that, Cheetor's mind was shattered as he experienced what suffering really was for the first time under Megatron. This Tigerhawk story arc is turning out to be my darkest storyline for Symmetries yet. Also, this chapter had a little nod to Avatar: The Last Airbender with Lagash becoming the Avatar of the Vok and granting Tigatron, Airazor, Inferno, and Silverbolt control over the elements. I was partially influenced by that show when I created the Mystics of Pali with them having control of fire, earth, wind, and water/ice. They were also partially influenced by the Foot Mystics in the new TMNT series who were heralds of the Demon Shredder. Except instead of four, they had five elementals, one of which was metal. Anyways, hope you had fun reading this and please R&R.

Peace out.


	37. Archon

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Archon_

"I told you, Optimus," protested Cheetor. "I'm better now."

"You sure, kiddo?" asked Rattrap. "You were really out of it for a whole month."

"Hey, I got my act together," huffed Cheetor. "Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"

Standing once more, Cheetor looked at Optimus, Rattrap, and Rhinox with his youthful but weary optics. It had been a while since his torture and reprogramming at the hands of Megatron, though the lingering after-effects could still be seen. The lad wasn't quite the same energetic 'bot he'd once been and it showed.

"Easy Cheetor," Rhinox urged. "We just want to make sure you're alright."

"I think this round of tests will be our final one," Optimus nodded. "I believe Cheetor's made a full recovery."

"Thanks big 'bot," Cheetor hopped out of the medical bay.

Nonetheless, the color in Cheetor's eyes was returning and it was only a matter of time before he'd be back to his old self. Or at least that's what the Maximals hoped for.

"So, uh, anything you need, kid?" Rattrap opened the door for Cheetor.

"Just to get some fresh air," Cheetor replied.

"I'll be going on patrol soon," Optimus said hesitantly. "Do you want to join me?"

"Sure Optimus," Cheetor said. "I've been kinda craving some action though."

Rattrap and Rhinox looked at each other hesitantly. Cheetor had not been there at the battle against Tigerhawk on the floating island. The young Maximal had been most disappointed because he didn't get a chance to participate. But what else could they have done? Cheetor hadn't even fully recovered at that point. They needed to keep him safe, which was their first priority.

Evidently, Optimus felt the same way.

"Well, hopefully nothing too bad will come our way," he said, hoping to deter Cheetor from any possible bouts of thrill-seeking while on patrol.

"Aw, come on!" protested Cheetor. "I barely have anything to do these days!"

"I'm sorry, Cheetor," Optimus put his foot down. "But it's for your safety."

"Come on, I'm no longer a cub!" a frustrated Cheetor replied.

"Eh, kids these days," Rattrap muttered and turned on the channel.

"Mister Staghorn," the news anchor asked. "When will you unveil your new invention to the public."

"Oh, I'll be sure to do it soon," the old man on the TV replied. "This new suit contains state-of-the-art cybernetics and it's equipped with a Virtual Reality simulator."

"Whoa, Optimus," Rattrap beckoned. "Come check this out."

Immediately, the four Maximals went up to the screen. As the reporter continued her interview with Staghorn, one thing stood out to them. It was a stasis pod mounted against the wall in the laboratory where the discussion was being conducted.

"How did he come into possession of that?" Rhinox pondered.

"I don't know," Optimus stroked his chin. "But we'd better investigate this."

With a small motion Cheetor did not catch, Optimus motioned for both Rattrap and Rhinox. After catching it, they nodded.

"Say, Cheetor, do you think you can help me with my new stasis cuffs tonight?" asked Rhinox.

"But I thought you already had 'em ready," Cheetor asked.

"No, they still have to go through some new field work," Rhinox replied.

That was the cue both Optimus and Rattrap needed to head out.

* * *

Life had not been treating Terrorsaur and Waspinator. After a steady string of failures, both Predacons had been questioning their own worth. Just a few weeks ago, Megatron had vanished without a trace and the other Predacons they had lost contact with. The fiasco with turning Cheetor into a Transmetal Two had cost them strategically. Not only that, but they had been taken out by two human teens which had been the most embarrassing aspect of it all. But that had not completely deterred the flyers.

The two of them snuck behind the hallway where the cybernetics room lay. Not too long ago, they had observed Staghorn Cybernetics' new acquisition, a stasis pod they had seen here on live television.

And there was no doubt a new Transformer lay in this pod. They would bring it to either Scorponok or Tarantulas to have it reprogrammed. Then they'd have another member to the Predacon forces to bolster their numbers.

"Once Waspinator and Terrorsaur get new Predacon, Maximals will be finished!" declared Waspinator.

"Shouldn't be too hard," Terrorsaur said. "I already disabled security."

Terrorsaur was not the most intelligent 'bot when it came to technological know-how. But the past few months had forced him to take on skills above and beyond his usual comprehension. He was better versed now in the computer sciences and the very basics of engineering, in addition to knowing how to disable alarm systems.

After all, why shouldn't he learn these things. Someone had to pick up the slack now that Megatron was gone. Waspinator was the only companion he had left now whereas the other Predacons made it no secret that they despised him.

"Come on," Terrorsaur gestured to Waspinator. "Once we get the stasis pod, we can—"

"Not so fast!" a familiar voice boomed.

"Optimus Primal!" Waspinator recognized it immediately.

"Yeah, and don't forget his wise-crackin' sidekick!" added Rattrap.

"You're not getting that stasis pod!" Optimus declared.

Terrorsaur figured that Optimus was also here for the same reason he was. He must have also seen the news on the stasis pod here.

"Go get the pod!" he ordered Waspinator. "I'll hold them off!"

"Waspinator on it!"

Leaping into action, Terrorsaur flipped out his rifle and sent several plasma shots flying towards Optimus and Rattrap who immediately took cover behind some crates. On cue, Waspinator flew off towards the location of the pod.

"Give it up, Terrorsaur!" Optimus shouted as Rattrap returned fire.

"Over my sparkless body!" Terrorsaur fired two missiles, forcing the Maximals to take cover again.

* * *

Buzzing into the room, Waspinator wasted no time and transformed to robot mode. The cybernetics core lay at the center of the room with the stasis pod located on the surgical table.

Right now, Terrorsaur was occupied with the Maximals so it was up to he, Waspinator, to retrieve the pod.

Waspinator walked forward but did not do a thorough survey of his surroundings. A small soda can beneath his feet tripped him and sent him sprawling on his chest.

"Oooh, why Waspinator get raw deal?" he complained.

He got up again and walked up to the pod. Attempting to get a firm grip, he grabbed on to both ends. Once accident, however, he slipped and pressed down on one of the buttons on the pod's console.

The stasis pod hummed violently, forcing Waspinator to let go. Finally, the lid opened as a barrage of smoke steamed into the room, covering Waspinator.

"What happened?" Waspinator wiped away the fog at his optics.

A looming figure that now stood before him was all the answer he needed.

"Oh no," Waspinator whimpered.

* * *

"Why can't you Maximals drop dead?" Terrorsaur shrieked as he unleashed more blaster fire from his gun.

From behind the heavy machinery they were hiding, both Maximals had decided they had had enough.

Optimus gripped his mace with its lower end facing up and leaped out from behind where he was hiding. Taking aim, he hurled the mace which sailed across the air and struck Terrorsaur's hand, knocking the blaster out of his grip. Terrorsaur shrieked and grabbed his injured hand.

That gave Optimus the distraction he needed. In a split nano-klik, he tackled Terrorsaur to the ground and restrained him. Holding on tightly, he took out the stasis cuffs that Rhinox had built and snapped them on to Terrorsaur's wrists.

"You're not going anywhere," Optimus told Terrorsaur. "Rattrap, go get Waspinator."

Rattrap nodded and headed down the hall where fog seemed to be emerging. Noting the peculiar situation taking place before his eyes, Rattrap gave pause and took out his gun. The fog emerged from the hall and soon covered the whole room where both Maximals and Terrorsaur stood.

"Hey Optimus," Rattrap said. "I think we got a—"

An electro-magnetic staff erupted from the smoke and thrust into Rattrap's chest, sending a jolt of electricity through the Maximal's core. As Rattrap cried out, a large hidden figure in the mists flipped the staff around and smashed the other end into Rattrap's jaw, knocking him on his back.

"Rattrap!" shouted Optimus.

At this point, it was becoming harder and harder to see.

"So you are the leader of the Maximals," a foreboding voice came through the mists like a foghorn.

Technically, that was incorrect, Optimus noted. He was only leader of the Axalon crew, not leader of the Maximals on Cybertron. But seeing how he and his crew were the only Maximals on this planet, that assessment may as well have been true.

"And you are?" Optimus demanded.

"I am Archon," the voice declared. "And it is I who shall lead the Predacons to liberation!"

Optimus frowned. A new Predacon. Swell. And since when did Waspinator know how to reprogram stasis pods?

"Whoever you are, show yourself!" Optimus took out his battle mace.

Archon did not show his face, at least not immediately. The sound of a weapon swishing through the air was enough to alert Optimus who raised his mace just in time to block a staff aimed towards his skull.

Optimus ducked another swing and lashed back, meeting the staff with a stiff blow from his mace. The staff was easily visible but his attacker, still shrouded in smoke, was not. Archon countered another blow from Optimus with the center of his metal staff and thrust forward with his own weapon, knocking the mace out of Primal's hands. Seeing his opportunity, Archon drove the staff into the ground, unleashing an electrical shockwave across the floor. Optimus quickly leaped out of the way and turned on his prime jets to avoid the discharge. Quickly, he flew away from the new Predacon and grabbed Rattrap, lifting his second-in-command up into the air before the shockwave could hit him.

Finally, the smoke cleared. At that point, both Terrorsaur and Archon were gone.

"Oh man, what just happened?" Rattrap rattled his head to clear out the stinging sensation.

"We've got ourselves a new Predacon," Optimus said plainly.

* * *

Though his head was throbbing from the stasis cuffs, Terrorsaur still managed to reach the run-down apartment at the edge of town that he and Waspinator now called home. It was abandoned for the most part and was also cited for demolishment in the next few months. The being named Archon helped him easy onto the couch.

Now he had a clear view of Archon. His mysterious benefactor was cloaked in a black cape that flowed down to his feet. The rest of his body was much simpler and streamlined with basic body armor attached to his chest, split into two sections. Archon's face, however, had no jawbone. His face was shaped in the likeliness of one of the Death Masks of Kaon with a gem at the center of his forehead. His yellow, malevolent eyes surveyed Terrorsaur with great interest.

"Thanks for helping me out," Terrorsaur said.

"It was the least I could do to help a fellow Predacon," Archon tilted his head.

"Your name's Archon, right?" asked Terrorsaur. "Would you happen to know what happened to Waspinator? A green and yellow Pred with stripes?"

"Ah yes, him," Archon replied. "He told me to tell you that he would make it back later."

"Hmph," snorted Terrorsaur. "Wonder what he's got that's so important."

"Are you two the only Predacons on this planet?" asked Archon.

"Nah," Terrorsaur shook his head. "I used to be part of a team until our leader got taken off-line."

"I see, so the Maximals destroyed him?"

"Not really, he just… disappeared one day."

"Interesting indeed," Archon seemed to be deep in thought. "Tell me, where do you see yourself in the next ten stellar cycles?"

It was a good question indeed. Terrorsaur often liked to think of himself as a Predacon warlord on Cybertron, having overthrown the Maximal regime. But reality told a far different story. He really didn't know what he'd actually become in that length of time.

"Guess I don't know," Terrorsaur admitted. "Always wanted to make it big as a Predacon Commander but never made the cut."

"That is most unfortunate," Archon stated. "Tell me something."

"Sure," Terrorsaur agreed.

"At the end of your life when you are about to pass away from rust, what will be your legacy?" asked Archon. "Will it have been wasted on years of failed missions to secure leadership of all Predacons or will you have proven yourself as a Predacon worthy of respect?"

"Easy for you to say," Terrorsaur sighed. "You didn't get stasis cuffed by a couple of human brats."

"With the way you are now, there is the possibility of you regretting your life when it all comes to its final conclusion," Archon said directly.

Terrorsaur said nothing. He only shook his head in disappointment.

"What if I were to tell you that you can become that which you desire most," Archon continued. "What if there was a way for you to gain that power and respect you deserve?"

"I'd take it!" Terrorsaur hopped out of his seat. "No way I'd give up a good deal!"

"Then listen carefully," Archon began.

* * *

"So what happened?" asked Rhinox as Optimus and Rattrap returned.

"There's a new Predacon," Optimus replied. "He's with Waspinator and Terrorsaur now."

"A new Pred?" asked Cheetor. "How'd that happen?"

"I'm not sure," Optimus confessed. "I didn't even get a good look at him."

"Well whoever he is," Rattrap clenched his rifle. "He's gonna get some Grade-A payback soon!"

"Rattrap, could you return to Staghorn Cybernetics to dig through their files?" requested Optimus. "I have a feeling that company's hiding something."

"What makes you think that?" asked Rhinox.

"They were competitors with Megatron Industries after all," Primal reminded them.

"I'm on it," promised Rattrap.

"Rhinox, search the database," Optimus told him. "Look up our files to see if we have anyone named Archon."

Rhinox nodded and got to work.

The only Maximal without anything to do was Cheetor.

"Anything I can do to help?" asked Cheetor.

"Well, you could—"

The truth was, Optimus really couldn't think of something to give to Cheetor to do. His blank stare must have become evident after a while because even the young Maximal noticed it.

"Come on, Optimus," insisted Cheetor. "I've recovered!"

Optimus then snapped out of it.

"Come with me," Optimus said, hoping he was choosing his words wisely. "We'll go on patrol together."

* * *

After having fallen asleep for roughly one or two hours, Terrorsaur was woken up by the sound of the door closing. He got off the couch and looked up. It was Waspinator, a little shaken up but otherwise fine.

"Where ya been?" demanded Terrorsaur. "I've waited hours for you!"

"Waspinator knocked out cold but Terrorsaur never came to help!"

"Yeah, well how was I supposed to know?" asked Terrorsaur. "You didn't radio me for help."

"How did Terrorsaur escape Maximals?" asked Waspinator.

"I had some help," Terrosaur explained. "This new Predacon named Archon came to my aid."

"Eh?" Waspinator seemed confused.

"Oh yeah, and good job with reprogramming him," Terrorsaur congradulated.

"Waspinator did not reprogram new Predacon," Waspinator insisted. "Waspinator didn't even put Predacon chip in stasis pod and BAM! New Transformer emerge!"

"That's strange," Terrorsaur scratched his head. "That guy had a Predacon energy signature and he was wearing a Death Mask of Kaon. No Maximal would wear that."

"New guy stepped out of stasis pod and next thing Waspinator know, Waspinator out cold!" Waspinator wringed his hands together for emphasis.

"Well, maybe he mistook you for a Maximal," Terrorsaur rationalized.

Deep down, Terrorsaur wondered whether or not he should tell Waspinator about Archon's plans to lure the Maximals into a trap. But after a brief moment of contemplation, he decided against doing so. It was best that this plan be laid-out only by himself and Archon. Other external factors might complicate it.

"Waspinator going to sleep off headache," Waspinator grumbled and walked away to his room.

"G'Night," Terrorsaur said and looked at the clock. Tomorrow would be the moment he was waiting for.

* * *

"So 'dis is what 'dis guy's been doing," Rattrap snuck through the security files.

He was in one of the facilities of Staghorn Cybernetics. After rummaging through the information, he had found quite a few tidbits. Apparently, the stasis pod was meant to be a holding cell for the new enhanced bio-armor Staghorn Industries were creating. All that must have changed when they found out that an actual Transformer lay within the pod.

But be that as it may, the project was still ongoing, noted Rattrap. He took the paper files and scanned them with a small camera he brought along with him. Optimus and the others would definitely want to see this.

There was something else on the tables. It looked like a pair of binoculars but Rattrap could tell from their designs that it was something more. Looking down, he observed the blueprints for it.

Suddenly, the lights flickered on.

"Who's there?" a voice demanded as Rattrap quickly took cover.

From behind the stacks of books, Rattrap watched as Mr. Staghorn slid into the room with his repulsor chair. The old man was a paraplegic, unable to walk with his own two legs which was why he relied upon machinery now.

"Poor guy," muttered Rattrap.

The old man looked at the files spread across the tables. Naturally, the only thing he could assume was that thievery or sabotage had just occurred here.

"Security," he spoke into his cell phone. "We have an intruder in our premises!"

Deciding not to stick around any longer, Rattrap put away the devices in his compartments and transformed to beast mode. He exited the same way he came in, through the ventilation systems where he knew nobody would search for him there.

Staghorn looked around the room, feeling an unnatural chill. Perhaps it was his old age or perhaps there was something to this that was more than just mere industrial sabotage.

* * *

"There he is," Terrorsaur hovered in the air, overlooking Crimson City High.

Archon stood on the rooftop with him. They had just identified the weaknesses of the Maximals, namely one of their main human allies on this world. Jack Whitman was with two of his friends, engaged in a conversation.

"He's the one who stasis cuffed me," Terrorsaur looked down angrily.

"Then he shall be the one whom we target," Archon nodded his head in confirmation.

"You guys ready to go camping this weekend?" asked Jack.

His two friends walked side by side. To his left was Steve Liu, a Chinese-American classmate who already had his hiking gear ready. On the right was Raj Singh, his Indian-American friend who had also gotten ready for the trip.

"I'm ready," Steve confirmed.

"You pack enough food for two nights?" asked Raj.

"Got 'em," Jack nodded. "I brought some trail mix too."

"Say, what's that?" Steve looked up.

A mechanical orb floated overhead where the boys could see. Suddenly, a bubble of energy erupted around them, trapping them effectively in place.

"What's going on?" demanded Raj.

"It's…" Jack struggled against the energy field.

"Greetings boy," Archon leaped off the building, appearing before them.

"Who the heck are you?" demanded Jack.

"And what's with the mask?" asked Steve.

"You shall make a most excellent diversion," Archon informed Jack. "Your close ties to the Maximals will be their undoing."

"Yeah, so kiss 'em goodbye!" added Terrorsaur.

"Maximals?" asked Raj.

"It's a long story," Jack slapped his forehead.

"So what do we do now?" asked Terrorsaur.

"We contact the Maximals," replied Archon.

"But we don't know their coordinates," Terrorsaur reminded.

"True," Archon held out an ultra-sound wrist-band. "But my wavelengths can reach all Cybertronian radars within the planet."

"Nice…" Terrorsaur grinned. "You do come prepared."

"Greetings Maximals," Archon spoke into the receiver, making sure to direct it to the three human teens to capture the scene. "Your moment of defeat is upon you, for I have captured one of your human allies. Whether or not I shall spare him and the miserable lives of his friends depends on how willing you are to negotiate. Meet me within Sector Delta, Six Five Seven Nine. Then we shall discuss the terms of surrender."

* * *

"Any particular reason you decided not to bring Cheetor along?" asked Rhinox. "The boy's been itching to get out and do more."

"I don't want to send Cheetor out on more dangerous missions," Optimus replied. "We saw what happened the last time he went out on patrol alone."

"Yeah, but he's a big kid now," Rattrap tried to reason. "He can make his own decisions."

The three Maximals had entered into the location Archon had ordered them to. It was an ice rink near the edge of downtown. Since it was already closed for the night, it didn't take too long for them to get in.

"Maybe we should've taken him w—" began Rhinox.

"My decision is final," Optimus told them with an almost uncharacteristic sternness to his voice.

"Okay, I'll be quiet," Rattrap made a zipping motion to his lips.

The rink lay before them. At the center was the energy bubble contained in a stasis field. Jack was there, along with two of his human friends the Maximals did not recognize. Next to it was none other than Archon and Terrorsaur. It was now that the Maximals finally got a good look at him. And as expected, they did not like what they saw.

"Let them go!" Optimus ordered.

"Gladly," Archon agreed. "It is you that I want."

Terrorsaur pressed down on a button to unlock the stasis field, freeing Jack and his friends.

"Wow, this is unreal," Steve gaped.

"What's going on here?" asked Raj. "Talking robots?"

The three kids ran up to the Maximals.

"You okay?" asked Optimus.

"We will be," Jack replied.

"Good, now get out of here as fast as you can," Optimus told them. "Thing are about to get ugly."

The three of them immediately took off but Steve and Raj were still in awe of their encounter.

"What's going on here?" asked Steve.

"That big robot acted like he knew you," Raj told Jack.

"Ehh, tell you all about it another time," promised Jack.

"You've made it," Archon told Optimus. "Just like I knew you would."

"How did you get into our com-frequencies?" demanded Rhinox.

"Oh, I didn't find you specifically," explained Archon. "My ultra-sound device can reach all Cybertronian radars on the planet."

"Just who are you?" asked Optimus.

"You already know my name," Archon told them. "But if you want to delve further, then I'll be glad to oblige. You see, I am Predacon Elite Archon, sent on behalf of the Predacon Alliance! My goal was to infiltrate your exploration ship and retrieve Protoform X for the Council. Unfortunately, you were stranded on this planet before I could carry out my plans."

"The Predacon Elite Guard…" Rhinox muttered. "This is bad news."

"Oh man, just the stories I heard of 'dem guys," Rattrap seemed to be visibly scared.

"We are the personal bodyguards of the Tripredacus Council themselves," Archon described. "The most skilled and deadly of their assassins!"

"Heh heh heh!" cackled Terrorsaur. "You Maximals have no chance!"

"If the Predacon Elite are every bit as deadly as the archives say they are, then this isn't good," Optimus told Rhinox and Rattrap.

Archon motioned to Terrosaur who responded straight away. The Predacon flier latched onto both of Archon's arms and flew him into the air just as Archon pressed down on a remote.

At once, the ice rink was set ablaze with electricity, short-circuiting all three Maximals where they stood. After a few moments of savoring their cries, Archon turned off the power and stepped down once more. He stood over the fallen Maximals triumphantly and laughed.

* * *

"Ugh," Optimus finally woke up. "What happened?"

"Found you unconscious at the rink," Cheetor replied. "Rhinox and Rattrap were kidnapped."

"Swell," Optimus got up. He was back at base again and he could still feel some of the surges through his circuitry.

"Easy big 'bot," Cheetor said. "I haven't even gotten you into the CR chamber yet."

"How did you find me?" asked Optimus.

"I traced your com-link when it went haywire," explained Cheetor. "Then I found you unconscious. Archon also left another message."

Optimus figured the surge messed with his com-link as well. Archon had really come prepared to face them. He went up to the screen and turned on the message Cheetor had traced through the radar.

"Greetings Optimus," Archon clasped both hands together. "Your numbers have been thinned and I now have your friends in my possession. Tonight, meet me within the inner city's subway station. It is there that we shall end this."

"Looks like I have no choice," Optimus said resignedly. "But first I'll have to pay a little visit to Staghorn Cybernetics."

"I'll come with you," Cheetor said.

"No Cheetor, it's too dangerous," countered Optimus.

"I'm a part of this team!" Cheetor raised his voice. "And I'm going with you!"

"Cheetor!" Optimus growled sternly.

For a minute, the two Maximals stared each other down. Finally, Optimus relented after turning away.

"Very well," he said. "But stay close to me."

* * *

Staghorn sat next to his desk as the lights around his room dimmed. Glancing down bitterly, he picked up a family photo of himself and his grandson. The picture had been taken back in happier times before his accident. It was when he recalled being truly happy.

His moments of nostalgia, however, were interrupted as a gust of wind blew out from his windows.

"Who's there?" he demanded.

Before he knew it, two mechanical beasts were standing there, one resembling a gorilla while the other appeared to be a cat of some sort. In no time at all, they had transformed into their respective robot modes, just as Staghorn had expected.

"Oh, so there's more of you," Staghorn coughed.

"_More of you_?" Cheetor blinked. "Am I missing something?"

"You've encountered our kind before?" demanded Optimus.

"Yes I have," Staghorn told them. "And to what do I owe the honor?"

"Your new so-called body suit's gone missing," Optimus told him, pointing to the stasis pod. "I assume you were the one who freed the Predacon in there?"

"Me?" Staghorn was incredulous. "I should think not! I was given that stasis pod as a gift!"

"A gift?" Cheetor raised an eye-ridge.

"After the industrial accident I had, I lost the use of my legs," explained Staghorn. "One day, a strange fellow named Anansi contacted me and gave me this so-called stasis pod. He'd said that the protoform within this pod was a blank and that I was free to mold it into whatever suit I wanted after giving me some lessons. In exchange, I had to grant him access to my company's resources to fund his own project. He never did tell me what it was."

At this point, Cheetor was clearly confused. If the protoform had been a blank like the old man said, how was it that it gave off a perfect Predacon energy signature?

"So you created a robotic body suit from the stasis pod as a new way for you to walk again?" inquired Optimus.

"Yes," Staghorn nodded.

"Would that explain this?" Optimus took out the VR simulator Rattrap had retrieved.

"Yes," Staghorn admitted. "This was just one of the older versions. I had already installed a new version of the VR simulator before it disappeared."

"Why would you need one of these things?" Cheetor looked at the old man, looking for any discernible signs of guilt.

"On the day of the industrial accident, I wasn't the only victim," Staghorn said honestly.

To prove his point, Staghorn turned around two family portraits. The first picture was one of him and his grandson in the park. The second picture was grimmer by contrast, as indicated by the young boy bound in the wheelchair.

"I wanted to give Jonathan his life back as well," Staghorn said, a single tear flowing down his cheek. "The boy always did enjoy video gaming."

Optimus closed his eyes, feeling the burden of guilt once more. He looked at Cheetor, wishing to say something but unable to.

* * *

"Where Terrorsaur been?" asked Waspinator. "Terrorsaur never around anymore!"

"Buzz off," Terrorsaur told him. "I've been busy. Someone has to pick up the slack especially since Megatron's gone!"

"But Terrorsaur not here last night!" Waspinator piped in. "Not come back until early in the morning."

"So? I've had plans?"

"Such as?"

The screen in their room suddenly hummed to life, showing the darkened features of Archon's death mask.

"Terrorsaur, are you ready for tonight?" he demanded.

"Sure am, boss," Terrorsaur beamed.

"Don't forget it's the train station in the inner city," the image of Archon finally flickered off.

"Told you I had plans," Terrorsaur shrugged.

"Waspinator has plans too!"

"Hmph," snorted Terrorsaur. "If you say so."

* * *

"Who would steal the suit like that?" asked Cheetor.

Back at base, the two Maximals were trying to complete as much detective work as they could before the allotted time could come for Optimus Primal's duel with Archon.

"Better question," mused Optimus. "Who is Anansi?"

A thought sprang to mind for Cheetor who quickly searched up the internet. After a few moments, the answer came.

"Check this out, Optimus," Cheetor pointed up. "According to the info here, Anansi is a folk hero and trickster in African folklore. He sometimes alternates back and forth between both man and _spider_."

"Tarantulas!" Optimus narrowed his optics.

"Why would Tarantulas just hand over another 'bot like that to Staghorn for free?" Cheetor looked at his commander.

"He wouldn't," Optimus deduced. "He'd reprogram the protofom into a Predacon and keep him as a servant or ally. Which means the protoform in the pod must have really been a blank for him to just give it to Staghorn."

"Then that means it was turned into a suit," Cheetor finished. "And someone's in that suit taking it for a test drive!"

"I think I know just who it might be…" Optimus put a finger on his chin.

* * *

As Archon had expected, Optimus Primal was there to greet him at the abandoned subway post where he had requested. The Maximal leader was alone. Archon, on the other hand, had Terrorsaur by his side.

"So, you came as I requested," Archon raised a hand. "Your friends are tied to the tracks and if you cannot defeat me within the next three cycles, they will meet their end."

"Then let's do it!" Optimus raised his weapon.

Archon obliged by swinging his electro-staff down. Catching it with the front end of his own mace, Optimus switched on the electrical conductors to his own weapons, absorbing the surges.

Stepping to the side, Optimus swung with his second mace which Archon immediately countered with the middle end of his staff, stopping it in mid-swing. The Predacon swung overhead only to have Optimus duck quickly. Before Optimus could retaliate, Archon slammed the end of his staff into the ground, forcing Optimus to leap aside to avoid the electrical shockwave.

* * *

"Oh man, sounds like Optimus met that Pred scum already," Rattrap commented. He and Rhinox were tied down in stasis cuffs with the two of them sitting back-to-back on the tracks. In just a few moments, the train would come and finish them.

"He won't be alone!"

"Cheetor, is that you?" Rhinox's head perked up.

"Yeah," Cheetor quickly undid the bolts to their stasis cuffs. "Now let's hurry! Big Bot needs our help!"

"You got it!" Rattrap leaped back up.

* * *

Very soon, Optimus found himself dealing with two Predacon opponents as Terrorsaur began firing upon him as well. Moving as fast as he could, Optimus swung his mace to deflect the shots being fired. Archon, however, did not approve.

"Terrorsaur, cease this immediately!" he ordered. "Optimus Primal is mine!"

"Aw, come on! I'm just having a little f—Rawwwkkkkk!"

A shot from Rattrap's pistol quickly knocked Terrorsaur down from the air. Archon turned around to see Rattrap, Rhinox, and Cheetor behind him. That distraction was all Optimus needed.

Pouncing into the air, Optimus grabbed onto one of the overhead lighting and used it as a springboard to slam both feet into Archon's chest, kicking him and causing him to stumble forward. Archon caught himself before falling but not quickly enough. Both Rhinox and Rattrap slammed into him, tackling him to the ground. Archon raised his staff underneath their chins and pushed up, trying to throw them off. Finally, both ends of his electro-magnetic staff hummed to life and caught both Maximals in the surge. With that, Archon mustered enough momentum to throw them off. Just as the two got up again, Archon swung with his staff and knocked the two aside.

He whirled his staff and attacked Optimus again, striking and swinging while keeping the Maximal on the defense. The best Optimus could do was raise his mace at the right moments to keep from being pulverized.

A shot whirling by was enough to distract Archon momentarily. Archon immediately knew it was Cheetor and turned around. He knew that the distraction could now be turned into an advantage. Driving his staff into the ground once more, Archon sent another surge of electricity from the ground directly to where Cheetor stood, trapping the young Maximal in his electro-magnetic field.

"Cheetor!" Optimus shouted and ran forward. This had been what Archon anticipated. And just in time too, when the train was coming.

The Predacon Elite Guardsbot spun around and drove the end of his staff into Optimus's chin, knocking him back right into the speeding train that just arrived. Optimus banged his head against the train with a merciless thud and fell to the ground, laying there in pain. Finally, the train left and Archon stood triumphantly over the fallen Maximal.

"Your time has come!" Archon raised his staff to deliver the spark-extinguishing blow.

"I don't think so!" Rattrap raced forward and extended his tail into a "hook" position.

Grabbing Archon with his tail, Rattrap raced onto the train tracks just as the train left and swerved around, releasing Archon and throwing him against the tracks.

"You will regret your meddling, rodent!" Archon raised his staff.

"Kinda what I was hopin' for," smiled Rattrap.

A sudden tug at Archon's extended arms alerted him that something was very wrong. Tilting his head around, he noticed the electro-magnetic end of his staff humming dangerously, being pulled back further and further. There was no way for him to move at this point.

Everything soon became clear before it ended. He was standing right in front of the third rail.

A shriek of horror and a powerful surge alerted Rhinox, Cheetor, and Optimus who had now hobbled onto his feet. Cautiously, they moved closer to the train tracks when a hand emerged from below.

"Don't worry guys," Rattrap climbed up and dragged Archon with him. "He ain't getting' up after 'dat shock to 'da system."

Archon's body was laid out clearly before them. Optimus removed the charred robes and pressed down on a few keys on his chest-plate. Finally, they opened up.

"Is… is that?" Terrorsaur had gotten up as well, looking at the scene from a distance.

Rhinox removed Waspinator's body from the suit and laid him down.

"Waspinator was the one in there," Optimus explained. "The VR simulator in the suit enabled him to construct a new persona for himself."

"In other words, it allowed him to be the Predacon he always wanted to be," concluded Rhinox. "The simulator must have been so advanced that it created a separate personality from Waspinator himself

"Waspinator…" Terrorsaur was incredulous. "I can't believe it."

"Take him and go," Optimus ordered. The rest of the Maximals watched Terrorsaur carefully as he took Waspinator's fallen frame and went off.

Now that the Predacons were out of the way, a separate matter needed resolution.

"Cheetor," began Optimus. "I'm sorry for trying to shelter you lately. You are part of this team and it's your call to make your own decisions."

"Thanks Big Bot," Cheetor smiled. "And I'm sorry as well for lying."

The rest of the Maximals did not speak but stayed silent out of respect to allow Cheetor to continue.

"I lied about having recovered," confessed Cheetor. "I'm not over what Megatron did to me and I won't be for quite a while."

"I understand," Optimus nodded.

"But it's alright really," Cheetor finished. "Because I have friends… friends who can help me through it all."

"Got that right, kiddo!" Rattrap high-fived Cheetor.

"Looks like things are going back to normal," Rhinox smiled.

"Come on Cheetor," Optimus put a hand on his ward's shoulder. "Let's go home."

Terrorsaur watched the Maximals go as he slung Waspinator's arm over his shoulder.

"Yeah, friends…" he muttered.

Soon, Waspinator started becoming conscious again. The stirring of his companion made Terrorsaur take notice. It reminded him of the time he first met Waspinator when they were trying out for Predacon Elite Guard. Of course, they both didn't make it in but that was how they got to know one another before meeting up with Megatron.

"Oooh, what happened? Did Waspinator go to Matrix?"

"Nothing," Terrorsaur said. "I never thought you had it in ya."

"Had what?"

"I'll tell you about it later."

Without another glance back at the Maximals, Terrorsaur flew into the sky with Waspinator in tow.


	38. Darkness at the Edge of Town Pt 1

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Darkness at the Edge of Town Part I_

As the cool night air blew through the atmosphere, Airazor and Tigatron strode calmly through the forest. What had once been a mere friendship had finally evolved into something more. Even though the two were reluctant to admit it, they had finally become attached to one another.

Airazor lowered her head and looked at the gnarled roots of the tree she and Tigatron stood next to. There was much to be said and she didn't know where to start. She doubted Tigatron knew where to begin either.

Apparently, Tigatron felt the same. His optics met Airazor's as if to say something but found himself unable to utter anything.

In the midst of the tension, Airazor didn't quite know what to say either. Finally, Tigatron decided to initiate something.

"Airazor…"

"Tigatron."

"We have been through a lot together," Tigatron admitted.

"Yeah, we really have," agreed Airazor.

"There's a reason I brought you out here tonight," Tigatron told her.

"What is it?" asked Airazor. The truth was, she already knew. For some reason, she found that question coming from her mouth despite already knowing the answer.

"Well, I—"

"Isn't that sweet," a familiar voice emerged from the thickets.

"You!" Airazor immediately raised her weapon.

Windrazor brought both hands together and fired a green orb of plasma that connected with the tree behind Tigatron and Airazor, exploding on contact.

The two Maximals were thrown off balance and fell to the ground. Tigatron quickly raised his com-link and spoke.

"Tigatron to Maximal base! Airazor and I are under attack!"

* * *

"You gonna help me with this or not?" asked Blackarachnia.

"I am not certain, ma'am," Silverbolt replied hesitantly. "After all, what I am doing is not right."

Blackarachnia put down her wrench and sighed. The two of them were in a cabin in the Alps. It seemed like the perfect getaway for a vacation, and a romantic one at that. But her intentions with the fuzor were anything but romantic. At least that's what she told herself.

"Aren't you being just a little too melodramatic?" she demanded.

"I am not," Silverbolt told her. "I do not feel that stealing from my friends is correct."

"Then why do you keep doing it?" Blackarachnia allowed a smile to creep to her face.

Silverbolt looked down in disappointment with a frown etched across his features. Finally, he reached within his chest compartment and took out the flux capacitor he had promised to bring to Blackarachnia.

"That's a good boy," Blackarachnia purred. "Now be a nice doggy and install the hard drives in this thing."

Silverbolt's chest heaved up in both hope and disappointment. Disappointment in what he was doing to fund her projects. Though at the same time, he felt hope. Hope that he could appeal to Blackarachnia's better nature.

Blackarachnia stepped into another room for a moment of relaxation. There was an old expression about how a sucker was born every minute and Silverbolt fit the bill. Still, she could not bring herself to completely take advantage of his naivete in every possible way. True she had him steal equipment for her, but thus far, she had not shot him in the back with a dose of cyber-venom. She didn't want to either.

"Blackarachnia, could I have some assistance?" Silverbolt's voice called out.

If she had to finish her experiments, she may as well do it without any further distractions, Blackarachnia decided.

"Computer, make sure no com-signals reach fifty miles of this radius," Blackarachnia told her supercomputer.

Thank Primus for good old fashioned jamming stations.

* * *

Tigatron bounced off the tree in beast mode and pounced on top of Windrazor. Undeterred, Windrazor heaved both feet up and flipped Tigatron off. She leaped back up and brought her sword close to the cat, narrowly missing him but slicing a tree in half.

"With or without the solstice, our plans will still come to fruition!" Windrazor shouted manically.

Airazor took aim and fired off two missiles. With a broad strike, Windrazor knocked the two of them aside and fired a shot of green flame, forcing Airazor to take cover.

Within moments, the other Maximals arrived. Optimus raised both maces up and charged, clashing against the lethal femme-bot. Windrazor swung her sword down and Optimus Primal raised both his weapons up in a cross-wards position to counter her. With a swift kick, Windrazor slammed her boot up and knocked one of the weapons out of his hands. Optimus swung with his other mace only for Windrazor to backflip out of the way.

Cheetor was the next to attack. With a concentrated burst, he sent several energy blasts sailing towards her. Windrazor smiled and deflected all the blasts with her hands. Before she could return fire, a stray shot from Tigatron whizzed past her, forcing her to step back. Soon, all the Maximals were closing in on her.

"Give it up, Windrazor!" Optimus warned.

"You can't win this!" Windrazor told them with confidence and self-assurance.

Raising both hands in the air, Windrazor summoned a primal surge of green flames which coalesced into a large sphere. Before she could fire it, however, her body froze. A sudden jolt to her systems told her something was wrong. Both her hands were cuffed together with some sort of restraining bolt, drastically reducing her powers.

"What is this?" demanded Windrazor.

"Stasis cuffs," Rhinox stepped out of the foliage. "These were made for you."

"You won't keep me in these for long!" promised Windrazor as he entire body glowed with a green aura.

"Oh no?" Rhinox took out what appeared to be a bazooka with twin cannons and fired.

The lower cannon released a single cuff large enough to fit around a body and snapped itself around her waist. After this, an electrical sizzle made Windrazor realize that she could not summon her formidable powers anymore.

"What have you done to me?" demanded Windrazor.

"You and Tigerhawk have powers beyond our understanding," Rhinox explained. "But your basic technological makeup is still Cybertronian. If these cuffs work on us, it'll work on you."

"You think you can contain me with these?" Windrazor cackled. "Ha hah hah! I'll break out, just you see!"

"What do we do with her now?" asked Cheetor.

"Take her back to base," Optimus told them. "We'll decide what to do then."

As they led her off, a formation emerged from beneath the ground and formed into a large humanoid creature. Golem looked at them with interest and flew off into the air to report back to his master.

* * *

From underneath the waves, the report did not deter Tigerhawk from his view of the deep sea.

"Then she was taken captive by the Maximals, master," Golem said.

"And why did you not assist her?" demanded Tigerhawk.

"Well, I…" Golem backed off slightly.

A blasts of flames near his feet forced Golem to leap back, falling on top of the other Pali Mystics just as they walked in.

"What are you doing?" demanded Ifrit.

"You nearly squashed us!" Tengu agreed.

The three other Mystics pushed him off and looked at their master. Finally, all four of them bowed on their knees.

"Retrieve Windrazor," Tigerhawk ordered them. "And do not fail me."

"Your wish is our command," Ifrit vowed.

As soon as they left the room, however, the mood shifted. The four were no longer the supplicating and groveling minions they had been in front of Tigerhawk.

"I grow weary of serving that technological abomination," Frost told his brothers.

"Yes, it is clear Tigerhawk is not a suitable being for the powers he possesses," Tengu agreed.

"You are correct, brothers," Ifrit's darkened look made the three of them pause. "Which is why we will now take matters into our own hands."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Golem.

"Come with me and I'll explain everything on the way," promised Ifrit.

* * *

"Cheetor, what are you doing?" asked Rhinox.

The young Maximal sat cross-legged on the floor as if in deep meditation. It was uncharacteristic of him to say the least. It was for that reason that Rhinox asked.

"I'm trying to bring it out again," Cheetor replied.

"Bring what out?" asked Optimus.

"When I transformed back to normal," Cheetor told them. "I was no longer a Transmetal Two. But somewhere deep inside, the beast still lives. I can feel it."

"Um, you sure about this, kiddo?" asked Rattrap.

"I don't really know," confessed Cheetor. "But with Tigerhawk still out there, I figured I'd try to regain that form so we can have a fighting chance."

"Cheetor," Airazor put an arm on the young Maximal's shoulder. "You really don't have to put yourself through this again—"

"Yes!" Cheetor's eyes glowed green suddenly. "I've got it!"

The rest of the Maximals backed off as a green aura surrounded the cat for several kliks. Soon, however, the energies dissipated, leaving Cheetor still the same as before. He snapped back to consciousness as soon as the green glow left his optics.

"Agh!" Cheetor banged his fist against the floor. "I was close! So close!"

"I'm sorry Cheetor," Optimus went up to his pupil.

"Perhaps I'd better go check up on our prisoner," Tigatron volunteered.

"I'll go with you," Airazor promised.

* * *

"Are you seeing this?" Jack looked at Windrazor who sat there in silence.

Both Jack and Luna had come aboard the ship recently to see what was going on. To their surprise, they saw one of the jail cells on the ship with an actual prisoner, something they had never seen before. From behind the laser shields, Windrazor glared at them contemptuously but did not say anything.

Speaking to organics was beneath her and she would hold her breath until someone more worthy would greet her.

"Jack, Luna," Airazor came up. "When did you two arrive?"

"Just a minute ago," Luna replied. "Say, how'd this happen?"

"Her name is Windrazor," Tigatron explained. "And she and her consort are the most dangerous Transformers in the known universe."

Jack gulped. He could tell that Tigatron was not lying.

"Are those your pets?" Windrazor finally spoke.

"They're humans," Airazor replied. "And they have names, you know."

"Right, and I should care, why?"

"Because now you see they have a face," Airazor said coolly. "The face of people you and Tigerhawk are trying to wipe out."

"So?" Windrazor's tone did not change. "You actually care for these two organics?"

"Yes," Tigatron stepped in. "Here in the Maximal base, looking out for one another is something we do."

"Feh," Windrazor spat.

"Tell me, do you and Tigerhawk look out for one another?" asked Tigatron. "Or are you simply his servant?"

Windrazor sat cross-legged with a frown. She truly did not know the answer to that, try as she might. Finally, she turned away from the four.

"Just go," she said to Tigatron and Airazor. The message for them to leave her alone was spoken clearly

Jack and Luna looked up at the two Maximals who nodded silently. The four of them went away and left Windrazor to her own thoughts.

* * *

The distant rumbling from the shores could be felt all the way to the inland jungles. From the green canopies, Inferno had traveled to the shores to see the point where the seismic rumbling had originated.

Sure enough, it was there. Waves crashed mercilessly against the shores as dark clouds brewed in the sky. The distant winds smashed against Inferno indiscriminately. They were so strong that even the fire ant had to plant his feet into the sand firmly to avoid being blown away.

"W-What is going on?" Inferno cried.

Suddenly, an enormous tsunami formed from the water and came crashing down on him, forcing Inferno to fly out of the way.

From the waves, Frost emerged. The large mass of water above both arms transformed into razor-sharp icicles which were launched at the pyromaniac Transformer. Inferno flipped away from them as they impaled the sandy shores.

Ifrit was the next to emerge. He launched a massive fire blast at Inferno who was once again forced to dodge.

"I have unfinished business with you!" he told Inferno angrily.

Fiery lines circled around his hands as he prepared another attack. Inferno braced himself for another assault, cocking his gun this time.

"Then leave it unfinished!" a commanding voice erupted. "You have another mission!"

"Lord Tigerhawk!" Ifrit allowed the flames around him to disappear. "But I was only—"

"Go now!" Tigerhawk commanded.

Ifrit and Frost obeyed without haste and flew away. Tigerhawk turned away from Inferno and with an impressive gesture of his hands, parted the waves, creating an enormous water trench leading to something that Inferno could only get a glimmer of.

Finally, it became visible. The floating island, slowly but surely, rose from the depths of the sea once more. This time, though, it was different. An enormous capsule of energy surrounded and within, a large majestic city could be seen. Golden skyscrapers lined the center of the landmass in addition to crystal domes that surrounded the roads and trees along the island's sidelines.

The floating island had become a floating city.

"By the gods!" Inferno gasped.

"Impressive, is it not?" asked Tigerhawk, as if finally taking notice of Inferno.

"I… think not!" Inferno growled.

"Try and stop me if you must," Tigerhawk beckoned.

Inferno drew his gun but with only one flicker of his hand, Tigerhawk sent an invisible wave of energy that slammed Inferno against a tree. The force of the blow was strong enough to incapacitate all of Inferno's internal systems, rendering him immobile but still conscious.

Tigerhawk hovered over Inferno passively.

"Perhaps now is not the time," he told the ant. "But if you wish one day, you may join us."

All Inferno could do was stare at Tigerhawk helplessly.

With that being said, Tigerhawk flew off towards his golden city.

* * *

"Do you feel that?" asked Windrazor. "He's coming."

The femme-bot was still bound in stasis cuffs on both wrists in addition to an energy bond across her waist set to maximum power. It was enough to restrain her… for the moment.

"She's not lying, Optimus," Rhinox pointed towards a computer screen. "Seems like our floating island's back."

On the radar, the familiar landmass could be seen again, giving off the same energy signature as before.

"How can that be?" asked Optimus.

"Once Tigerhawk comes, he'll make a deal with you Maximals," Windrazor told them triumphantly.

"Is Tigerhawk… really as terrible as you say he is?" Luna asked the Maximals.

"You have no idea, child," Windrazor spat contemptuously.

"Hey back off!" Rattrap told Windrazor. "Nobody asked you!"

"Don't worry Luna," Airazor put a hand on the human girl. "We'll do our best to protect you."

The sudden sight of Airazor comforting the human brought out an unexpected and uncomfortable churn in Windrazor's internal thought processes. Clearly Tigerhawk had not shown such compassion towards any of his acolytes. And though she was his favored servant, he had not shown that clear level of emotion towards her as of yet. She tried to get the unsettling notion out of her head but could not.

"Windrazor," Cheetor was now standing before her.

Her train of thought disrupted, Windrazor turned and faced Cheetor. What was it the young whelp had to say?

"Do you know how I can go Transmetal Two again?" he asked, meeting her optics. "I need it for the upcoming battle."

"I dunno," Windrazor yawned. "But tell ya what. Set me free right now and I might be able to help you."

Cheetor looked at Optimus and Tigatron.

"Don't do it," Tigatron shook his head.

"She's too dangerous and unpredictable," Optimus agreed.

"I have to have it!" Cheetor growled, his spark energy suddenly pulsating with an abnormal glow. "It might be the only chance we have!"

Even Windrazor was genuinely surprised at the sudden burst of energy Cheetor gave off, surrounding his entire body. However, he did not turn into the techno-organic beast that he had planned on despite his intentions.

"Ugh," Cheetor huffed. "I can't bring it out of me."

"Don't worry Cheetor," promised Optimus. "We'll find some way to go up against Tigerhawk."

"I've been working on a pair of stasis cuffs big enough to contain him," Rhinox told the gang. "They could work."

"Don't make me laugh," Windrazor scoffed. "Nothing can stop him."

"Wanna bet?" Jack got up in her face. "My friends can do it!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Windrazor said scornfully. "None of you realize how glorious his plan is."

"Right, like destroying the world is so grand," Airazor rolled her optics.

"Sometimes you have to end something to start over," Windrazor said bitterly. "My life basically ended that day on the mountainous planet of Zeo when my teammates left me for dead after an accident."

"Were you originally from Cybertron?" asked Optimus.

"Yes," Windrazor closed her eyes, allowing a small smile to etch across her face. "I was part of an exploration crew, not unlike your own. Though they weren't quite as nice as your team."

Windrazor drew a breath before continuing on with her story.

"Zeo was one of the new worlds on the outer rims of Cybertronian airspace that the Maximal Elders had set aside for exploration. My teammates and I arrived at a bad time unfortunately, just when one of the natural disasters were starting up. My speeder bike was caught up in the lightning storm and the rest of my so-called _friends_ left me behind. Days passed until I was sure I was in nearing the Matrix. Then I saw a light in the sky. It was Lord Tigerhawk. He and the acolytes breathed new life into me and gave me a new purpose. And I swear upon the spark in my frame, I'll repay him in any way possible."

"I… never knew," Airazor said.

"Nobody on Cybertron knows," Windrazor explained. "I'm probably pronounced MIA over there."

"You know what Tigerhawk is going to do," Optimus met her face-to-face. "And yet you'll still defend him?"

"Yes," Windrazor said without hesitation.

"Hey Optimus," Rhinox stared at the monitor. "I think you might wanna see this."

"What's happening?" asked Optimus.

"The island's headed our direction," Rhinox confirmed.

"Call Silverbolt," Optimus ordered. "See if he's available."

Rhinox punched in a few codes into the telecom. After several kliks passed of nothing but static, Rhinox could only assume the winged fuzor wasn't available.

"He's not there for some reason," Rhinox said. "What could be keeping him?"

* * *

"Relaxing, isn't it?" asked Blackarachnia.

She and Silverbolt sat on opposite ends of a CR Jacuzzi she had set up on her spare time. The liquids were moisturizing and the smell of hydro-chloric liquids mixed with energon reached Silverbolt's nostrils quite easily. Blackarachnia could tell that Silverbolt was enjoying each and every moment of this.

"Indeed it is!" Silverbolt beamed.

"That's good," Blackarachnia smiled. "Because break time ends after one mega-cycle."

"Very well," Silverbolt declared. "I shall make it my duty to help you complete your work!"

"Are you this eager to please?" asked Blackarachnia.

"Well, when I swear an oath of duty, I mean to complete it, m'lady," Silverbolt informed her. "And I have pledged my services to you."

Blackarachnia grinned eagerly. This was too easy.

"Glad to hear it," she told Silverbolt.

* * *

"What is this place?" Depth Charge wondered as he hovered above the floating city.

For the last few mega-cycles, he had been trailing the air-borne city. In terms of shape and mass, it was nearly identical to the floating island he had helped to bring down a while back. Was it possible that Tigerhawk had returned?

If that was the case, then Rampage couldn't be far behind.

He flew down for a closer look. The skyscrapers before him were impressive, if a bit pompous.

The designs around the city appeared to be Mediterranean, with some touches of Greco-Roman flourishes. Depth Charge transformed to robot mode and activated his jets. After flying around the place, he activated his sensors for any potential signs of danger.

He didn't like what he was faced with here. Undoubtedly, this was Tigerhawk's work, which meant the powerful being had returned. He remembered the last time when they narrowly defeated Tigerhawk. And nearly most of that was due to one of the Vok keeping him busy just long enough.

"Warning, spark of Protoform X detected!" his internal computer warned.

Depth Charge said nothing. He glanced at the direction his signal pointed him towards and flew there. Once he reached the tower, he flew in through an open window and walked up the stairs to his planned location. He had detected X but there was a good chance the monster also knew he was coming. After all, Rampage had that uncanny ability to sense things other 'bots couldn't.

When he reached the top, Depth Charge pushed the door open. From head to toe, the entire chamber was covered with energon. A electrical fizzle soon alerted him it was raw energon that he was dealing with. And despite his Transmetal armor, even this energon was potent enough to short out his circuitry if he wasn't careful.

"Computer, set energon dampeners to full," he said.

"Affirmative. You have ten cycles."

Ten cycles. If Rampage was in here, he'd have to find him fast. And when he did, the hard part of taking him down was going to take place. Deciding to be prepared, Depth Charge took out his gun.

"Now where is he—"Depth Charge walked over a pile of energon.

An instant chop to his throat floored him, knocking the gun out of his grip in the process.

"Looks like you're here," Rampage stepped out from behind an energon cache. "And just in time, too!"

Depth Charge made a low, guttural sound akin to a gurgle. Holding his throat, he stepped back up as if to catch his breath. This made the intensity in Rampage's optics deepen.

Moving quickly for such a large Transformer, Rampage struck Depth Charge with a back hand, smashing him into a wall of raw energon, shattering some of it to pieces in the process.

As Depth Charge got up, Rampage charged. He raised his fist and slammed it into the wall just as the blue Maximal rolled out of the way. Depth Charge flew into the air with his jets and took out his tail spear. He arched his arm back and chucked it, throwing it. The spear struck true and impaled Rampage's thigh.

"Huh!" Rampage laughed. "Like that'll stop me!"

Protoform X grabbed onto the spear and ripped it out. But immediately after he did, a massive electrical surge from the surrounding energon tore into the wound, inflicting a sudden and painful torture on Rampage and preventing the wound from being sewn up as it normally would have been thanks to his regenerative powers.

"Raaaahhhh!" Rampage howled in agony.

Depth Charge looked at the energon crystals around him. It made sense that this was happening since the entire room was filled with raw energon. He landed on the ground and charged, slamming the full weight of his body into Rampage from behind. Rampage stumbled forward, inadvertently impaling himself against a piece of the raw energon sticking out. From the new wound, more power from the raw energon erupted and struck his raw wound.

Just as Depth Charge closed in on him, Rampage suddenly turned around and struck Depth Charge in the chest, knocking him back yet again onto the ground.

"Don't think you can get lucky a second time!" Rampage howled.

The marine-based Maximal had never been one to put his faith in luck. Depth Charge knew what he had to do now.

Getting up to both feet, he slammed both fists into two thin, blade-like pieces of energon, breaking them off and holding them in his hands like swords. Crossing both of them in a defensive position, Depth Charge yelled his battle cry and charged.

* * *

As the Maximals stood outside the valley, Windrazor attempted to fumble with her energy bonds to try to loosen them. They were there right now awaiting the arrival of the floating island.

"Think they'll be here soon?" asked Jack.

"Let's hope not," Cheetor said hesitantly.

"Yeah, I ain't in 'da mood to die young, if you know what I mean," Rattrap shuddered.

"Like it or not, Tigerhawk's going to arrive soon," Optimus looked up towards the sky. "And as much as I hate to do this, we may need Windrazor as a bargaining chip."

"My, you are desperate," Windrazor said to Optimus. "Are you that afraid of Tigerhawk's wrath?"

Tigatron stared up. Soon, the creature made up of his dormant psyche would arrive. And just what could he possibly do? Speak with Tigerhawk and try to get him to stop whatever he's going to do?

_You are going to try to talk me out of my mission, father._

Tigatron recognized that voice. It was Tigerhawk communicating with him telepathically.

"Yes, yes I will," Tigatron said silently.

_And what good will that do? I offered you the chance to join us and together, we could rebuild this world in my image. __**Our**__ image._

"You know I cannot do that."

_My core conscious and my entire being emerged from your spark. Our ideas are intertwined, just like our destinies._

"Then I'm afraid I'll have to chart a new destiny."

Tigerhawk's telepathic voice grew silent, and then harsh.

_So be it… father._

The voice disappeared. Tigatron felt a deep dread gnawing at his internal circuitry but his footing stayed steady. He had made his decision and he had no regrets. Perhaps, once this was all over, he could finally tell Airazor how he truly felt.

"He'll be here sooner or later," Windrazor chuckled. "So what do you say you take off my cuffs?"

"Fat chance, lady!" Rattrap pointed a finger at her. "We ain't lettin' you back shoot us!"

"But you might need help against them," Windrazor gestured up with her head.

"Oh no…" Rhinox muttered.

Floating in the air before them were the four elementals. The Mystics of Pali held their staffs in their hands, brandishing them menacingly. And from the looks of it, they meant business.

"Get ready, team!" Optimus ordered.

Descending upon the Maximals like a pack of vultures, the Pali Mystics opened fire. Ifrit channeled the energy through his staff to unleash a volley of flames upon them, forcing them to take cover. When Golem landed, he gripped his staff down and rammed it into the ground, causing rocks around him to levitate into the air. Tengu drew his sword and attacked Airazor while Frost did the same with Tigatron.

Cheetor attempted once more to unlock his dormant Transmetal Two powers.

"Come on, come on!" Cheetor growled. "Work, blast it!"

From underneath his feet, a pillar arose, hurling him half-way across the air until he landed on his back. Golem leaped up and came leaping down at Cheetor with both fists transformed into balls of spikes. Before he could get his opportunity to pulverize the youth, Optimus launched himself into the air and kicked Golem across the jaw, sending him crashing back down on the earth.

"You're going to pay for that!" Golem hissed.

Ifrit soon joined Golem in their assault on Primal. The two brought down their staffs but Optimus blocked them with both maces. Spinning underneath, Optimus planted both into Golem, shoving him back. Ifrit backed away and fired two balls of flames at the Maximal leader. Optimus ducked one but bounced the other back with his weapon. The fireball struck Ifrit in the face, temporarily blinding him. As the Pali Mystic staggered back, Optimus gripped his mace tightly and slammed the lower end of his weapon into Ifrit's face.

Golem snuck up from behind Optimus with his staff but Rhinox, in beast mode, rammed into him.

From a distance, Frost fired an ice beam that froze Rattrap and Tigatron against a tree. He took note of the two children hiding nearby. Obviously, they would make a good target for him.

Cheetor noticed what Frost was doing as well. Just as Frost pointed his staff at Jack and Luna, Cheetor immediately leaped in the way when Frost opened fire. The ice blast struck him point-blanke, shielding his body in ice until he was completely encased.

"Cheetor!" Luna cried.

Cheetor's optics could still move. All he could do at this point was to watch helplessly as his friends continued fighting.

Windrazor sat there passively. Help had arrived and she would soon be free. She watched as Airazor punched at Tengu, only for the Paliyuga warrior to fly over her gracefully.

"Good to see you've arrived!" Windrazor smirked and gestured towards the stasis cuffs on her hand. "Now, if you would do the honors."

Tengu grimaced and blasted her in the chest-plate with a surge of air, knocking her down.

"I'm afraid it isn't so simple," he told her as Frost joined his side.

"You see, now that you're helpless, we're going to take our revenge for all the times Tigerhawk has inflicted pain upon us," explained Frost.

"And once we finish you, we'll do the same to Tigerhawk! Then the Vok will follow after this pitiful planet is ours!" Tengu declared proudly.

The two of them charged up their staffs which now emanated a yellow pulsating energy. Now rendered powerless by her stasis cuffs and energy bonds, Windrazor could do nothing but lower her head and wait for the end to come.

In the meanwhile, Cheetor watched the battle helplessly while frozen in his current state. The Maximals were being worn down in the fight. Even Optimus and Rhinox at this point were barely holding their own against Ifrit and Golem. He looked on powerlessly as Tigatron and Rattrap struggled to free themselves in time. Then he watched as Airazor suddenly threw herself right in front of Windrazor as Tengu and Frost opened fire, taking the full brunt of the blow from their staffs as energy engulfed her.

A green energy began forming around his spark as Cheetor remembered how helpless he had been before Megatron's brainwashing and reprogramming. How he could not even save himself though he wanted to. He remembered how Megatron set him upon his friends while he had almost little to no control of his actions.

All that had happened because he had been weak. He was too weak to resist Megatron's tampering and in the aftermath, he had been weak with self-pity and moping. And truth be told, he had had enough of it.

He would no longer be weak.

A green hue surrounded the block of ice encasing Cheetor. Soon, chunks of ice were sent flying everywhere in an explosion that made everyone stop and take notice.

Cheetor stood before them once more, erect and with claws extended.

"Cheetor!" cried Optimus who had his mace crossed with Ifrit's staff.

"Got that right," the new Transmetal Two Cheetor growled throatily. "Time to kick some tail!"

Ifrit freed himself from being entangled against Primal's weapon. He looked at the new Cheetor, surveying him along with his three other companions in awestruck confusion and interest. It did not take long, though, before he decided on what to do next.

"Mystics!" he ordered. "Attack!"

* * *

The wounds on Rampage's thigh and chest plate were healing up, noted Depth Charge. Despite his flurry of attacks, the behemoth was not slowing down.

Rampage avoided a thrust of Depth Charge's raw energon and grabbed the hunter's wrist. Depth Charge struggled to get free but Rampage held on tightly. Finally, Rampage squeezed hard enough for the Maximal to drop the energon blade he held in one hand. With that done, Rampage thrust an open palm into Depth Charge's chest, sending him hurtling back.

"You're just wearing yourself down!" Rampage taunted.

Stoically, Depth Charge got up again. He charged but leaped overhead, grazing Rampage across the shoulder with his remaining energon blade. Rampage howled as a surge of raw energon entered into the open wound. Seeing his chance, Depth Charge whirled around and brought the blade across Rampage's chest. This time, Rampage stumbled back, a large gaping gash now marked across his chest. Moreover, his spark was exposed.

This was what Depth Charge had been waiting for.

Holding the remaining blade adjunctly in both hands, Depth Charge thrust it forward only for Rampage to catch it before the tip of the blade could reach the spark, holding it back.

"Raw energon, right through your twisted spark!" shouted Depth Charge. "Take it… take it straight to the Pit, you sickening piece of slag!"

Though Rampage was holding on quite well, he still felt himself growing weaker and weaker. His open wounds were already causing internal malfunctions thanks to the raw energon all around them. And though his stamina was quite legendary, even he was not completely immune to some of the effects of raw energon. As he gripped the blade more tightly, he felt the razor-sharp end slowly cutting across his joints as his exposed spark began humming dangerously from the electricity.

Realizing that his foe was getting weaker, Depth Charge's resolve only grew stronger. Launching himself forward, he pushed Rampage back against the wall.

With a final burst of energy, Rampage snapped the energon blade in Depth Charge's hands to pieces, but it was too late. A small shard of raw energon leaped out from the blade after being splintered and struck Rampage's already unstable spark. The resulting backlash was strong enough to push Depth Charge back as the beast howled in agony.

Reaching towards his spark, Rampage grabbed the shard embedded in the essence of his life force and pulled it out, throwing it aside. He fell to his knees, realizing just how much energy he had lost. The nanites in his system were all but destroyed and there was no way his self-healing spark could fix him up quickly this time.

He looked up and saw his rival with missiles launchers in hand, pointed right at him.

"Nighty night, creep."

The next thing Rampage knew, a barrage of missiles struck him. And with his armor and invulnerability completely maxed out, he felt every bit of the pain.

* * *

Leaping overhead, Cheetor somersaulted above the four Pali Mystics as they opened fire with their staffs. Due to his incredible speed, Cheetor avoided all the blasts and landed on his feet cleanly. The first thing he did upon landing was to arch is arm back and slam his fist into Frost who stood behind him, knocking him down with one blow.

Tengu whirled his staff in the air, generating rapid movements of wind. He swung two times, sending two razor-sharp slashes of wind. Cheetor ducked below one blast and leaped over the other with a spinning body. He moved in quickly and grabbed Tengu by the staff, flipping the Mystic over and kicking him far across the air.

During the fight, Windrazor had been lost for words. And it was not because of Cheetor's ascension to Transmetal Two. It had been the selfless act of Airazor who leaped in front of her to take the blow that had clearly not been meant for the Maximal femme-bot. In doing so, she had forced Windrazor to face some deeply unsettling truths. One such truth was the fact that her bond with Tigerhawk was nowhere near as strong as the one the Maximals had with one another. The Maximals watching out for their own was not a lie.

Also, she had seen how Cheetor selflessly put himself between the Mystics of Pali and the two children who were worth nothing to her. At best, they were distractions but yet, the Maximals cared for them as if they were Transformers. Tigerhawk certainly didn't care about the Pali Mystics and neither did she. But for some reason, what Cheetor and Airazor did struck a chord with her.

"I must be getting soft," Windrazor chuckled.

In the next second, the body of Tengu came crashing down next to her. From the looks of it, Cheetor was handling himself just fine.

Cheetor grabbed the staffs of Ifrit and Golem as they swung down, catching it and flipping them on their backs. Frost sent and ice blast in his direction but Cheetor was fast enough to avoid it, drilling into the Mystic with a flurry of blows and then a kick that sent him sprawling.

Ifrit and Golem launched more of their attacks. Jumping over one of the boulders thrown at him, Cheetor came down and kicked Golem in the chest with both feet. As Golem got up, Cheetor lifted him over head and threw him onto Ifrit.

"Get off me, you oaf!" Ifrit growled and pushed Golem off.

Cheetor leaped in between them and kicked both across the face with a split kick. As they fell down, Cheetor grabbed onto both of their staffs. From behind him, Tengu appeared, attempting to sneak up from behind him.

Spinning both staffs boisterously, Cheetor drove both ends into Tengu's mid-section. The resulting explosion saw Tengu's body fall to the ground after being blasted into the air. After he was done, he looked at the remaining elementals, gripping both weapons in his hand.

"Get him!" Ifrit ordered.

Golem was the next to attack. A rock formation in his hand soon emerged into a sword as he swung wildly at his target. Cheetor bobbed and weaved through the attacks as if his opponent were moving in slow motion. Finally, Golem disappeared underground and reappeared again, grabbing Cheetor in a bear hug from behind. Ifrit and Frost saw their opportunity and held out both hands, letting loose their most powerful elemental blasts.

Cheetor saw it coming and headbutted Golem, forcing the titan to loosen his grip. Very quickly, Cheetor flipped over the Mystic with both hands, landing squarely behind him as the two blasts struck Golem mercilessly. When it was over, Golem's shoulder sagged as a low-level grunt emerged from his throat. Cheetor spun Golem around and smashed the creature to pebbles with one well-placed fist.

"Not possible!" Ifrit stepped back.

"He's too fast and strong!" Frost hissed. "We should consider a retreat!"

"No!" Ifrit insisted. "We stand our ground!"

The next thing he knew, a wild Transmetal Two beast pounced upon Frost, slamming him so forcefully to the ground that the Pali Mystic was knocked unconscious. Cheetor, in beast mode, smiled as he circled Ifrit.

Out of desperation, Ifrit created a wall of flames around himself and Cheetor.

"You have nowhere to go now!" he cried. "Just watch as I turn up the heat!"

Ifrit cupped both hands together for a superheated blast but before anything could materialize, a whip-like cord struck out and wrapped itself around his hands. In actuality, it was really Cheetor's now elongated and prehensile tail. Cheetor yanked Ifrit forward and slammed one of the staffs into his neck, knocking him down and disrupting the wall of flames he had set up.

Ifrit wobbled back to his feet but as soon as he regained a semblance of consciousness, a massive fist crashed into his jawline. Cheetor struck Ifrit again and again until finally, the last of the Pali Mystics fell.

"I could get used to this," Cheetor commented on his new abilities.

"You did it, Cheetor!" Optimus complimented.

"Good job, kiddo!" Rattrap patted him on the back.

"You think you've won?" Windrazor gestured to the sky. "This war hasn't even begun."

Sure enough, the entire floating island was levitating over the valley. From what they could see, the Maximals noted that it was no longer just an island. It was practically a metropolis floating in the sky.

A top hatch opened up on the lower end of the island, revealing a trans-mat device that hummed at the center.

The Maximals soon felt their bodies de-materializing as a teleportation beam entered into the atmosphere around them.

"Oh man," Rattrap complained as his body began de-molecularizing. "We're all gonna die!"

_To be continued._


	39. Light at the End of the Tunnel Pt 2

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

Light at the End of the Tunnel Pt 2

All around them, the streets glistened. It was almost like a city on Cybertron itself. Cybertronian architecture lay in front of them with traces of Mediterranean designs. The streets were clean and the air was unpolluted. More importantly, the Cybertronian buildings were much sleeker, not grimy or high-rise like the ones back on their home planet itself.

It was everything they could've asked for in a city and

"We here?" asked Cheetor.

"It appears so," Tigatron confirmed.

"Do you like what you see?" a familiar voice boomed. "This city can be yours in exchange for your fealty."

"Tigerhawk!" Optimus growled.

The large Transformer floated overhead briefly before landing and faced the Maximals.

Suddenly, Tigatron stood up and walked towards Tigerhawk slowly. He came face to face with his much larger counterpart, unerringly bold in conduct.

"It's all starting to make sense," Tigatron said. "Lagash told me that you were created from my dormant psyche. Everything is coming together now."

Optimus quickly raised a hand to prevent the other Maximals from moving in to aid their white tiger companion. What Tigatron was doing didn't gel too well with him, almost as if he was walking up to Tigerhawk to request a personal death wish, but there must have been some kind of reason for it.

"You developed a merciless creed in accordance to the beliefs of the Vok and the memories you shared with me," Tigatron went on. "When you arrived on Zeo, you granted Windrazor her powers and even named her based on your dormant memories of Airazor."

"Yes," Tigerhawk replied uncomfortably.

"Then you don't need to do this," Tigatron urged. "You can reject the Vok influence in you and step into the light at the end of the tunnel!"

"There is no need," Tigerhawk growled. "You and I are similar but different in many ways, father. I understand the need to preserve ecological balance, but unlike you, I have the ruthlessness and strength to carry it out."

"But there's also compassion," Tigatron said. "And understanding."

"Qualities which are admirable," Tigerhawk replied. "But useless. All I ask now is that you be decisive. Will you join me in my mission?"

Tigatron shook his head. Taking note, Tigerhawk lowered his hand as green flames swirled around it.

What happened in the next klik was so fast that even Tigerhawk was taken by surprise. Cheetor leaped in front of the god-like Transformer and leaped up, grazing him across the jaw with an uppercut and disrupting the flow of energy in his hand.

Tigerhawk took a step back and paused. Was that Cheetor in his advanced Transmetal form? He dared to strike Tigerhawk?

Ignoring Tigatron, Tigerhawk blasted a concentrated dose of blue energy at Cheetor who flipped over the large Transformer, cupping both hands together and smashing him across the forehead.

Clenching both fists together, Cheetor bounded all around Tigerhawk, striking him every so often and pulling away. He leaped up, grazing his knuckles against Tigerhawk's jawbone. From there, he flipped over Tigerhawk, connecting his fist with the back of the large Transformer's head.

Tigerhawk returned a punch, but Cheetor ducked under it and drove his fist once more into Tigerhawk's face.

"Huh!" Tigerhawk chuckled. "You are indeed as fast as Windrazor said you were."

Cheetor answered with a powerful blow to Tigerhawk's mid-section. At this point, Tigerhawk was growing weary of this. Raising his hands up in the air, and channeling green flames into it, Tigerhawk drove it down where Cheetor stood, devastating the ground where he punched.

Cheetor leaped into the air and opened fire with his gun. The shots, however, merely bounced off Tigerhawk ineffectually. Cursing inwardly, Cheetor landed and bounded towards Tigerhawk again. This time, he struck Tigerhawk with a series of rapid blows that even the other Maximals had trouble keeping up with.

Finally, after wearing himself out, Cheetor looked up and realized that Tigerhawk was still standing there. What effects he had on the behemoth, if any, were almost minimal.

Tigerhawk let loose a fireball which Cheetor promptly avoided while in mid-air. A second blast, however, struck Cheetor and knocked him down.

"Ugh…" Cheetor spat.

The next thing he knew was Tigerhawk grabbing him and pinning him to the side of a building.

"Submit now and I may show mercy," Tigerhawk warned.

Cheetor grabbed Tigerhawk's fingers, attempting to pry them open and free himself. Tigerhawk noticed this and squeezed harder until finally, Cheetor cried out in agony. When that happened, Tigerhawk dropped the prone body of the young Maximal.

"Oh man…" Cheetor lay on the ground, clutching the section that most humans would call their ribcage.

Cheetor dropped down again after attempting to get up. Tigerhawk nearly destroyed the internal systems within him with his powerful grip.

Tigerhawk glared at the stasis cuffs on Windrazor's wrists and from his eyes, twin lasers emerged, blasting the cuffs off.

"Thanks," Windrazor got up and grabbed the energy bond around her waist, tearing that off as well.

"We're so gonna die now," Rattrap muttered.

To the surprise of all the Maximals, Windrazor did not attack them. Instead, she just stared at them inquisitively.

"What's going on?" asked Airazor.

* * *

Despite the barrage of missile fire, Rampage had not yet fallen. Taking hit after hit, Protoform X managed to stay steady on both feet as explosion after explosion rocked his body. Depth Charge saw this but continued firing.

Finally, the last of his missile salvos in his gun ran out. He was fresh out of ammo now.

"Is that… the best you can do?" taunted Rampage. Half his face had been blown off in the explosions. The rest of his body was in no better condition.

Depth Charge bristled. Just what would it take to bring this creature down?

The solution came in the corner of his eye. Just near a cache of raw energon lay Rampage's rail gun. The missiles in those were powerful enough to devastate a mountain.

Interrupting Depth Charge's concentration, Rampage charged, ramming into Depth Charge and knocking him to the floor.

"You're going to taste sweet oblivion soon enough!" promised Rampage who raised his foot.

Seeing his one slim chance, Depth Charge quickly pushed both hands behind his head into the floor and slid under Rampage just as he stomped down. Using his momentary advantage, Depth Charge flipped overhead and kicked Rampage in the back with both feet. Rampage was knocked back from the blow and slammed head-first into another cache of energon.

Depth Charge rolled away and grabbed onto the rail gun, holding it tightly.

"Ragh!" Rampage turned around.

"End of the line, X!" Depth Charge opened fire.

Three missiles erupted from the triple cannons, each striking Rampage and pushing him back until the final explosion destroyed the wall near the tower and sent the charred body of Protoform X falling thousands of feet to the ground.

* * *

"Are you alright?" asked Tigerhawk.

Windrazor was a bit surprised. It was the first time Tigerhawk had ever shown concern for her safety.

"Why, yes I am…" she replied.

"Excellent," Tigerhawk boomed. "Do you wish to finish these fools off now or shall I give them one final chance?"

"Well, I—"

From up above, the body of Rampage crashed into the ground right between Tigerhawk and the Maximals. The impact created a crater from where his body crashed. Moments later, Depth Charge flew down.

"Rhinox!" he called out. "You still got one of those stasis cuffs?"

"Yeah!" Rhinox called back.

"Throw one over!"

"But—"

"Do you want X recovering?" Depth Charge demanded.

The former security 'bot made a good point, Rhinox had to admit. Reaching in his compartments, Rhinox took out one of his stasis cuffs and tossed it. Depth Charge caught it with one hand and snapped it down on the unconscious Rampage's wrists. Within seconds, the internal functions of Rampage, including his self-repairing nanites, were immobilized, placing him in a state of stasis lock.

"Good, that's one baddie down for the count," Depth Charge got up.

"You again!" Tigerhawk snarled.

* * *

Having followed the floating city since its entering of the continent, Terrorsaur and Waspinator flew around the metropolis, scouring for anything they could take for themselves.

"This city could be filled with gold!" Terrorsaur declared. "And treasures?"

"What use does Terrorsaur have for gold?" Waspinator asked.

Good point indeed.

"Okay, so maybe not gold," Terrorsaur replied. "But who knows. We could find a great energon cache up here or anything of value really!"

"Why Terrorsaur think so?"

"Because look at these designs! They're Cybertronian! And where there's anything Cybertronian, there's sure to be something good!"

"Hmm, think floating city could take us back home?" asked Waspinator.

"To Cybertron?"

"Yessss!" Waspinator nodded his head. "Maybe trip will be faster!"

"Hey, great idea!" Terrorsaur smiled.

"First, Waspinator and Terrorsaur need to find pilot room!"

"I dunno," grunted Terrorsaur. "I want to see what this place has to offer first!"

"Come on! Waspinator and Terrorsaur been stuck on planet for too long!"

"Well, that is true…"

Waspinator did not wait a second longer. He flew off in pursuit. Soon, after shaking his head, Terrorsaur followed up.

* * *

"You believe you can stop me?" asked Tigerhawk. "You're welcome to try."

"Gladly," Depth Charge stepped forward with his rifle.

"Depth Charge, wait!" Optimus grabbed the blue Maximal's arm. "You don't want to rush into this!"

"You should heed your friend's advice," Windrazor pointed out. "He knows how to keep a cool head."

None of the Maximals attempted to step forward. They'd seen Tigerhawk's powers up close and none of them wanted to re-enact their previous defeats at his hands. Soon enough, Depth Charge backed off as well.

"Nothing to say?" Tigerhawk appeared to be amused. "Very well then. I suppose it won't matter to you if your precious Crimson City is the first to go up in flames along with the rest of the world."

"What?" Tigatron growled. "No!"

"Should've said something sooner!" Tigerhawk sneered as he and Windrazor disappeared in a flash of light.

Soon, a rumbling noise alerted them that the floating city was indeed moving forward. Optimus quickly flew into the air and used his zoom vision to hone in on their location. In the far distance was Crimson City. In a few minutes, Tigerhawk and the floating island would be there. Then doom would be spelled for the inhabitants.

Optimus flew down and glanced at his teammates with the greatest of consternation.

"This isn't good," he told them.

"Is it close by?" asked Airazor.

Optimus nodded his head grimly.

"Oh man, they're all gonne die!" Rattrap cried.

This time, none of the Maximals bothered to correct Rattrap. They knew his words this time may as well be prophetic.

"We've got to stop Tigerhawk by any means necessary!" Tigatron finally spoke up.

"I agree!" Rhinox stepped forward.

"Me too!" Cheetor growled.

All six Maximals stepped forward and put their hands together in a motion. Then they looked at Depth Charge.

"Are you in?" asked Optimus.

"Yeah I'm in," Depth Charge promised. "But first…"

From up above, Depth Charge's Cybertronian Starhopper landed before them. Its hatch opened up immediately. The Maximals could then see the enormous stasis pod that had been used to house Rampage's body.

"Let me put X in there and you bet your servos I'll do everything I can to help," promised Depth Charge. "Shouldn't take longer than five cycles."

"Very well," Optimus concurred, acknowledging for the first time that the blue Maximal had his own way of doing things.

"How will we find Tigerhawk?" asked Airazor. "He could be anywhere around here."

"We'll split up. Cheetor, Airazor, and Tigatron, you're with me. Rattrap and Rhinox, you two go off in another direction. Depth Charge, once you're done, go with Rattrap and Rhinox."

"You got it," Depth Charge tilted his head in agreement.

"Sure thing, bossmonkey!" Rattrap said as he and Rhinox headed off.

"We stop Tigerhawk," Optimus told his remaining team. "No matter the cost!"

* * *

"Those Maximals may not know it," Tigerhawk glanced outside his palace window. "But I'm doing this for their own good."

"Yes…" Windrazor said unenthusiastically.

"We can rebuild," Tigerhawk told her. "Create a new Cybertron with a new race of Transformers untouched by class distinctions of Maximals and Predacons. Wouldn't it be spectacular?"

"You're right," Windrazor said softly. "It would be."

"Is something the matter?" asked Tigerhawk. "You haven't been yourself since your capture by the Maximals."

"No, no," Windrazor reassured him. "I'm devoted to your cause only."

"That's good," Tigerhawk said and floated to the top of the palace. "I'll need you by my side."

It had been the first time Tigerhawk ever said that to her. Now she knew for certain that he needed her and it made her happy. But despite her elatedness, Windrazor could not get the actions of Windrazor and Cheetor out of her head.

* * *

"Brothers, are you alright?" asked Ifrit.

The four elementals had managed to recover from the battle and flew up to the floating city. At this point, they knew their time was up. They'd attacked Windrazor and there was no way Tigerhawk would let that pass. They were as good as dead. Except that Ifrit had another plan.

"Could be better," Golem groaned. "Cat really gave us a thrashing…"

"Yes, in any case," Ifrit told them. "We'd better make it to the main control room. That way we could commandeer this ship into the ground and escape before Tigerhawk notices."

"Have you gone mad?" demanded Frost. "Tigerhawk will hunt us to the ends of the galaxy if we did that!"

"From the way I see it," Tengu crossed his arms. "We've already betrayed Tigerhawk so what else do we have to lose?"

"Let me guess," a familiar, youthful voice behind them rang out. "How about a few more limbs?"

"Oh no!" Golem backed away. "Not you again!"

Cheetor was there, front and center. Optimus, Airazor, and Tigatron were also there.

"Oh yes," Cheetor stretched out his clawed hands. "Now tell us how we can stop Tigerhawk."

"He's too powerful!" Tengu said, while hiding behind Golem. "None of you can stop him!"

Tigatron lowered his head briefly in contemplation. He remembered the story Windrazor had told them about how the Mystics had been the ones who granted her her powers.

"Wait," Tigatron spoke up. "Remember the procedure you performed on Windrazor to grant her the powers she has?"

"Yes, what of it?" demanded Ifrit.

"Could you do the same to one of us?" requested Tigatron. "That way we have a fighting chance against him."

"Hmph, not in a million years would we help—"

"Raagh!" Cheetor roared as he grabbed Ifrit by the throat and lifted him up.

"Alright, alright!" Ifrit croaked. "We'll assist you!"

Cheetor dropped the Pali Mystic and looked at him with his most frightening glare. This made the other Mystics slightly more agreeable, if only out of fear.

Ifrit got up and dusted himself off. "We'll perform the ritual on Airazor. So far, we've only got the experience doing this with female Cybertronians like Windrazor and her protoform is roughly based off that of Airazor's."

"Very well, but no funny business!" warned Optimus. "We'll be watching you!"

"Count on it!" Cheetor bared his fangs.

"Are you ready for this?" asked Tigatron.

"Anything to save the earth," Airazor agreed.

The male Maximals moved to the side as the four Pali Mystics surrounded her and began chanting. Soon, an iridescent glow surrounded Airazor's body as she felt herself slowly being transformed. The wings on her back steadily grew larger. Realizing that her body was going through a stage beyond mere Transmetallization, Airazor looked down at her two hands as they pulsated with energy.

Finally, it was over. When the smoke cleared, Airazor's new form could be seen by all three Maximals.

"By the Matrix!" gasped Tigatron.

The golden light surrounding Airazor only made her seem more luminous. Her chest plate and legs were tinted in gold whereas the six-pronged helmet on her head was altogether red. Instead of the normal mouth she had, the beak from her falcon's beast mode was in its place. The much larger wing-span she now possessed was a mixture of red, blue, and white, with pulse cannons situated at the bend of her wings. Though not quite a techno-organic Transmetal Two, she was clearly past the stage of normal Transmetals and was something much more now.

"Spiffy, isn't it?" asked Airazor.

"You bet!" Cheetor smiled. "You ready to kick some butt now?"

"I'm ready alright!" Airazor clenched both fists together.

"Remember!" Ifrit reminded her. "This form of yours can only last for ten minutes. The process we performed with you was incomplete since Tigerhawk assisted us the last time. When time runs out, these powers will fade."

"Well guys, it's been an honor," Airazor saluted. "Just in case I don't come back from this."

"You make it sound as if this is the end," Tigatron said almost dimly.

"It ain't over 'till it's over, big guy," Airazor told him warmly. "I'll be back for you."

Airazor blasted into the air with her new jets, leaving behind a trail of blue energy. Her new form made her much more powerful than before. When she was gone, Tigatron allowed a smile to appear on his face.

"Of course you'll be," he said contentedly.

"So," Cheetor looked at the Mystics who were attempting to sneak away. "Who wants to be my new chew toy?"

"Uh oh…" Golem murmured.

* * *

Above the clouds, the floating island drew near the city. Its complex technology allowed it to avoid any military sensors.

Tigerhawk was ready at this moment. From the heavens, he would rain fire and destruction upon the humans. Windrazor, on the other hand, looked a bit more apprehensive, though Tigerhawk did not see this.

"I am ready," Tigerhawk got up.

Without asking Windrazor whether or not she was, Tigerhawk floated to the very top of the palace. The sun shone above brightly while below, the vast clouds that covered them made a useful disguise. Tigerhawk felt the warm rays circling him and allowed a powerful current of emerald lightning to surround his arms. He would have a lot of fun doing this.

Before Tigerhawk could fire, a sudden explosion jolted him out of his concentration.

"What?" Tigerhawk growled.

Twin explosions rocked the palace as several beams from the sky struck the heavily fortified citadel. Soon, Windrazor was out of the palace as well.

"What is going on?" Tigerhawk demanded.

"I-I don't know," confessed Windrazor.

A sudden flash of solar energy blinded their optics momentarily. When everything became clear again, they looked up to see a Transmetallized falcon in the sky surrounded by a golden aura.

"Is… is that?" Windrazor's jaw was wide open.

"Airazor, Maximize!"

Airazor transformed to robot mode and floated in front of Tigerhawk and Windrazor. She could feel the wild power surging through her systems and she would waste no time using them if necessary. But first, she had to make one last attempt to reach the enemy. In a matter of speaking, Tigerhawk was Tigatron's son.

"You don't have to do it," Airazor told them. "There's still time to turn back from all this and join the Maximals. Maybe we can help you learn what your place is in this galaxy."

"A sincere offer," Tigerhawk said. "But I'll have to decline."

Tigerhawk was the first to shoot. Opening up the missile launcher beneath his arm, he fired. The missile soared towards Airazor who kicked it aside.

"If that's the way you want it," Airazor said sadly.

Tigerhawk sent a volley of green flames at his opponent. Flying towards him at full speed, Airazor deflected one of the blasts aside with her hand and slugged Tigerhawk across the face with all her might.

A sudden cry of pain was enough to tell Airazor that she was able to injure the powerful Transformer at this point. Tigerhawk struck back as green flames surrounded his fists but Airazor ducked it and caught Tigerhawk across his head once more, this time with a spinning wheel kick. The hardened blow sent Tigerhawk reeling back against a building.

Furious at Airazor's newfound abilities, Tigerhawk unleashed two beams from his eyes which Airazor dodged swiftly. Flying down, Airazor charged up the pulse cannons on her wings and fired two blasts which struck Tigerhawk and sent him crashing into the entire palace. After his body had smashed through several corridors, the bulk of the palace finally shifted and collapsed, having been already rendered unstable by Airazor's initial attack.

* * *

For one reason or another, Windrazor could not command her body to move. What she should be doing right now is going up there and helping Tigerhawk take down Airazor. But she couldn't. A subconscious voice was holding her back.

"I don't suppose you can stop this," a voice from behind her said.

Windrazor turned around. Optimus, Tigatron, and Cheetor were there.

"No I can't," Windrazor replied truthfully. "Though I wish I could."

"It's not too late," Tigatron stepped up in front of her. "You can still convince Tigerhawk that what he's doing is wrong. I have confidence in you."

"But… but…" Windrazor stammered.

"Tigerhawk rebuilt you based on the fond memories he had of Airazor," Optimus continued. "If he'll listen to anyone, it's you."

"I don't even know if I can influence him," confessed Windrazor. "And do I even want to stop him?"

"No one can answer that question but you," Tigatron told her. "You are a Maximal deep down just like us. And behind the veil of bitterness you hold for being abandoned, your spark is telling you that what Tigerhawk is doing is wrong. Look deep within yourself and you will find the answer!"

"I… I…. Aagh!" Windrazor turned and punched the wall angrily.

* * *

The dust had not yet settled when Waspinator and Terrorsaur flew down. Out of curiosity, they were here. When they heard the explosions, they knew something was up and they had to check it out.

"Aw slag," Terrorsaur exclaimed. "It was such a nice palace too!"

From the rubble, a giant hand arose, soon followed by Tigerhawk's entire body. Before turning to Airazor, Tigerhawk looked down at the two of them balefully.

"Umm… Waspinator just remembered!" Waspinator backed away in fear. "Has optics exam with doctor!"

"Yeah, and I, uh, have to go… um, do some spring cleaning!" Terrorsaur tried to come up with an excuse for getting out of there as soon as possible.

"Waspinator out of here!"

The two Predacons wasted not a second longer and flew off, away from Tigerhawk was fast as they could manage. With that distraction out of the way, Tigerhawk turned back to the true object of his attention, only to be met with simultaneous blasts from the air.

Airazor used both hands to fire several rapid blasts of concussive energy, making sure all of them struck Tigerhawk. Finally, she cupped both hands together and unleashed an emerald fireball at the enemy. Tigerhawk braced himself and used both hands to catch the ball of energy just as it neared him. Finally, it exploded, engulfing him in the intense heat.

Airazor flew down, hoping the battle was finally over. She was not, however, holding her breath, given Tigerhawk's penchant for quick recoveries.

A bright sphere of energy engulfed the rubble and pushed all of it away from Tigerhawk. The massive Transformer raised a hand as vines erupted from the ground and grabbed Airazor. She attempted to break free but not fast enough. Tigerhawk cupped his index and middle fingers together in a circular motion and fired an intense blast of emerald lightning, catching Airazor in the chest.

Once the howls of agony were over, Tigerhawk floated over to Airazor, grabbing her by the waist and holding her in the air.

"If you want to enter the Matrix so quickly, I'll be glad to oblige!" Tigerhawk threatened.

Tigerhawk held his fist in the air, allowing green flames to swirl around it. Suddenly, however, Cheetor leaped out from hiding and slammed both feet into Tigerhawk's face. The brunt of the attack was just enough to get Tigerhawk to drop Airazor, though not quite enough to hurt him.

"You dare interfere again?" Tigerhawk growled.

Cheetor said nothing and launched himself forward, slamming his fist into Tigerhawk's chest. In turn, Tigerhawk struck Cheetor across the face and sent him crashing into a nearby building.

The distraction was just enough for Airazor to make a comeback. Cupping both hands together, she fired a powerful beam at Tigerhawk. Tigerhawk quickly countered with a blast of his own as the two shots collided in mid-air, generating enough wind and dust to push all the spectators back.

Airazor quickly held her ground, digging both feet into the ground to sustain her blast. She could also see that Tigerhawk was doing the same. When the blast was finished, both of them were nearing the point of exhaustion, though Airazor was more noticeably tired than Tigerhawk.

Before Tigerhawk could make a full recovery, both Cheetor, Tigatron, and Optimus leaped on top of him, attempting to restrain him. Cheetor put him in a chokehold from behind while Optimus grabbed onto one of his arms. More amused than anything else, Tigerhawk immediately threw the trio off by generating a massive shockwave from his body.

He walked over and picked Cheetor up.

"It was through my technology that you gained this form," Tigerhawk informed the youth. "And I can just as easily take it away!"

A surge of energy was sent throbbing throughout Cheetor's entire frame. When it was over, Cheetor lay on the ground in his original Transmetal form once more.

Unfortunately for Tigerhawk, another distraction soon came in the form of bullets bouncing off his armor. He turned around to see Rattrap and Rhinox opening fire on him. With a motion of his hand, Tigerhawk summoned a wave from the river that quickly washed both opponents away from his sight. Floating into the air, he moved in on Airazor, hoping to finish the job once and for all.

"Now for y—Aaagh!"

Three missiles detonated from behind his back, throwing him to the ground. This time, he had erected no energy shields to protect his own body from the damage. Tigerhawk plummeted, crashing into one of his coliseums. After he looked up, he saw Depth Charge in the air with Rampage's triple-barreled missile launcher.

Psychically levitating the pillars of the coliseum into the air, Tigerhawk sent them flying towards Depth Charge. One after another, they struck Depth Charge until the blue Maximal was finally knocked to the ground. Before Depth Charge could get up again, a huge slab of earth overturned him from beneath his feet and trapped him in place.

"I'll be back for you," Tigerhawk promised.

"No you won't!" Airazor declared.

The female Maximal drove into Tigerhawk with half a dozen punches and kicks, before blasting him in the center body with a solar blast that engulfed him and sent him flying back into one of his statues in the center of the city. As Tigerhawk got up, four elemental attacks struck him simultaneously from behind.

"Now is our chance!" Ifrit told the Mystics. "Destroy him!"

It had been part of their plan all along. Grant Airazor the powers to fight Tigerhawk and wait until he was weakened sufficiently before betraying him.

Unfortunately, they had picked the wrong timing. Far from being finished, Tigerhawk turned to them.

"Traitors!" he yelled and unleashed a bright, red blast from his mouth which swallowed up all four of the Paliyuga, incinerating them on the spot.

Airazor attacked once more but Tigerhawk spun around and unleashed a powerful eye lasers that struck her center-line and sent her crashing to the ground once more.

"This ends now!" Tigerhawk raised a hand in the air and unleashed his most powerful blast of energy yet.

Airazor could not get up in time. She knew what was coming next. She felt its energy rippling through the air. Tigerhawk was not holding back and the next thing that came would be a killing blast, strong enough to extinguish her spark and her entire body. If only she could get up and dodge it just in…

The next thing that happened was unexplainable.

Windrazor was right in front of her forming an energy barrier which blocked Airazor, holding both hands in front of her body in an attempt to block the blast and even then, that was not enough. Slowly but surely, the effects of the blast tore away at her armor and her spark, weakening her significantly and draining her life force.

"Windrazor!" Tigerhawk shouted. He had not meant for Windrazor to take the blast.

Soon, it was over. Windrazor stood there triumphantly with a smile across her face before falling down. Quickly, Airazor got up and caught her, setting her on the ground gently.

"Windrazor… no!" Tigerhawk came up.

Windrazor coughed. Her life force was now fading and it would be a matter of time before her spark left her body.

"Why?" Airazor cradled Windrazor's head. "Why'd you do it?"

Tigerhawk knelt down as Windrazor struggled to find the right words in her final few moments.

"I didn't think I had it in me," Windrazor confessed. "But after watching everything you and the Maximals did to save people, I began to realize that I too… am a Maximal."

"Windrazor please!" Tigerhawk pleaded desperately. "Don't fade away!"

"Sorry Lord Tigerhawk," Windrazor moaned. "But this is the end. I didn't know before if you'd actually cared… but now I do and I can enter the Matrix happy knowing that!"

"No…" Tigerhawk closed his optics.

"It has to end," Windrazor gripped Tigerhawk's end. "The cycle of violence and hatred has to end… please, my love…"

Windrazor's chest glowed steadily. It would only be a matter of moments before her spark left her body. And when that happened, not even Tigerhawk could prevent it for all his powers.

Tilting her head towards Airazor, Windrazor smiled.

"I… once said we could be like sisters," she said weakly. "Do you think that's still possible?"

"Yes… yes it is!" Airazor nodded, choking back emotion.

"Farewell, all of you…"

With the final emitting of energy, the spark of Windrazor left her body and floated into the air. Tigerhawk and Airazor both got up to watch her spark leave the mortal coil.

"Airazor!"

All the other Maximals had just arrived on the scene.

"Finish him!" Depth Charge cried out.

Airazor raised a glowing fist as Tigerhawk watched her motionlessly. He made no move to do anything, almost as if he were already dead inside.

Thrusting the fist forward, Airazor halted her attack just inches from his chest, allowing the electrical energy around her to evaporate into the air and choosing not to deliver the blow.

"No, there's been enough senseless violence," Airazor shook her head.

Just as she spoke, her body glowed as the unstable powers bestowed upon her by the Pali Mystics began to lift from her body. The particles of energy flowed away into the setting sun as Airazor's body slowly began changing back to normal.

When it was over, Airazor walked over towards Tigerhawk who was now cradling Windrazor's body in his arms.

"She wanted this war to end," Airazor put a hand on Tigerhawk's wrist. "But more importantly, she wanted you to be happy."

Tigatron came over as well.

"Windrazor's sacrifice did not have to be in vain," Tigatron told his 'son.' "It is still not too late for you. Come with us and both Airazor and I can help you discover who you really are."

"I am sorry, father," Tigerhawk lowered his head. "I will not."

"I can't believe this," Depth Charge muttered, crossing his arms while watching from the distance. "His girlfriend bites the dust and he goes emo on us."

"Well, you know what they say," Rattrap said to Depth Charge. "True loves conquers all!"

"I'll… keep that in mind," Depth Charge grimaced.

"I will honor Windrazor's last wishes," Tigerhawk said after taking a deep breath. "The war is over and I will no longer seek to harm the earth's inhabitants. For her honor, if nothing else."

"Thank you, Tigerhawk," Airazor smiled.

"There is nothing to be thankful for," Tigerhawk said bitterly.

* * *

From the cliffside, all seven Maximals stood and watched as Tigerhawk levitated the entire floating island into the ocean once more. At long last, the floating island was gone, permanently this time.

"It's finally over," Rhinox said.

"Good thing too," Cheetor sighed.

After completing his task, Tigerhawk returned to the group with Windrazor's body in his arms.

"I bid you farewell now," Tigerhawk told them.

"Where will you go now?" asked Optimus.

"To mourn," Tigerhawk replied. "Which place it is bears no importance."

"Remember," Tigatron told the large Transformer. "If you ever wish to return, the door is always open."

"You can count on it," Airazor stepped up next to Tigatron.

"Yes, thank you…" Tigerhawk flew off with Windrazor in both arms.

"Feh, I think I've had more than enough of this drama," Depth Charge snorted.

"Aw, come on, Popeye, the Sailor Manta!" Rattrap chimed in. "You know you enjoyed every nano-sec of it!"

"Don't push it, rodent!" Depth Charge leaned over, facing Rattrap.

"Aw, what's 'da matter?" Rattrap jabbed. "Afraid of showing 'yer emotions?

"Alright, I'm outta here!" Depth Charge got up and walked off.

"Thanks for your help, Depth Charge!" Airazor waved.

"Heh, don't mention it," Depth Charge glanced back and flew off.

* * *

Close to the highest elevation of Mount Everest, Tigerhawk set Windrazor's body down on the funeral pyre on one of the few ledges on top of the mountain. A deep churning in his stomach made him realize just how much he missed Windrazor.

He never had the opportunity to tell her how he felt when she was alive and now it was too late.

As he promised to her and the Maximals, he would bring no more harm to the earth and make good on that promise. What he would do now was still up in the air.

The green flames of the pyre burned brighter as smoke arose from the stack.

Maybe there was a place for him in the vast cosmos and one day he would get there. But for now, he would mourn for the fallen.

* * *

"Airazor," Tigatron walked up to the female Maximal.

It was night time already. The setting was tranquil and calm, not unlike the previous night they had met before being interrupted by Windrazor. But this time, things would be different. Both Tigatron and Airazor knew it.

"Tigatron," Airazor acknowledged.

"Do you believe he will be alright?" asked Tigatron.

"If anything, I think Tigerhawk's a survivor," Airazor confessed. "He's our—I mean your son after all."

Tigatron chuckled. "And you'd make quite the nurturing mother for him."

"Hey now," Airazor punched Tigatron's arm playfully.

Once again, a moment of awkward silence passed. Both of them were thinking the exact same thing. Acting on it was a different matter.

"Airazor, I just want to say—"

Airazor decided to take the initiative this time.

"Enough talk," she held Tigatron's face. "Just kiss me."

Tigatron gladly complied and held her tenderly as their bodies intertwined. Their faces moved closer… and closer…

"Oh yeah, here it comes!"

Click.

Rattrap looked up. Behind him were Optimus, Rhinox, and Cheetor along with Jack and Luna. Rhinox had just walked up to the monitor and pressed down on the button, shutting off the screen and, by extension, the camera that had been conveniently installed where Tigatron and Airazor were.

"Aw, come on guys!" Rattrap protested. "I was just getting to 'da good part!"

"Sorry, Rattrap," Rhinox told him. "But I think Tigatron and Airazor would appreciate a little privacy."

"Yeah, I guess," Rattrap leaned back into the seat. "But you gotta admit, we installed that camera in just the right place!"

"Maybe giving you monitor duty wasn't such a good idea after all," Optimus Primal shook his head.

"Maybe not," Rattrap leaned forward. "But you gotta admit, I make one heck of a camerabot!"

Rhinox groaned and put a palm to his head.

"Just one of my numerous talents!" Rattrap boasted. "I shoot film just as good as I shoot Preds!"

It was then Optimus Primal's turn to roll his optics.

"Well, you can't catch everything on tape," Cheetor told him.

"What's 'dat supposed to mean?" asked Rattrap.

"Well, for example, there are certain things you miss when filming," explained Cheetor.

"Such as?"

"Such as me taking your tail without you noticing it," Cheetor held up Rattrap's tail spear in his hand.

"Hey! Give 'dat back!"

"Gotta catch me first, rat-face! And nobody catches the golden rocket!"

Cheetor transformed to his Transmetal flight mode and blasted off, out of the base. Rattrap transformed to vehicle mode as well and gave chase. Jack and Luna decided to follow, soon after.

"Hey, wait for us!" Jack called.

"Yeah, we'll race you too!" Luna insisted.

"All's well that ends well, right?" Rhinox shrugged.

"Hmm," Optimus smiled. "More like all's prime that ends prime."

Chuckling deeply, the two friends smiled and returned to their duties. With the threat of Protoform X having been neutralized and with Megatron gone, things seemed to be looking up for once. Now that Tigerhawk too was no longer a threat, there was a real chance of the world becoming a safer place. Perhaps soon enough, they could even return to Cybertron.

It was not much of an exaggeration to say so, but peace had finally arrived.

**The End.**

**Author's Note:** For those wondering, this isn't the actual end of Symmetries. But the Tigerhawk story arc has come to a conclusive end. I know I left some loose ends but overall, I think I tied up this arc in a nice and bundled fashion. What happened to the the other half of Protoform X's spark? What's Tarantulas really planning? Is Megatron really gone? I won't directly answer any of those questions for now because frankly, the story as a whole is not over yet. I won't give away too much about the next story arc, but I will say that a certain somebody who's been long-awaited will make his first appearance in Symmetries. That, plus the next storyline will have a somewhat different feel from the Tigerhawk arc. For now, I just want to thank everyone for reading this.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone!


	40. The Voyage

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_The Voyage_

"_Autobots, transform and roll out!" shouted Optimus Prime._

_On his awe-inspiring command, legions upon legions of courageous Autobot soldiers sprang forth from the trenches to do battle with the invading Decepticon forces. By no means was the enemy a pushover, however. Almost immediately the first batch of Autobot foot soldiers were mowed down by Decepticon gunfire. As his troops pressed forth bravely, Optimus unsheathed his sword and joined them._

"_Stand and face me, Prime!" a familiar voice bellowed from the midst of combat._

"_Megatron…" Optimus turned to face his mortal enemy. "This time, one shall stand, and one shall fall!"_

"_Enough with the heroics!" Megatron revealed his own jagged blade. "Let's end this!"_

_Time seemed to slow down as the two combatants slammed into each other, pressing against each other to gain the advantage. Soon enough, Optimus Prime, rammed his shoulder into the Decepticon commander to shove him back._

_Megatron swung with his sword in return only for Optimus to block it. _

"_I'll help you, mighty Megatron!" a seeker from above cried out._

"_Starscream, no!" shouted Megatron._

_Starscream fired a null ray which Optimus quickly deflected with a sword swing, firing back with his D-55 Cybertronian blaster. The shot struck Starscream in the chest and sent him hurtling out of the sky._

_Optimus Prime did not stop at just Starscream. He opened fire upon Megatron, the first shot knocking the blade out of Megatron's hand, the second searing the warlord in the chest. Falling to his knees, Megatron looked up at Prime pleadingly._

"_Show mercy!" beseeched Megatron._

"_You… who are without mercy, would p—"_

_Prime's world turned upside down as a high-pitched frequency entered into his mainframe, immobilizing him where he stood. From behind him, Shockwave stepped out, his blaster rifle unleashing wave after wave of sonic shock-blasts. Megatron saw his opportunity and kneed Prime in the face to knock him over._

"_Excellent work, Shockwave!" Megatron complimented._

"_Thank you, my liege," Shockwave bowed._

"_Now Optimus Prime is ours!" Starscream brandished his blasters._

_As the three Decepticons closed in on the fallen Optimus, a shot from the side struck Starscream and floored him._

"_What was that?" Shockwave turned around._

_A yellow blur in the air streaked across the purple Decepticon, taking him down with razor-fast ferocity. Now Megatron was alone._

"_Didn't your mother box ever teach you to play nice?" taunted Bumblebee._

"_You're mine, Autobot!" Megatron howled and turned his fusion cannon towards the small Autobot_

_Bumblebee dodged the shot and fired directly into Megatron's chest. As an injured Megatron clutched his chest, Bumblebee leaped up and gave an uppercut to the Decepticon across the chin, knocking him clear into the air. As soon as Megatron's body landed on top of Shockwave and Starscream, Bumblebee raised his hands together to symbolize victory._

"_Oh yeah, who's the 'Bot?" Bumblebee shouted._

"_Ngh," an injured Prime walked up towards Bumblebee. "Thank you, my friend. Without you, we would not have seen victory."_

"_Yeah, well, all in a day's work," Bumblebee said, trying his very best to be humble._

"_Bumblebee, old chum!" Optimus Prime slung an arm across the smaller Autobot's shoulder. "What do you say we go get ourselves some energon slurpees?"_

"_You know, Prime," Bumblebee replied heartily. "I like the way you think."_

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Rattrap interrupted. "I'm pretty sure 'da story doesn't go like 'dat!"

"Aw, come on, Rattrap!" Cheetor protested. "I was just getting to the good part."

At the table sat Cheetor and Rattrap, alongside Jack and Luna. The two human teens were glued to the story that Cheetor had told them, not realizing that the tale he wove was a wild exaggeration of what really happened in the past.

"Kids, don't listen 'ta Cheetor," Rattrap told the two. "He's just pulling 'yer tail!"

"Am not!" Cheetor waved his hands for emphasis.

"Come on, _old chum_?" Rattrap interrupted. "And what's 'dis with Bumblebee saving Optimus Prime? We know 'dat never happened at the Battle of Solaris Cybertronia."

"Well, okay, so I might've exaggerated a detail here and there…" confessed Cheetor. "But you believe me, don't you? Jack? Luna?"

"Um, I think so," Jack scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry, I gotta go with Rattrap on this," Luna shook her chin.

Neither of the two humans really knew what to believe. They had not lived thousands of years ago to witness the Great War which nearly tore Cybertron apart. All they knew about the Transformers homeworld came from the Maximals themselves. Most Cybertronians were more or less well-versed with their history. Species from other planets, however, were not nearly as familiar with Cybertron.

As much as Rattrap would've loved to pick apart Cheetor's story, he was unfortunately interrupted as the alarm went off.

"Trouble at Sector Fifty Six!" Optimus came into the room. "We've got ourselves a raid on the Cybernetics research facility down at Staghorn's."

"You wanted action, kid?" Rattrap brandished his pistol. "Your wish is 'da bad guy's command!"

"Alright!" Cheetor leaped up. "Back to action!"

* * *

Months had passed since the incident with Tigerhawk. And though it had taken them forever, the four former servants of Tigerhawk had finally freed themselves from the ocean's floor.

Ifrit was the first to emerge from the waves, followed by Golem, then Frost, and Tengu. The four Mystics floated across the air until they landed on the sandy shores. Their time under the waves having no way reduced their desire to rule the world.

"At long last, my brothers!" Ifrit shouted. "We are free!"

"I thought for sure that was the end," Tengu breathed deeply. "Tigerhawk nearly destroyed the four of us!"

"But we weren't, were we?" Golem summoned the sand across the beach to dance before their feet in a giant circle. "We are back and more powerful than ever!"

"What do you suggest we do first?" asked Frost.

"First, we formulate a strategy to bring this miserable world to its knees!" Ifrit growled. "Then we find the Maximals and destroy them!"

"Good point," Golem remembered. "I've been aching to get some payback!"

"Hmm, you're right," Tengu recalled. "But we'll have to be careful, especially if they have Cheetor with them."

"With our formidable powers, we shall once more restore the glory of the Paliyuga!" Tengu shouted.

"Your powers are formidable indeed," a voice from behind them announced. "But you shall not use them for your own gains… no."

"What is this?" Frost demanded.

Before them was a tall, hunched figure dressed in black robes. His face he was well hidden with a Predacon Death Mask of Kaon. Beyond the red striped skeletal mask, the four Mystics could not see much more of him however.

"Who are you?" demanded Golem.

"Who I am is not your concern," the stranger told them. "But you shall serve my purposes greatly, yessss…"

"Ha ha ha!" Ifrit laughed. "You really are a fool to think that you can enslave us!"

"Yes, this is going to be over quickly!" Tengu allowed his hands to stretch out to create a whirling dervish of wind all around them.

"It is not over," the figure told them as a blade mysteriously appeared out of his sleave. "It has only just begun!"

* * *

"I see Sentinel at twelve o'clock!" Cheetor called to Optimus and Rattrap.

Rattrap was hitching a ride on Optimus Primal's surfboard as the three of them closed in on Sentinel's location. Sentinel could be seen on top of a sedentary oil tanker, linking his circuit-board with the station's computers.

Pulling down on his trigger, Rattrap sent out a shot from his pistol that severed Sentinel's wires from the mainframe.

"No!" Sentinel cried. "The downloading has not yet reached completion!"

"It has now, Sentinel!" Optimus declared as he landed with Rattrap and Cheetor.

Sentinel stopped what he was doing and turned his attention to the three Maximals. His gleaming silver body was less like an android and more like that of a war drone used during the Cybertronian civil war. His legs resembled hooves and a glowing red orb was centered on his body. He had no neck or head, being well aware of the disadvantages of building those components on himself, one of the dangers being beheading.

Both his hands transformed into machine guns and opened fire.

"Maximals, scatter!" shouted Optimus.

The three of them ran to different sides of the deck, avoiding the scattered gunshots. Rattrap and Optimus hid behind several barrels of oil, not yet knowing what they were hiding behind. Fortunately for them, Cheetor saw it just in time.

"Hey Sentinel!" Cheetor shouted. "Over here!"

Sentinel obliged and opened fire on Cheetor instead of his two intended targets. Cheetor avoided the shots and returned fire.

"Whoa, we're sittin' on a powderkeg!" noted Rattrap.

"Let's get out of here!" Optimus agreed.

Optimus left the barrels of oil with Rattrap but not before grabbing on to one of them. Seeing that Sentinel was distracted with Cheetor, Optimus quickly lifted the barrel up with both hands and threw it, striking Sentinel in the back and knocking him over.

Cheetor saw his opening and cupped both hands together, firing a beam that exploded on contact with Sentinel's armor. The blast rocked Sentinel's body and sent him flying back.

"This cannot be!" Sentinel declared. "How could you have gotten this powerful?"

"Transmetal threads," Rattrap quipped. "You oughta try it sometime!"

A mechanical screech emanated from Sentinel, as close to a cry of anger as Sentinel could mimick. He raised one of the machine guns on his arm to shoot but Rattrap was much faster. A second shot quickly disabled Sentinel's arm-gun, sending sparks flying everywhere.

"Hey Sentinel!"

Sentinel turned around. Cheetor was behind him holding a liquid-nitrogen tank. Yanking open the lid, Cheetor unleashed a cryogenic blast that froze Sentinel in place, from his joints down to his motherboard.

"Nice job, kid," Rattrap patted Cheetor on the shoulder.

"Good work Cheetor," complimented Optimus. "Your quick thinking took care of the situation."

"Yup, all that remains is to take care of Sentinel," Cheetor looked at the frozen supercomputer.

"Yeah, speaking of which," Rattrap scratched his head. "Whaddya think we should do with 'dis guy."

"All his systems have broken down," Optimus observed. "We could take him to Rhinox to see how he keeps rebuilding himself."

Cheetor looked up. "Incoming!"

An energy disc from the sky zoomed in and blasted Sentinel to pieces, forcing Optimus, Cheetor, and Rattrap to take cover.

"Hey!" shouted Rattrap. "Give us some warning next time, fishface!"

Optimus was already used to Depth Charge's flashy entrances and gruff behavior at this point. Nothing the blue Maximal did surprised him anymore.

"You usually never come out to help us except when it involves Rampage," Optimus noted. "Is there something going on?"

Depth Charge looked at Optimus squarely. It was obvious he was here to discuss something important, not to mince words or dance around the subject. Wisely, Rattrap decided not to make his planned wisecrack involving Depth Charge and Sea World.

"My ship's ready and in three days, I'll be going back to Cybertron," Depth Charge told them. "I'll be bringing some cargo back home…"

"You mean Protoform X?" asked Optimus.

"Yeah," nodded Depth Charge. "When I sealed his body in his stasis pod, I considered running a piece of raw energon right though 'im…"

"Heh, what stopped ya?" Rattrap chuckled.

"I don't know," confessed Depth Charge. "I guess a part of me just wants to see him stand trial and receive a real sentence this time."

Rattrap did not need to ask what the other part of him wanted. Depth Charge had made that clear enough. He had the feeling that if the courts didn't handle Rampage properly, Depth Charge wouldn't hesitate to take the law into his own hands as he had done before.

"I have space for two passengers," Depth Charge informed them. "If any two members of the team want to return to Cybertron with me, you're more than welcome."

"D-Did he just say—" Rattrap was too surprised for words.

"Cybertron…" muttered Cheetor. "We get a chance to go home."

"Amazing," Optimus admitted. "After all this time, I didn't think we would get the chance to—"

"I know this is a lot to take in now," Depth Charge said softly. "Use the three days to think about it carefully. I'll be back by then for your answer."

Depth Charge turned away and flew off, leaving behind three very solemn Maximals who were suddenly, more than ever, unsure of their futures.

* * *

"I don't think I could ever leave this planet," Airazor told her team.

The six Maximals sat around their table discussing the issue. Additionally, they were of different mindsets on the matter as well. Though one thing they all had in common was that they were vocal about Optimus at least going back with Depth Charge.

"I agree with Airazor," Tigatron nodded and gripped Airazor's hand tightly. "Earth is our home and we are happy here. We could never throw away what we have."

"You should go back with Depth Charge, Optimus," insisted Rhinox. "You've got more connections to Cybertron than any of us. Who knows how many 'bots are concerned about your well-being over there."

"Optimus, if you do go back, just promise me one teensy little thing," Rattrap requested.

"And that is?"

"TAKE ME WITH YOU!" Rattrap latched onto Primal's arm like a newborn.

"I… didn't know you felt so strongly about this, Rattrap," Optimus confessed.

"Oh man, I've missed Cybertron like a construction 'bot misses his oil!" Rattrap told Optimus enthusiastically. "I gotta go back and have me a normal life again! I can see it now… inter-city casinos… waitresses minus their torso plates… energon martinis with the right hydro-electric mix…"

The vivid descriptions Rattrap spelled out did not escape the notice of the other Maximals. Rhinox merely shook his head while the others groaned.

"How about you, Cheetor?" asked Optimus.

"I… guess I don't really know," Cheetor replied.

"If you were given the chance, would you return?" asked Tigatron.

"I think I would," Cheetor told them. "But it's been such a long time since I've returned to Cybertron that I'm afraid I'll be left behind."

So far, the conversation had not yet come to a consensus on who would leave and who would stay. Optimus wanted this to be as fair as possible but not everyone had made up their minds yet, especially Cheetor. Tigatron and Airazor wanted to stay but so far, Rhinox hadn't really said anything.

"Do you want to go back, old friend?" Optimus gestured to Rhinox.

"Hmm, as a matter of fact I would," Rhinox nodded. "But then again, you don't get the chance to stop and smell the flowers on Cybertron."

"Yeah, Cybertron being steel-cement city and all," joked Rattrap.

"Let's take a break for now," suggested Optimus. "I'll call Silverbolt later on and ask if he wants to come."

"How 'bout Inferno?" Rattrap raised the question purposefully.

The rest of the Maximals glared at him for his suggestion.

"Okay, okay, I'll be quiet now," Rattrap backed off.

* * *

"Is there even a purpose to being on this team anymore?" asked Terrorsaur.

"Yes, Megatron gone and now spider-bots nowhere to be seen!" Waspinator agreed. "Predacon team is in shambles!"

"Both of you… shut up!" Scorponok leaned over his desk. "I joined with Megatron for a reason and that was to help the Predacons conquer Cybertron! If Megatron really is gone, I'm not going to let him go out in vain!"

"Good luck with that," yawned Terrorsaur.

What disappointed Scorponok the most was that the two flyers had lost much of their motivation by now. Neither one of them really wanted to fight anymore. And whenever he, Scorponok, suggested that the two of them help him out, they usually gave more excuses than answers. It was becoming harder and harder to keep the remnants of the Predacon forces on earth together as one unit.

"Don't you sorry pieces of scrap even consider yourselves Predacons?" Scorponok fumed.

"What's the point?" asked Waspinator. "Everytime Predacons try to do something, plans always get foiled!"

"Yeah, we don't exactly have a winning record here," Terrorsaur pointed out.

"Ugh, you two are impossible," Scorponok turned his head away.

* * *

"Hey Bolts," Blackarachnia called out. "You've got an incoming transmission!"

"Hmm, yes I will take it right away," Silverbolt walked up to his screen. "I believe it is Optimus."

"Well, time for me to scat then," Blackarachnia transformed to spider mode and made herself scarce.

The screen popped up soon enough with Optimus Primal's familiar visage. Silverbolt could tell that this was an important message.

"Hello sir," Silverbolt saluted.

"Greetings Silverbolt," Optimus replied. "How is everything?"

"Everything has been just fine!" Silverbolt insisted. "And yourself?"

"Feeling Prime," smiled Optimus. "Listen Silverbolt, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"And what would that be?" Silverbolt intoned.

"In three days, Depth Charge is offering at least two Maximals the chance to return to Cybertron," Optimus informed. "I was wondering how you would feel about such a trip."

"Well, I—err…" Silverbolt was also as lost for words as Cheetor.

"I know how you feel," Optimus chuckled. "At first when Depth Charge told me this, I also didn't know how to react."

"I have to say, sir," Silverbolt spoke slowly. "This offer is surely an honor."

From the edge of the screen, Silverbolt stole a glance at Blackarachnia who was out of the view of Optimus. Smiling, the black widow Predacon winked at him.

"But I am afraid I must decline," Silverbolt said resolutely. "I have grown fond of this place."

"I understand, Silverbolt," Optimus told him. "I just thought I'd bring it up."

"Thank you for your gracious offer," Silverbolt acknowledged. "Perhaps there are others on your team who would surely want to return to Cybertron more than I."

"Rattrap's still begging me to be let on first," Optimus noted.

"In any case, I must return to my duties," Silverbolt saluted. "Silverbolt, out."

He switched off the screen.

"Nice excuse you pulled," Blackarachnia came up to him. "Good thing Apeface hasn't found out about this."

"He will not as long as we keep it a secret," Silverbolt consoled her. "Though I could attempt to talk to him about this if you wish."

"No way," Blackarachnia snarled. "He and those Maximals will never accept me!"

"Yet I am a Maximal and I have accepted you," pointed out Silverbolt.

"Hmm, okay, so maybe not _all_ Maximals are blockheads," Blackarachnia held Silverbolt's arm.

* * *

"I don't know about you," Josh said to his friend Kyle. "But I'm excited for this!"

"We're going out during the middle of the night just for some UFO sighting," Kyle was still cautious. "It's not that I don't want to see it, but don't you think we should've brought some more people?"

"No way, the more people, the less chance those aliens will show up," Josh insisted.

The two friends walked down the edge of the woods until they reached the farmlands. The fields were thankfully illuminated by the stars in the sky, helping them to see more clearly. At this point, Josh turned off his flashlight to conserve energy.

"Well, we've made it!" Josh stretched his arms out. "This was where they say those crop circles were made."

"I dunno," Kyle sat down. "We could be waiting for an awful long time."

"Don't be such a scaredy cat," Josh huffed. "They'll come."

Before either of the teens could argue any further, a bright light from the sky descended upon the fields, flashing in all directions.

"Oh man!" Kyle bit his nails. "Maybe sooner than we think!"

Even Josh had not been prepared for this. He reached for his camera, fumbling it carelessly before accidentally dropping it and breaking it.

"Oh man, there goes my chance!" Josh cried.

"Shh!" Kyle grabbed his shoulder. "Let's hide and watch this!"

The duo took behind some of the grain to watch the magnificent sight before them.

A bridge opened up from the insectile spaceship. Two mechanical beings stepped out, one smaller alien on wheels and the bigger one lumbering out like a tank.

"Looks like we're back," Thrust surveyed the land.

"And this time we've got a new mission," Tankorr conceded.

Just as Josh and Kyle watched in awe, a third party from the grass emerged to greet the two Cybertronians. Tarantulas transformed to robot mode and chuckled deeply.

"Everything went well on Cybertron, I assume?" asked Tarantulas.

"Yeah, the Maximal Elders never knew what happened!" Thrust nodded.

"Excellent!" Tarantulas boomed. "Are you two ready to serve under a new command structure?"

"You bet!" Tankorr clamped his hand tightly.

"Let me see your new insignias," ordered Tarantulas.

Both Thrust and Tankorr revealed the new symbols on their arms. Predacon insignias decorated their armor now. The two Cybertronians had turned on the Maximal cause and decided to side with the enemy.

"Good, now come with me," Tarantulas gestured.

"Alrighty," Thrust rolled along. "And how about those new upgrades you promised us?"

"Ah yes, that," Tarantulas looked at the two. "The navigational circumference from where you entered into Earth's atmosphere must not have had the traces of Vok energy to give you Transmetal armor. But that can easily be remedied."

The trio entered into the spaceship and soon enough, it flew off into the night sky. Josh and Kyle were left speechless.

"That… was amazing!" Josh declared. "I wish I had my camera!"

No sound came from Kyle.

"Wait'll the guys hear about… Kyle? Kyle, you okay?"

Kyle sat there frozen with fear, his teeth chattering. And it wasn't because of the cold night atmosphere either.

"Oh man," Kyle stammered. "You recall t-t-the alien invasion a while back?"

"Yeah," Josh answered. "That's what got me into UFOs."

"I think those are the same aliens…"

At that moment, Josh froze as well. Neither of them had anything more to say on the matter. It went without saying that humanity was no longer alone in the vast cosmos. What made the matter solemn for both young men was the fact that the aliens that existed among them weren't all friendly.

* * *

"You're sure this'll work?" asked Tankorr.

"Positively," Tarantulas answered. "This process will give you powers beyond your wildest imaginations!"

"Agreed," said Thrust. "Then let's get this over with."

The two Vehicon generals stepped into the stasis pods. Tarantulas punched in a few codes and the machines hummed to life. The lids closed on both Transformers, encasing them within the pods.

Tarantulas took out the crystal he had created. He had sent one of his satellites into space a few months ago to collect samples on the Vok residues that could create Transmetals. After studying it carefully, he categorized its properties and created his own special sample from the residues.

After some time had passed, the stasis pods opened up again. Two different roars emanated from them both.

"So this is what it's like to be a Transmetal," Thrust wondered aloud.

"It's the beast mode I'm impressed with!" Tankorr growled.

* * *

"Hey Optimus, whatcha up to?" asked Rattrap.

It was the final night before the decision could be made. Optimus sat at the command desk with both arms on the table. He had made one decision that night. Rattrap would be one of the Maximals to return home. Everyone knew how badly Rattrap wanted to go home.

"Have you made up your mind yet?" Rhinox inquired. "You do get the final say in this."

"I've been thinking about it," admitted Optimus, thinking back to the past. "I've also been thinking about all we've been through on this planet."

"Heh heh, I still remember back when we were yanked off our circuit-boards just to chase after Megatron," laughed Rattrap.

"_Sir, why weren't we briefed on this?" asked Optimus Primal._

"_Because," Colonel Vex explained with the utmost of haste. "This is an emergency situation and right now, your vessel is the only available option we have to pursue them."_

"_What is our objective?" asked Optimus, whose crew followed him shortly behind._

"_You are to capture the rogue Megatron whose theft of the golden disc must not go unpunished," Vex told them. "Complete this mission and then you will be allowed to continue with your exploration, along with your __**other**__ objective."_

_Optimus knew what Vex was talking about. Protoform X was still sealed aboard the Axalon and they were to dump him aboard a lifeless planet before going about their mission._

"_Megatron's ship is still within the atmosphere closest to your ship," Vex ordered. "Bring them back… do whatever it takes!"_

"_Sir," Optimus saluted._

_With deliberate haste, the crew quickly boarded their ship and punched in the coordinates for blast-off. Optimus held the switch and pulled down, turning on the engines. The large green Maximal who would later be known as Rhinox turned the ship's radar on, getting a lock on Megatron's ship, which had no entered into space yet._

"_Got 'im!" Rhinox declared._

"_Good, let's move out!" Optimus ordered._

_In the cold atmosphere of space, the Axalon soon closed in on the Predacon ship, an action which had not gone unnoticed by the Darkside's crew._

"_So, those Maximals wish to pursue us," Megatron hissed. "Open fire!"_

_The cannons to the Darkside's ports came alive. Several streams of torrent laser streaked towards the Axalon, bouncing off its shields._

"_Shields won't last forever!" the small 'bot later known as Rattrap declared._

"_Emergency maneuvers!" Optimus shouted._

_The Axalon spiraled out of the way to avoid the blasts from the Predacon cannons. The ship swerved to the right but still kept up on its hot pursuit. As they completed their maneuver, they saw what lay before them, a large asteroid with a familiar marking._

"_Oh no, is that what I think it is?" Rhinox mumbled._

"_It's a space bridge on that asteroid alright," Optimus frowned. "The Predacons are preparing to make a jump into an unknown quadrant. They've planned this out carefully."_

"_Well let's make sure they don't!" a youthful yellow Maximal held on to the controls._

_The Axalon returned fire. Several shots bounced off the shields of the Darkside, none of which did much damage. But Megatron, however, was infuriated._

"_Those Maximals think they can stop me?" he fumed._

_A stray shot went from the Axalon went out too long and struck one of the panels of the space bridge, setting off a chain reaction that caused the warp gate in front of the space bridge to change its ionic makeup._

"_Blast!" shouted Megatron. "They've damaged the space bridge!"_

"_Megatron, shall we pull back?"_

_Megatron glared at the gray Predacon next to him._

"_No, we press forward!"_

"_But the coordinates to the space bridge have been messed up by that stray shot!" Scorponok insisted. "The warp gate could send us anywhere! We could get lost in space!"_

"_It's a risk I'm willing to take!" Megatron shouted. "Full speed ahead!"_

_Pressing on, the Darkside entered into the warp gate that flashed in front of the space bridge, soon followed by the Axalon. Unable to withstand the pressure of anymore entries, the bridge finally shorted out and collapsed._

"And the rest, they say, is history," finished Rhinox.

"Hard to imagine we've been through so much ever since," Optimus looked up at his two companions with an unreadable expression.

"So what're you going to tell Depth Charge by tomorrow?" asked Rattrap.

"To be honest," confessed Optimus. "You'll just have to wait and see."

* * *

"Scorponok," Tarantulas entered into the room. "A pleasure to see you as always."

"Have the two agents come in?" asked Scorponok.

"They have," Tarantulas gestured towards the door.

Two Transmetal dinosaurs emerged, a dilophosaur and an ankylosaurus. Snarling fiercely, the smaller raptor-based Transformer snapped at the air, unleashing a spat of acid that sailed across the air, landing a bit too close for comfort next to Waspinator.

"Hey!" Waspinator protested. "Watch where spitter-bot hocks his loogie!"

"Thrust, terrorize!"

"Tankorr, terrorize!"

Thrust transformed into a short, stockey Predacon on rollerblades. His color scheme still remained the same, retaining his purple hue. The fingers on both hands snapped back, revealing his wrist cannons.

Tankorr, on the other hand, had a more straightforward transformation. His body arched back, switching to a bipedal mode. The dinosaurian head vanished into his chest plate to reveal his new face, which was roughly still the same as before, including his trademark visor. The armored ankylosaur backside transformed into a shield that mounted on top of his right arm.

"I thought these guys worked for the Maximal government," Scorponok asked inquisitively. "How'd they decide to join us?"

"It's a complicated story," Tarantulas replied. "But by the time they had met you back then, these two were already double-agents."

"Well, if you say they're alright now, I'm willing to give them a chance," Scorponok finally agreed.

"Hey, we've got no love for the Maximals now," Thrust made it clear. "We got no regrets."

"Besides, who else besides the Predacons can give us the chance to pulverize and destroy as much as we want!" Tankorr slammed a hand down on Scorponok's desk, rattling one of the statues.

A panicked Scorponok quickly stuck his prehensile tail out and caught the statue of Megatron before it could shatter to pieces on the ground. He glared at Tankorr.

"Sorry, forgot my own strength," Tankorr grinned sheepishly.

"Well, I must be going now," Tarantulas got up. "I hope Thrust and Tankorr will serve you well."

"You can count on us," Thrust waved.

As Tarantulas neared the door, it opened up without warning. Before him stood a large, hunched figure covered in robes. Immediately, Tarantulas recognized the Predacon Death Mask he wore.

Tarantulas moved aside as the figure moved past him silently.

"Who is he?" Tarantulas muttered silently.

Finally, he decided that it wasn't his concern.

"Oh well, it's none of my business," Tarantulas opted. "Let those fools deal with him, whoever he may be."

The door closed behind Tarantulas.

"Who… who are you?" asked Scorponok.

"That's what I'd like to know," Terrorsaur finally took notice.

"My greetings to you, my friends," the stranger introduced himself. "My name is Dynamo. And I believe there is much we can do for one another."

"I dunno," Thrust cross his arms. "You did kind of come out of nowhere."

"Yeah, why should we trust you?" Tankorr added.

"Because…" Dynamo paced towards Scorponok slowly.

"Stand back!" Thrust aimed his gun at Dynamo.

"Wait!" Scorponok ordered Thrust to step down. "Let's hear what he has to say."

Dynamo stood in front of Scorponok. "I know there's something we both want."

Leaning over, Dynamo leaned forward until his death mask was only inches from Scorponok's head. He whispered something indiscernible to Scorponok while the rest of the Predacons in the room could not hear anything more than an inaudible murmur.

When he was done, he stepped back to give Scorponok his space.

"You know something, Dynamo?" Scorponok said excitedly. "You've got yourself a deal!"

* * *

Before long, the anticipated day had arrived. Depth Charge's Cybertronian Skyhopper landed in the middle of the valley where the Maximals stood. Standing around the ship were most of the Maximals along with Jack and Luna.

Depth Charge got out and surveyed the assembly before him.

"Well, Primal, who are you taking along?" he asked.

Optimus was not surprised. He also figured that Depth Charge would assume that he, Optimus Primal, would return to Cybertron with him.

"Rattrap's coming," he told the blue Maximal.

"Sweet!" Rattrap stepped forward with a Hawaiian t-shirt and sunglasses. "I'm ready for my homecoming ceremony!"

The expression on Depth Charge's face bordered on both disgust and amusement.

"You ready as well, Primal?"

"Actually," Optimus said firmly. "I won't be coming along."

"Say what?" Depth Charge's eye-ridge went up.

"Optimus, what're you doing?" asked Rhinox.

"Yeah, I thought you wouldn't pass up on this opportunity," Airazor intoned.

"I've made my decision," declared Optimus. "Cheetor will be going in my stead."

"Whoa, wait a minute, big bot," Cheetor protested. "Don't you want to go back to Cybertron."

"In all honesty, yes," Optimus conceded. "But I think Cheetor deserves this chance more than I do."

"But I don't want you to throw it all away just for me," Cheetor exclaimed. "I mean, you got a career and a life of your own back on Cybertron."

"And so do you," Optimus told Cheetor honestly. "You're the one who still has his entire future to look forward to. I don't want you to spend it with limited options here when you could have so much more on Cybertron. Besides, I think there's still that little matter of the treaty we made with the Vok stipulating that some of us have to remain on earth."

"I… don't know what to say, Optimus," stammered Cheetor. "I'm really going to miss you."

"Don't say anything," Optimus told him affectionately. "Just go and look forward to your new life on Cybertron."

Without warning, Cheetor embraced Optimus in a hug, soon followed by Jack and Luna who hugged Cheetor's leg tightly.

"We'll miss you too Cheetor," Luna held back tears.

"Yeah, be sure to write," Jack quipped. "Senior year won't be the same without you."

"You two meant a lot to me," Cheetor glanced at Jack and Luna warmly. "I won't forget you."

"Cheetor, whatever your destiny may be on Cybertron, Airazor and I will pray for you to have the courage to embrace it," Tigatron took Cheetor's hand.

"Have fun on Cybertron, Cheetor," Airazor grasped Cheetor's shoulder.

"Thanks guys," Cheetor smiled. "Oh, and have a good one as well, Big R."

"Behave yourself Cheetor," joked Rhinox. "And try not to get into too much trouble."

"Rhinox, buddy," Rattrap high-fived Rhinox. "Shoot me an email every now and then."

"Alright then," Depth Charge's voice interrupted the scene. "Now if we're all done saying our tearful farewells, I'd like to get a move on."

"Farewell Cheetor! Rattrap! Depth Charge!" shouted Jack.

"I'll be seeing you," Depth Charge told the remaining Maximals. "When I get back to Cybertron, I'll relay a message to them about your location. If we're lucky, the Maximal Elders will send some recon ships to pick you up in a few months at best. You know what the bureaucracy's like."

Waving goodbye, the Maximals and their human allies watched as their companions boarded the ship and blasted off into the sky.

* * *

Having entered into the atmosphere of space, Depth Charge punched in the last few coordinates to set a course for Cybertron.

"This is it," Cheetor whispered. "We finally get to go home."

"What're you so glum for, kid?" demanded Rattrap. "Yer actin' like you're going to someone's funeral!"

"I guess it's been such a long time since I've been back," Cheetor explained. "You know how it is."

"I'm just glad we get to go home," Rattrap sat back in his seat.

"If that's the case, then hang on to your hats," Depth Charge cautioned the two as the ship entered into warp space. "It's going to be a bumpy ride."

"How long's it going to take?" asked Rattrap.

"A few weeks," Depth Charge replied. "I've got a F-4 transwarp drive, one of the fastest in the market. We'll be back soon enough."

"And I'm lookin' forward to it!" Rattrap began sipping on his energon gin.

* * *

_Meanwhile on Cybertron…_

Menacus ran down the streets of Cybertron clutching his datapad. He had been found out and he had to bring the information to Maximal command before it was too late.

For weeks, he had acted as a mole within the infamous terrorist group, the Wayward Sons of Cybertron, functioning as an informant. He had spent his time well, uncovering much information detailing the future planned insurrections. Their leader, however, was not someone he had the fortune of seeing. Shokaract was his name and so far, Cybertronian command had every right to be afraid of him.

Turning around, Menacus went into an alley where he was sure no-one else would follow him.

"Menacus to Cybertron Command," he spoke into his com-link. "I've uncovered the latest updates on the Wayward Sons. The information I have could—"

He never got to finish his sentence. A powerful shock blast fried his com-link, but not before slamming his back against the wall.

"Shouldn't go around tattling."

Menacus stared at his assailant. It was Babel. He was a thin robot in black armor whose lower face was covered by a mouth-plate. On both his arms were ultra-sound shockwave blasters, the kind which were capable of leveling building.

Behind him were Steelhide, Drillmaster, and Yarkon. They were also some of Shokaract's closest followers.

"Stay back!" Menacus raised his hand in self-defense.

"Or you'll what?" Steelhide cracked his knuckles.

"Run to your motherboard crying?" Drillmaster allowed the drills mounted on both his wrists to spin to life.

"I'm warning you!" Menacus pulled out his pistol.

Ominously, the four of them closed in on the informant, raising their weapons into the air.

"'Till all are One!" they shouted.

Then they fell upon him.


	41. Sum of Its Parts

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Sum of Its Parts_

As Optimus Primal flew over the canyons, he wondered deep down if he made the right choice.

On Cybertron, there were many people who awaited his return. From soldiers to decorated officers, there were other 'bots he needed to report back to. The problem with Protoform X had been taken care of, with Depth Charge bringing the behemoth back to Cybertron.

Inwardly, he also desired to go back to Cybertron. There were friends he had on that planet whom he missed dearly. Cybertron was his home. It was only natural that he'd feel homesick.

"Optimus to Rhinox," he spoke into his com-link. "Everything alright at base?"

"A-Okay, Optimus," confirmed Rhinox. "It's quieter now with Cheetor and Rattrap gone."

"I expected as much," chuckled Optimus. "How have Tigatron and Airazor been doing ever since they moved out of the base?"

"They're doing quite well," Rhinox replied. "You know how couples need their space."

"I can understand the feeling," Optimus flew across the open plains. "Anyways, I'll be back at base in about a megacycle. Optimus,out."

Then it hit him that he had no regrets. Cheetor was still young and he still had his entire life ahead of him. If anything, he deserved the chance to go home more than anyone, especially if he were to have more options open to him. Staying on earth just wouldn't be right, constraining him to a little planet such as this. Cheetor was at an age now where he needed to have his own life.

Optimus smiled. He was quite certain that he did the right thing by allowing Cheetor to go back home rather than himself.

An explosion rocked the air currents next to him, setting off his alarm sensors. Two more missiles were soon headed his way.

Optimus quickly spun out both maces and deflected the missiles but from the clouds, a large mech emerged and kicked Optimus across the face, sending him falling to the ground.

Before he could make a dent on the ground beneath him, Optimus caught himself in mid-air and looked up. A man in a large robotic battle suit floated before him, with capture claws on one arm and flame cannon on the other. He recognized the man inside as Claymore, a notorious mercenary he had faced before. Formerly, the man had worked for Megatron.

"My employer wants you dead or alive," Claymore informed Optimus. "Let's just say I don't care much for the latter."

The capture claws spun to life and erupted from his arm, drilling into the earth as Optimus leaped up. Gripping both ends of his mace, Optimus leaped onto the elongated arm and raced up that very same arm, kicking the center of Claymore's mech-suit, knocking him back.

Claymore grunted, feeling the reverberations from the blow. He piloted the machine back on its feet and unleashed a spat of flames.

Optimus rolled out of the way to avoid the flames but the capture claws wrenched free of the earth and struck him from behind, knocking him down.

"It's over now!" Claymore pointed the flamethrower at Optimus.

"Not if I can help it!" Optimus whirled around with one mace and immediately struck the front end of the flamethrower, disabling the safety right under the weapon.

Immediately, the flamethrower arm exploded, leaving the right arm crippled. Claymore grabbed onto his controls for yet another attack. The capture claw drove forward, aiming to strike Optimus down on the spot but the Maximal leader step-sided it and ran forward, slamming into Claymore and knocking him to the ground.

Using both hands, Optimus grabbed onto the front of the cockpit and wrenched it off, exposing Claymore inside. He reached inside and yanked the mercenary out.

"Why did you attack me?" demanded Optimus.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Claymore sneered.

"Who sent you?"

"Sorry Optimus," Claymore replied. "I was paid well to keep my mouth shut."

Optimus held Claymore high in the air and lifted a mace to his face.

"Come on," Claymore taunted. "We both know you're not really going to use excessive force."

Optimus had to concede that he was right. There really wasn't much he could do to make the man talk. All that he could do was to take the mercenary to the authorities. The rest he had to figure out on his own.

"No," Optimus told the mercenary. "But I'm still bringing you in."

* * *

"Good thing you brought back a piece of this arm," Rhinox laid out the cybernetic arm on the lab table. "Did Claymore say anything to the police?"

"Not that I know of," Optimus shook his head. "All I know is that someone paid him off to attack me."

"We all know who his last employer was," Rhinox stated.

"Yeah… Megatron," whispered Optimus.

"You okay, Optimus?"

"I suppose," Optimus looked up. "I searched high and low for him… at his mansion… at his various bases. But there was no sign of him anywhere."

"Where do you suppose Megatron vanished to?"

"I'm not sure he's even around anymore," Optimus confessed. "There doesn't seem to be a trace of him left on this world."

Rhinox could indeed see that Optimus Primal's spirits were low. Subconsciously, there was most likely still a part of him that wanted to return to Cybertron.

But there was something deeper gnawing at him this time. Megatron had been the archenemy of Optimus Primal for as long as Rhinox could remember. And archenemies don't exactly vanish into thin air without leaving a lasting impression. He could tell that Optimus wanted to find out the truth as to whether or not Megatron was alive anymore. The fact that he was still in the dark was what was making Optimus so glum.

A sudden yelp made Optimus snap out of his gloomy mood.

"What was that?" Optimus turned around.

"Sorry Optimus," Jack said, getting up after he had tripped over a wire. He and Luna were there, along with two other friends.

"You remember Steve and Raj, right?" asked Jack.

"Of course," Optimus replied. "So these were the friends you said you were bringing along for today."

"I didn't mean for them to find out about you during that encounter with Archon," Jack told them. "But now that they know the truth, there's no hiding any secrets from them anymore."

"You're Optimus, right?" asked Raj.

"Affirmative," Optimus replied.

"How about you?" asked Steve. "Is your name Rhinox?"

"Mmmhmm," Rhinox nodded.

"So, um, you can transform right?" Raj inquired.

"Of course," Rhinox got up. "Rhinox, Maximize!"

He transformed into his beast mode to the awe of both young men. At this point, Jack and Luna already knew how they could transform.

"No matter how many times I see it, it's still fresh to me," remarked Luna.

"How about you?" Steve asked Optimus.

Optimus obliged as well by transforming into a Transmetal gorilla.

"Um, no offense," asked Raj. "But how come Rhinox looks more… natural while your parts are showing?"

"Trust me, it's a long story," Optimus smiled.

"We've got plenty of time," Luna said. "Don't we, guys?"

"Of course we do!" Jack grinned.

"Yeah, I think I wanna hear this," Steve sat down.

"Me too!"

Optimus looked at Rhinox and shrugged. "Well, guess I have plenty of time to spare."

"Don't stay up too long," Rhinox replied. "I'll be in the lab researching the origins of this battle-suit."

"Well kids," began Optimus. "It all began a while back when a Predacon criminal stole a priceless relic on Cybertron—"

Rhinox looked behind to see that Optimus was finally smiling. The presence of those teens really helped to bring out a happier side of the Maximal commander. At least for now, Optimus Primal's day could end on a good note while he, Rhinox, could get to work, finding out who hired Claymore and why.

* * *

Scorponok sat at his desk, tapping his claws impatiently. He had a new pursuit now and he was going to make sure to get it right. After all, he had to get along on his own ever since Megatron's disappearance. And he was quite a self-sufficient and independent 'bot at this point.

"So what do you have for me?" he asked of Dynamo.

A deep chuckling sound emerged from Dynamo's mask. He reached into his vest and pulled out a crystal diadem.

"Arise, mystics!" commanded Dynamo.

From the crystal, a light emerged, soon coalescing into the four Pali Mystics. As soon as they came out, they kneeled before Dynamo reluctantly.

"During my journeys, I defeated these four in fair and honorable combat," Dynamo informed Scorponok. "Their mastery of the mystic arts will be of great service to us."

"We'll see about that," Scorponok huffed.

"Mystics!" ordered Dynamo. "Scorponok is your new master! You will obey him from now on!"

"Yes… _master_," Ifrit said the last word as if it were a curse.

"Mystics!" Dynamo ordered. "Return!"

The four former servants of Tigerhawk transfigured their body into light and re-entered into the orb that Dynamo held in his hand. Dynamo walked over to Scorponok's desk and handed the object to him.

"Uh, thanks," Scorponok put out.

"We sure we can trust this guy?" Thrust whispered to Tankorr. "He just showed up out of nowhere."

"Beats me," Tankorr shrugged. "Then again, it's not our problem, is it?"

"Will you be busy this afternoon?" Dynamo inquired.

"Um, not really," Scorponok replied. "Why?"

"Because," Dynamo said as he headed out the door. "You will be greeted by a visitor. He is a warrior of great skill and he will serve you well."

"What's he called?" asked Scorponok. But it was too late. Dynamo had already left, leaving behind a confused Predacon.

"Just who is that guy?" Terrorsaur asked as he stood next to Scorponok listlessly.

"Beats me," Scorponok stood up. "But he and I do have a common goal. That's what counts."

* * *

Rhinox sat in his lab, poking and prodding the armored mech's disembodied arm. He had encountered such advanced technology before. But where?

"Hey Rhinox," Luna stepped in. "How's the thing going?"

"Pretty good, Luna," Rhinox stopped what he was doing. "I'm just trying to figure out where this came from."

"It wasn't made by Megatron, was it?" Luna blinked.

"No," Rhinox confirmed. "This tech's too primitive for Megatron. But it's also too advanced for any normal human to have built."

Peeling back a layer of the metal, Rhinox attached a pair of conductors inside to test its internal mechanics.

"Whoever built this was good with robotics," Rhinox frowned. "He knew how to manipulate the joints so that they could move as precisely as possible."

"He must've been pretty smart to do that," Luna commented.

Rhinox began to study the internal circuitry. The person who built this definitely wasn't Sentinel either. Whenever Sentinel built a new robot, it was usually a body and a vessel for himself. He wasn't the type to share with others.

As Rhinox began narrowing down the suspects, he realized there was one possibility. Turning on the vid-screen, he rummaged through the files until he found a small profile submerged beneath the lower-end programs.

An image popped up. It was a picture of a man in roughly his 40s. He wore a gray lab coat and had a clean-shaven face.

"Who is that?" asked Luna.

"His name's Dr. Drake," Rhinox explained. "We encountered him before when I first built Sentinel. He was also there when Sentinel turned bad. But he disappeared before we defeated Sentinel."

"Where do you suppose he is now?" Luna looked at Rhinox.

"Dunno, but I'll have to find him first," Rhinox picked up a cutting tool.

"Can I come along?" asked Luna.

Rhinox looked at her skeptically. "Are you sure?"

"Of course!" Luna smiled. "Since Rattrap's not here, it looks like you'll be needing company!"

"That is true," Rhinox sat back, contemplating.

"How do you suppose they're doing?" Luna looked concerned as well.

"I hope they're all doing well," Rhinox sighed. "Depth Charge can take care of himself and as for Cheetor, I'm sure he'll find his way sooner or later."

"What about Rattrap?"

Rhinox raised an eye ridge. "Knowing him, he's maxed out all his credits at the Titanium Tower Casinos by now."

"Ha ha ha!" Luna laughed. Rhinox soon joined her.

* * *

"Yahoo!" Jack cried.

He, Raj, and Steve clung on to Optimus as the three of them had their feet firmly mounted on his surfboard. Optimus took them for several rides in the air before finally landing.

"I think my stomach is going to churn…" Steve moaned.

Raj hopped off. "That was fun!"

Rhinox and Luna looked on from the distance.

"Looks like Optimus is having fun," observed Luna.

Rhinox nodded in agreement. It was the first time since Cheetor's departure that he'd seen his leader enjoy himself with the human teens. He didn't want Optimus Primal's mind to be occupied by anything else right now. Most likely, he'd go on this journey himself and let Optimus have a break for the next few days.

"Hey Luna, ready for a trip?" asked Rhinox.

"Um, sure, are you serious?" she responded curiously.

Rhinox leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Luna acknowledged it by nodding.

The two of them headed over to where Optimus and the boys were playing.

"Hey Optimus," Rhinox announced. "I'll be going on a sabbatical for a few days."

"Really? Where to?" asked Optimus.

"Down to Canada," Rhinox informed them. "I'll be there for the next few days."

"Going to document more plant life, I assume?"

"Pretty much," Rhinox affirmed. "I could use some fresh air."

"Good luck then, old friend."

"I'll be going with him," interjected Luna.

"Hmm, nice to see you'll have company," smiled Optimus.

"Well, I'd better start getting prepared," Rhinox walked off with Luna. "See you in a few days."

* * *

"Is he down there?" Terrorsaur asked.

"Waspinator not sure this is a good idea!"

"Shut up, you two!" ordered Thrust. "I have to check this out."

The four Predacons were in the lower ends of the basements, on the search for Dynamo. They had heard from Scorponok that he was using the training room beneath the mansion. For Thrust and Tankorr, they wanted to see exactly what the mysterious stranger was up to and if he was truly an ally.

They entered into the control room which was linked closely to the training room. From there, they got a good glimpse of what was going on with Dynamo.

"Hey, I can't see!" protested Terrorsaur.

"Too bad, move over!" Tankorr pushed Terrorsaur aside.

In the center of the training room sat Dynamo in a meditating position. None of the Predacons could see beneath his mask so they weren't sure whether or not he was conscious.

Dynamo's body sprang to life as a metal pillar from above came smashing down on him. Rolling out of the way, Dynamo soon came under fire from the mounted laser guns in the room, lying all across the walls. Moving swiftly, he avoided the shots and bounded across the room, bouncing off the walls.

Before their very optics, the Predacons watched in awe as several more room-mounted guns opened fire on him, this time with razor-sharp darts. In rapid succession, Dynamo spun around and around, allowing his sleeves to flail across the room until nearly all the darts were caught.

Not allowing the laser rifles another chance, Dynamo unleashed all the darts, destroying each and every one of the rifles and putting them out of commission.

"What's this guy made of?" Thrust murmured.

"Whatever he is, he's not made from Waspinator parts," joked Tankorr.

"Hey!" Waspinator protested. "Waspinator not appreciate joke!"

"Too bad, buzz-brain," Thrust countered. "Because there's plenty more where that came from, ya hear?"

Next up for Dynamo was a training drone. The purple robot was one of the more advanced models, being capable of moving almost as swiftly as a Cybertronian. Dynamo merely stood there beckoning for the drone to attack. Unsheathing twin blades, the drone obliged by aiming at Dynamo's hood, intending to take his head off.

Dynamo ducked underneath the attack and avoided another strike that sliced through the wall behind him.

Again and again, the training 'bot struck at him until Dynamo caught one arm and wrenched the weapon free from the drone. The drone slashed at him horizontally but Dynamo flipped away from it.

"Computer!" Dynamo commanded. "Raise difficulty level to maximum!"

The training drone stretched out his arms. Additional joints appeared underneath his prior arms until the creature became a six-armed terror. The four other arms also had hand-mounted plasma rifles, firing off multiple shots at Dynamo.

Dynamo ran forward, swiftly avoiding the shots and flipping overhead the drone, slicing off the hand which held the other sword.

Now without its primary weapons, the training drone could only rely on its firepower. Dynamo ignored the steady stream of firepower to concentrate solely on his target. He deflected the shots with both swords and closed the gap between them. Then he struck twice.

The first blow severed the head from the training 'bot's body while the second blow sliced off the torso of the drone.

It was over in a matter of cycles.

"Dude's got some fancy moves," admitted Thrust.

"Yeah, maybe he's not so bad," Tankorr acknowledged.

Dynamo turned around and fixed all four Predacons with a cold stare, his eyes glowing a deep shade of red.

"Uh oh, mask-bot spotted us!" gulped Waspinator.

Staying silent, Dynamo walked away and left the room without another word.

"Just who in the Pit is he?" Terrorsaur scratched his head.

* * *

"Is this the place?" asked Luna.

The two of them were at an abandoned cabin just a few miles away from Vancouver. The air around them was cold, partly because snow lay across the forest like a blanket. Luna, in particular, was shivering.

"I should've brought a warmer jacket," she muttered.

"This shouldn't take long," Rhinox tried to reassure her. "I just need to find his whereabouts."

The two of them stepped inside. Inside was not much of a different story than what they experienced outside. The atmosphere around them was cold. Luna put her hand on a table only to suddenly draw her hand back, surprised at how chilled it was.

Luna breathed heavily. "Let's just get this over with."

"I'll try to make this quick," Rhinox began his search.

Rhinox walked over to the computer first and foremost to begin. In the meantime, Luna sat down on the couch to wait.

"All his files have been erased," Rhinox confirmed after a few minutes had passed.

"Hey, what's this?" Luna glanced at the table.

A small bug was seen crawling on it. The mechanical creature skittered across the wood, trying to get away but Luna grabbed it with a napkin.

"Hey Rhinox, look what I found!"

Rhinox came over to see what she had apprehended. It was a little bug, no bigger than a small cell phone. He picked it up gently and flipped it over, examining its front.

"What is it?" asked Luna.

Rhinox fiddled with its compartments. One of his fingers transformed into a screw, prying open the shell that held it open. He examined its internal circuitry to see what it was made of, taking special care not to cause any damage.

"From what I can tell, this is just a video recorder," observed Rhinox. "But why would he need a insect drone to record?"

"To catch any interlopers who come uninvited."

Rhinox and Luna both turned around. Dr. Drake had stepped into the house through the front door. There was barely a trace of humanity left in him, seeing how roboticized his body had become. Only a portion of his head and the left portion of his arm and chest remained human.

"Whoa… scary," Luna got behind Rhinox for protection.

"Is that really you?" Rhinox asked.

"Of course it's me, you fool!" Dr. Drake snarled. "Who else could have been turned into a half-mechanical monstrosity by Sentinel?"

"I didn't know…" confessed Rhinox. "Listen Dr. Drake, if there's any way I can help you become normal again—"

"Save your sympathy," Drake waved a hand. "I think we're coming off on the wrong foot here."

"What do you mean?" asked Luna.

"While it's true Sentinel, and by extension you Maximals, took my humanity," explained Drake. "You've also blessed me with certain gifts."

"No doubt 10th level Cybertronian engineering knowledge," concluded Rhinox.

"You are correct," Dr. Drake replied. "And do you know what I've done with this knowledge?"

Luna and Rhinox looked at each other in a puzzled manner.

"This," Dr. Drake snapped his fingers.

Several elongated, octopus-like mechanical arms sprung out for almost every corner of the room. One of them grabbed Luna and lifted her into the air.

"Luna!" shouted Rhinox. Before he could rescue her, several of those tentacles grabbed him and restrained him in place.

The arm which held Luna dropped her next to Drake. Dr. Drake grabbed Luna, making the unmistakable gesture for him to surrender or else. Rhinox looked at Luna, quickly coming to a decision. He decided not to struggle anymore.

"You win," Rhinox said slowly. "Now let her go."

"That's not enough, I'm afraid," Drake growled. "I want to see you suffer first."

Drake let go of Luna and took out a small pistol. From it sprang a miniature dart which struck Rhinox in the arm. Immediately, an immobilizing content spilled into Rhinox's internal functions, causing him to fall down as a wave of pain overtook him.

"With my new knowledge, I've come up with my own batch of what you may term 'cyber-venom,' capable of immobilizing all the circuitry and joints of any prospective machine, no matter how big or small."

"Agh!" Rhinox grunted. He could no longer move at this point.

"I suppose I'll keep my end of the bargain then," Drake glanced at Luna contemptuously. "You may go."

"But Rhinox—"

"Go before I change my mind!" Drake ordered.

"No way!" Luna grabbed onto a lamp and charged.

Doctor Drake grabbed the lamp as she swung and threw it aside. He took her by the arm and pushed her into the closet, locking it.

"I'll be back for you," he warned.

Drake lifted Rhinox up with both hands and slung him over his shoulder. His enhanced strength now enabled him to carry much more than his own body weight. Opening the door, he stepped out.

"Gotta get this door open!" Luna struggled against the closed door. "Can't let him take Rhinox!"

She slammed into the door one time. The second time hurt when her shoulder connected with the wood.

"Ow…" she moaned. "Better think of another way."

Then she saw the ventilation shafts. The opening was large and it appeared to be spacious enough to accommodate her. But who knew where the shafts would lead and how long it would take her to free herself…

Luna sighed. "Better get to work."

* * *

"I can't begin to thank you enough," Tarantulas said to Scorponok. "Without your aid, this would not have been feasible."

"Don't worry about it," Scorponok waved. "It was nothing."

The two of them stood out in the wide open plains near Megatron's mansion. Scorponok had agreed to use his own base as a launching point for the new ship Tarantulas had fashioned for himself.

"If you don't mind me asking, how'd you do it?" Scorponok inquired.

"I had the blueprints for building a transwarp drive," explained Tarantulas. "Unfortunately, I simply didn't have the resources. So it was a simple matter of acquiring resources from multiple sources, including Megatron and his business rivals."

"Clever," Scorponok put both claws on his hips. "What about the stuff I gave you?"

"They also serve my purposes quite well," Tarantulas bowed. "And for that, I am in your debt."

"You're in my debt, huh?" Scorponok chuckled. "Well just remember, a promise is a promise."

"I'll do well to remember that," Tarantulas began boarding his ship. "Anyways, I must be off now."

"Have fun on Cybertron!" Scorponok called. "And whatever other place you're going to."

"Oh, I'll be sure to," Tarantulas closed the hatch.

Within moments, the ship launched itself into the air and was no more than a speck in the sky. It didn't take long before the ship's engines began the process of entering into warp space.

"Where spider-bot head off to?" asked Waspinator.

"He's going back to Cybertron," Scorponok replied. "To do who-knows-what."

"Hmph, Waspinator never did like spider-bot that much."

"I hear ya," Scorponok concurred. "But he had his uses."

"Now that spider-bot is gone, can Scorponok be sure to trust Dynamo?" asked Waspinator.

"I dunno," Scorponok admitted. "I just got to know the guy."

"Then why Scorponok give Dynamo so much trust and access to base?" Waspinator pressed the issue.

"It's none of your business, alright?" snapped Scorponok. "I'm in charge now so I decide what's the best for this team!"

"Yeesh," Waspinator flew away. "What scorpion-bot have stuck up his waste disposal unit?"

"Stupid bug," Scorponok muttered.

The truth of the matter was that he wasn't entirely sure about the motives and plans of Dynamo himself. But it was Dynamo's promise that counted. And that's why he entrusted a great deal of faith to him. And it didn't come easy.

* * *

With the last ounce of strength in her legs, Luna kicked open the ventilation blinds that blocked her entrance into the living room. Finally, the entrance was open and she slid into the room unhindered.

"That went well," she muttered. "Now to help Rhinox."

She ran to the door but paused after seeing something lying on the couch. It was the gun that Doctor Drake had used to paralyze Rhinox. Didn't it contain a special dose of cyber-venom or something?

"I may need this as well," she said to herself.

Picking up the gun, she ran out the door. She surveyed her surroundings intently, trying to find any clues as to where Rhinox was.

Finally, she picked up the footprints in the snow, which led to a location north from this very cabin.

* * *

Right now, Rhinox felt like something in his motherboard was about to implode. He lay in the snow, with little recollection as to how he got there.

"Ugh, how long was I out?"

He got up and looked around. He was surrounded by pine trees on all sides, the snow covering into the ground like a thick sheet of blankets.

"I've been waiting for this for quite a while, Rhinox."

Rhinox turned around. Behind him was a large robotic exo-suit, similar to the one Optimus had fought when Claymore was the pilot. The only difference was that this one was much bigger. Its armaments far out-stripped that of the previous model as well.

"We don't have to destroy each other!" Rhinox tried to reason. "I can try to find a cure for you!"

"I don't need a cure!" Drake shouted. "I have everything I need!"

The mech opened fire. Rhinox had to roll out of the way of a barrage of machine gun bullets which erupted across the ground, scattering the snow.

Taking refuge, he hid behind one of the trees.

"You cannot hide from me!" cried Dr. Drake. "Nothing you cower behind will last!"

A missile erupted from the exo-suit's wrist. Soon, the tree was blown to pieces, sending Rhinox flying into a mound of snow.

Rhinox quickly got up. He knew that he wasn't the fastest or most agile 'bot on the planet. If things continued going this way, he'd end up being flattened by Drake's mech. The robot's firepower easily dwarfed his own. Judging from its size, its strength must also be considerable.

However, it didn't change the fact that he, Rhinox, could fight back.

Drake commandeered his robot to level one of the trees, pushing it down to search for Rhinox and ripping it from its trunks.

"Where are you?" seethed Drake.

Rhinox carefully made his way past Drake's robot and grabbed onto the fallen tree, hoisting it beneath his arm.

"Hey, over here!" shouted Rhinox.

Drake turned his mech around only for Rhinox to swing the tree, striking his robot across the side. The mech stumbled sideways momentarily but before Drake could regain balance, Rhinox slammed his entire body into the robot's leg, causing it to fall down.

"Blast you!" Drake cursed.

Rhinox rushed to the opening hatch of the mech to try to pry it open but Drake latched onto Rhinox's body with one of the mech's hand, clamping onto him tightly.

"You won't defeat me so easily!" shouted Dr. Drake.

Repeatedly, he slammed Rhinox into the pine trees, beating and battering him thoroughly before throwing him onto the ground.

"Agh!" Rhinox cried.

Dr. Drake placed one giant foot of the mech on top of Rhinox, gradually applying more and more pressure. Rhinox lifted both hands up to prevent himself from being crushed but the pressure was too big…

"Any minute now!" laughed Drake. "I want to hear something pop!"

From the distance, Luna closed the gap between herself and the battle. She took out the gun in her hand with the cyber-venom Drake had created. She didn't know if her plan would work or not, but it was still worth a try.

"Agh!" Rhinox cried as the giant foot inched closer to his face.

"Oh no you don't!" Luna opened fire two times.

The two darts embedded themselves into Doctor Drake's machine, injecting a double dose of enhanced cyber-venom into the system.

"What is going on?" Drake cried.

A fizzle in his mainframe alerted Drake to the fact that something was wrong. Next up was a sputter from the engines, freezing the robot in place.

Rhinox saw that the machine had stopped moving and quickly rolled out of the way.

"You okay, Rhinox?" asked Luna.

"I'm alright now, thanks," Rhinox gave her a thumb up.

Dr. Drake's mech stood there in perfect motion, not moving an inch.

"Now to put the lid on this hunk of junk!" declared Rhinox.

After getting enough distance, Rhinox charged with enough ramming speed and slammed into the leg of the robot, causing it to fall over. The machine crashed into the ground, shattering the glass that housed Drake in the cockpit.

Drake crawled out of the robot, getting up on both feet.

"It's over!" Rhinox told him. "You lost!"

"I can still finish you!" Dr. Drake charged angrily.

Dr. Drake threw a punch which Rhinox caught easily. Rhinox closed his fist and delivered a blow that knocked Drake out cold.

"Is he okay?" asked Luna.

"He will be," Rhinox replied. "We'll just have to bring him in and—"

"Um, Rhinox," Luna pointed out. "I don't think this is over yet."

From the snow arose a creature fully clothed in brown garments. He wore a death mask of Kaon, much like Waspinator did when he had become the rogue Predacon Archon, except this time Rhinox was quite certain this wasn't Archon. Dynamo smiled beneath his mask. He had read up on Rhinox and determined his strengths and weaknesses quite well.

"Who are you?" demanded Rhinox.

"That… is not your concern for now. I have come to take the good doctor with me."

"Luna, go hide behind those trees," Rhinox whispered to her.

"Got it," she nodded.

"Hand him over," said Dynamo. And it was not a request.

"You'll have to go through me first!" Rhinox put up both hands in fighting stance.

The next thing Rhinox saw was a blur that knocked him clear across the air. When he was able to lift his head up again, he saw the stranger grab Drake and leap high into the trees to escape.

"Ugh, that went well," grumbled Rhinox.

"You okay?" asked Luna.

"I am now, thanks for saving me."

"Don't mention it," Luna smiled. "That's what friends do!"

"At least we know now Drake wants us slagged," Rhinox counted down. "And there's that new character we just saw…"

"I've never seen anyone move so fast," Luna commented. "Especially when he leaped into those trees."

"Whoever he is… we'll have to solve that mystery for another day," Rhinox confessed. "It's about time we headed back."

Rhinox transformed to beast mode. "Need a lift?"

"Sure thing," Luna smiled and got on. "You think Cheetor, Rattrap, and Depth Charge are doing alright?"

"Knowing them, they've probably made their way to Cybertron already," Rhinox said confidently. "Back home to start a new life!"

* * *

Pushing his way past Terrorsaur and Waspinator, Scorponok rushed to his desk to take the incoming transmission. There were only a select few out there who were privy to his secure connections and he could only narrow it down to a handful.

"Scorponok here," he spoke into the com-link.

A picture image of Dynamo appeared on the screen.

"Greetings Scorponok," he lowered his head into a bow. "The warrior I spoke of is on his way here."

"Great, where is he?" Scorponok asked.

"He should be within this very compound at this very moment."

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!" the alarms went off.

"He's already in here?" Scorponok shouted.

Suddenly, the lights went off. Scorponok quickly switched to emergency, backup lights in his office. They weren't quite as bright as the main ones but they helped everyone to see nonetheless.

"He's over there!" Thrust aimed his gun at the door.

From the ceiling, a mysterious warrior leaped off, kicking both Waspinator and Terrorsaur aside like they were nothing. Thrust turned around to fire but the assailant rolled forward and drove his fist into Thrust's solar plexus. He grabbed Thrust by the arm and threw him onto Terrorsaur and Waspinator to prevent them from getting up.

"You're mine now!" Tankorr howled.

Tankorr's shoulder cannon directed itself at the stranger but the mysterious warrior quickly spin kicked the cannon, causing it to misfire. The new warrior leaped over Tankorr's body and grabbed his arm, locking it behind his back. With a swift kick, he knocked Tankorr into the desk.

Just as Tankorr turned around, he found himself with a sword pointed neatly at his throat.

"Do not move," the attacker warned. "Or I will be forced to sever your head from your body."

"Tankorr! Stand down" ordered Scorponok.

"Me?" Tankorr fumed. "But he attacked—"

"Just do it!" Scorponok commanded.

"Very well…" Tankorr raised both hands up in defeat.

"A wise choice," the strange new 'bot seemed to approve of the surrender.

"I'm thinking you're that guy Dynamo told me about?" Scorponok inquired.

"Yes… My name is Dinobot and I am pleased to have entered into your services!"


	42. Return to a Land Forgotten

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_**Return to a Land Forgotten**_

_Captain's Log… Year 920 PCE…_

_We've come a long way since getting out of that mudball called Earth. And boy has it been a ride._

_Hot on our tails are Predacon fighter jets, pummeling my spacecraft. Our shields are running low and there's only so much maneuvering room I can manage, considering the fact that we entered right into the middle of a war zone!_

_The kid and the rat? They've been relatively easy to live with, Cheetor especially. Rattrap, on the other hand? I'm beginning to think my ship's trash compactor is cleaner than the stuff that rolls out of that rodent's lips._

_Why is there a war? Slag if I know. Apparently, Pax Cybertronia no longer applies to the current situation._

_And speaking of which, I need to concentrate on the task at hand._

_Depth Charge out._

"Just what the slag is going on here?" Rattrap cried as another round of laser fire pounded their spacecraft.

"Not sure," Depth Charge retorted. "But if you stay quiet long enough, maybe I can figure it out!"

"Well excuuuuuse me for asking!" Rattrap got in Depth Charge's face. "But some of us have a right to know!"

"Depth Charge is right!" Cheetor interrupted the bickering. "Something bad's going down. I'll fly out and see what it is!"

"No way!" Rattrap told him. "What if they don't recognize you?"

"What makes you say that?" asked Cheetor.

"Well, most Maximal soldiers probably aren't used to seeing a Transmetal cloud kitty flying over them."

"Oh yeah," Cheetor remembered. He was not exactly the same 'bot he once was.

"Open the hatch," Depth Charge ordered as he swerved the ship to avoid two incoming missiles.

"What?" Rattrap demanded.

"The kid's gotta learn his own lessons," Depth Charge stated. "Open the hatch."

"You sure about 'dis?" Rattrap looked at the younger Maximal.

"Hey, I've been through a lot," insisted Cheetor. "I can handle this."

Reluctantly, Rattrap grabbed the hatch and opened the door, revealing the vacuum of space. Such a thing would have been problematic for organics who needed air to survive. Thankfully, they were Cybertronians who could survive a variety of forms of air quality, or lack thereof.

Cheetor transformed to flight mode and flew out.

"I've got a bad feeling about 'dis…" muttered Rattrap.

"Oh for Primus' sake!" shouted Depth Charge. "Shut the door already!"

Rattrap quickly shut it. "Sheesh, no pressure or anything!"

Depth Charge quickly swerved the ship to the right.

"This ship wasn't built for combat, you know!" Depth Charge pointed out.

"Yeah, and I wasn't built to be 'yer janitor 'bot!" replied Rattrap sarcastically.

"Oh put a lid in it, mouse!"

"Better idea… why don't you zip it and start piloting!"

"I would… if you hadn't been interrupting me so much!"

* * *

Astro-shock flew low over the Cybertronian skyhopper. The purple Predacon checked his grids. According to his sensors, this was a Maximal ship, with Maximal targets inside. Better yet, it was an unarmed vessel.

The other Predacons needed their own jets but he, luckily, was one of the Seekers, capable of transforming into a jet himself.

Promotions came rather quickly within the Seeker ranks. The sheer amount of subordinates betraying and offing their superiors made it so that a pecking order could only be established once the most competent and strongest of warriors made it to the top. Astro-shock himself wanted to be at that top, which was no surprise.

"Hey!" a voice behind him called.

Astro-shock transformed to robot mode, turning around. Behind him was a large feline flying behind him, coated in an armor he had no seen before.

"What in the Pit are you?"

"Cheetor, Maximize!"

Snarling, Astro-shock drew back. The creature was a Maximal alright.

Astro-shock raised his wrist cannon but Cheetor was much faster. Transforming to robot mode, the young Maximal flipped a blast that sent Astro-shock skidding across the skyhopper until he fell and caught hold of the front window.

Depth Charge stared impassively at the Predacon seeker caught on his windshield like a bug. As Astro-shock attempted to get up, the former Maximal security guard swerved the ship into a barrel roll, shaking off the unwanted passenger.

Suddenly, the Predacon ships began to withdraw.

"Whoa, is it me?" Cheetor wondered. "Or are these guys turning tail?"

"Nah kid, you're right 'dis time!" Rattrap spoke to him through a com-link frequency. "Look!"

In front of them loomed a hyper-class battle cruiser. With the Maximal insignia carved out neatly in its front side, the ship hovered ominously over the much smaller starship.

From experience, Depth Charge knew not to make any sudden moves. He waited patiently until a signal from the much larger battle cruiser reached them. When it came, he pressed down on the button to receive the transmission.

"Commander Solaris Prime to unidentified ship," the voice came through. "Identify yourselves and state your purposes."

"Depth Charge here… my passengers and I have returned from the far reaches of space with the pod of Protoform X."

Silence.

After a few moments, Rattrap twitched nervously. There was no response from the command ship. Originally, the orders of the Axalon crew had been to dump Protoform X on an abandoned planet. That order had not been obeyed and boy, would he be in for it once they interrogated him about it.

"You have permission to land," Solaris Prime finally replied.

"Whew, and for a second there, I thought we was gonna be boarded," Rattrap breathed a sigh of relief.

Unlike the past instances over the trip where Depth Charge replied with his own smarmy comment, the blue Maximal stayed silent this time.

* * *

After several stellar cycles, they had finally arrived back on Cybertron. The space port from which they had left hadn't changed much since they last saw it. The cities were bustling as ever and the denizens were going about their usual lives, unconcerned for the higher political machinations taking place high above them in the Maximal Council.

Rattrap was the first to step out, followed by Depth Charge. Reluctantly, Cheetor looked around first before coming out.

"Ah yes! Home sweet home!" Rattrap cried.

"Man, you really did stay on earth too long, didn't you?" Depth Charge snorted.

"Comes with 'da territory, fishsticks!"

"You again!"

"Is 'dat who I think it is?"

Immediately, Rattrap was thrown onto the pavement. The familiar femme-bot who stood over him drew her gun in preparation to fire.

Depth Charge reacted quickly and blasted the gun out of her hand with a single shot. Cheetor then let loose a second shot that floored her.

"Ugh…" the femme-bot cursed.

"Lieutenant Shiva, stand down!" Solaris Prime ordered.

It seemed that Depth Charge didn't care at all who she was. But both Cheetor and Rattrap remembered her clearly as the femme-bot who arrived on Earth years ago and tried to take them hostage. She had failed in her endeavors of course, and beat a rather hasty retreat back to Cybertron.

Evidently, she hadn't forgotten about them either and was still able to identify them even after they'd gotten their Transmetal upgrades.

"But sir, they're fugitives," Shiva protested as she got up.

"Fall back in line, Lieutenant," Solaris ordered. "As for you two, I would advise you put away your weapons as well."

It then dawned on Depth Charge and Cheetor that Solaris was referring to them. Reluctantly, Depth Charge holstered his gun as Cheetor lowered his arms.

"Now if you don't mind," Solaris beckoned to the three weary travelers. "I'm sure you have much to discuss after your prolonged absence."

* * *

In the course of a megacycle, Rattrap relayed everything the Maximals had experienced on Earth to Solaris Prime, from their landing, to the Vok invasion, up until the present time. Solaris sat down with them and nodded every once in a while, acknowledging their accomplishments and making notes.

"And Optimus Primal elected to stay on earth?" asked Solaris.

Rattrap nodded. It certainly wasn't out of character for the Boss Monkey to sacrifice his own happiness to help his own crew when the occasion called for it. And though Rattrap rarely showed it, he truly was grateful to Optimus deep down for being granted this chance to come home.

"I must commend him," Solaris Prime smiled for the first time. "Optimus Primal truly understands what it means to put the needs of the many over the needs of the few."

"Mind if we ask a few questions?" asked Cheetor. "With your permission, of course."

"Permission granted," Solaris agreed.

"What was that big battle we just ran into?" Cheetor inquired. "The moment we made the leap out of transwarp space, there it was… just like that."

"What you encountered was a minor insurrection," Solaris told them. "Led by a rogue terrorist organization called the Wayward Sons of Cybertron."

"Guess Pax Cybertronia is over?" asked Rattrap.

"I wouldn't say that," Solaris replied. "These rogues are only a small, isolated terrorist group who are in no way representative of the wider Predacon populace, most of whom live peacefully alongside our Maximals bretheren."

Rattrap looked at Cheetor and shrugged. Whatever was going on certainly wasn't his business to get involved in.

"Now," Solaris got up. "I believe the long trip has left the three of your tired. I'll let you be on your way now."

Solaris gestured for the three to follow him. Rattrap and Cheetor both got up and went with the high-ranking Maximal.

Before Solaris even got one foot outside the door he realized something was wrong.

"Is something the matter?" he turned around and stared at Depth Charge.

Depth Charge stood there, not budging an inch. The etching across his face was evident. He would not leave until he got to the bottom of something.

"Where is Protoform X?" the blue Maximal demanded.

"Protoform X is now in a secure, undisclosed location," Solaris replied. "You've done a commendable job bringing him to justice. Now he is out of your hands."

"That's not it," Depth Charge growled. "Will he or won't he be dealt with?"

"I _said_ the situation is no longer any of your concern," Solaris reiterated. "Do _not_ make me repeat myself."

"Sorry Prime," Depth Charge stood his ground. "But the days of rank-and-file toadying is over. If you don't do anything about X, then maybe I _will_."

"You're dangerously out of line," Solaris Prime warned. "Protoform X was created with the funding of the Maximal High Council. We'll decide how we'll deal with our own creations, not you."

"Hey big blue," Cheetor tugged at Depth Charge's arm. "Maybe this isn't worth it."

"Yeah," agreed Rattrap. "Solaris Prime here is 'da Maximal Supreme Commander. Not 'da kinda guy you wanna mess with."

Depth Charge finally relented.

"Fine," he spat. "But this isn't over."

"Go get some rest," Solaris Prime's face grew more pleasant. "You've had a long trip."

* * *

"Man, I thought you were gonna pop," Cheetor observed. "That Solaris Prime dude really got to you."

"Yeah, like somethin' went down between you two once," Rattrap remarked.

"He used to be my commander," Depth Charge admitted. "Old wounds die hard."

"Yikes," Rattrap looked to the side as they exited the building. "And speakin' of old wounds…"

Shiva walked by arm-in-arm with another 'bot. She paused after noticing them and stopped to exchange a few words.

"Sorry about our exchange earlier," Shiva told them and then gestured to her new boyfriend. "This is Mantis Prime, by the way."

"Eh, don't worry about it," Rattrap replied. "I'm used 'ta 'bots wantin' to slag me."

"Tell me something," she asked them. "Why didn't all of you make it back?"

"Ship wasn't big enough," Depth Charge said plaintively.

"That's too bad," she sighed. "I had a few particular words I wanted to exchange with Optimus."

"Yeah, and I bet you had a few blows you wanted to exchange wit' him too," remarked Rattrap.

"Okay, you got me," she confessed. "That too."

"But hey," Mantis smiled. "It's a good thing she moved on."

Shiva smiled and looked at Mantis lovingly, to the disgust of Cheetor and Rattrap.

"Yeah, well I think it's time you moved over," Depth Charge pushed Mantis aside and stomped off.

"Geez, what's up his crank shaft?" demanded Mantis.

"Give him some time," Cheetor tried to reassure the pair. "He's been through a lot."

"Yeah, he and Solaris didn't exactly have a warm reunion," added Rattrap.

Mantis Prime crossed his arm skeptically. Shiva glared daggers at Rattrap and Cheetor once again, clearly upset with the rude behavior of Depth Charge.

"Eh, maybe we'd better go now," Rattrap inched away.

"Yeah, see ya!" waved Cheetor.

* * *

Solaris Prime stood at the forefront of his command bridge. Each and every day there were more and more reports of Predacon insurrections. He was certain the Wayward Sons of Cybertron were behind it too. Who else would have the ability to incite rebellions the way they did?

More disturbing reports were also coming in. According to one of his lieutenants a few weeks ago, Maximal recruits were increasing in the Wayward Sons. Some reports even suggested that they now made up at least five or even ten percent of the organization. The very notion of it made Solaris uncomfortable. Just what was it that happened that could make ordinary Maximals join them? A new form of brainwashing perhaps? Implanted memories?

Luckily for them, the Maximal Imperium still had the more powerful navy and well-trained soldiers. But unfortunately, there were also signs that the Wayward Sons had developed a better trained brigade.

"Solaris Prime, sir!" a young soldier entered into the chambers.

"Report, lieutenant," Solaris directed.

"Sir… about Protoform X's stasis pod," he began. "It's gone!"

"What?" Solaris turned around violently.

"Several members of the Wayward Sons broke into the storage building and stole it from us," the messenger described. "They were too powerful for us!"

Solaris Prime's face contorted in anger. He did not, however, take it out on his lieutenant who was merely doing his duty. The Wayward Sons had the stasis pod and he needed to direct all his attention to finding that pod no matter what.

"Shokaract…" Solaris hissed under his breath. "You're the one responsible, aren't you?"

* * *

Rampage awoke with a light shining in his optics. Covering his eyes, he hoisted himself up from his stasis pod. Someone had awoken him without putting any stasis cuffs on him. Bad move indeed.

With a roar, he easily broke open the stasis pod's lid and stomped out. Around him was a throne room with various Predacons and even a few Maximals staring at him curiously.

"What in the world is this?" Rampage sneered.

Did these Transformers not know who he was? Were they unaware of the fact that he could slaughter them with ease like he did the inhabitants of Omicron? Just what was going on anyways?

"Ah I see you're awake."

"Who are you?" Rampage turned around. "And what do you want?"

The stranger walked up towards Rampage fearlessly. His stoic gaze combined with his confident stride only served to annoy Rampage further.

He was a 'bot who was only slightly shorter than Rampage himself. His body was unlike the bulkier, vehicle-based modes of other Transformers but had a more streamlined figure, with double blades on his elbows. A black cape swirled across his back, no doubt a sign of his regal standing. Two pupil-less green optics stared back at Rampage's own. The top of his head was punctuated by a stately ridge, shaped in similar manner to a horn. His jaw, however, was a nightmarish amalgamation of jagged teeth and a facial structure resembling a mandible.

"Start talking," Rampage drew the line by taking out his gun. "Or I'll blow your processor out!"

"There's no need for violence," the stranger replied. "My name is Shokaract and I'm pleased to have finally met you, Protoform X."

"The name's Rampage now," the behemoth corrected Shokaract with a dangerous gaze.

"Yes, yes, forgive me," Shokaract put both arms behind his back. "I assume you were brought to Cybertron against your will?"

"Yeah…" hissed Rampage.

"I also have no doubt you wish to seek vengeance against your captors," Shokaract continued.

Rampage lowered his rifle. "Go on…"

"I've already sent someone after them," Shokaract informed his guest. "They will no doubt be joining us soon."

"Tell me, how do you know so much already?" demanded Rampage.

"There is much I already know, brother," Shokaract smiled through his jagged teeth.

"Brother? Ha!" scoffed Rampage. "I wasn't aware I had a brother!"

Rampage snorted and laughed a few minutes longer in the presence of Shokaract and his minions. When he was done, he looked at Shokaract with a serious gaze.

"But in all seriousness, I have no brother," Rampage declared.

"That is where you're wrong," Shokaract said calmly as he opened up his chest plate to reveal his spark.

"What… what is that?" Rampage demanded.

A red and black energy pulsated around Shokaract's body, engulfing it in a dark aura. The spark itself cackled with electricity.

"You see before you the power of the Darkspark," Shokaract smiled.

Rampage remained motionless, evidently drawn to its power.

"It should be a while before our visitors come so I may as well entertain you with the story of how I came to be," Shokaract explained. "You see, it all began a long, long time ago…"

* * *

"So have we worked out our expenses and where we're gonna stay?" asked Cheetor.

"Good thing you brought that up, spots!" declared Rattrap. "It's always important 'ta have a roof over our heads!"

Depth Charge groaned.

"Oh come on, fishsticks!" Rattrap nudged him. "What's with 'yer attitude?"

"You know slaggin' well what's wrong," growled Depth Charge.

"You know what they say," Cheetor tried to encourage the group. "No use crying over spilled milk. I'm sure the Maximal Elders will keep X contained this time."

"You don't know them like I do," Depth Charge replied cynically. Anything they see as an opportunity, they'll grasp. And anything that's powerful enough to be a weapon, they'll use."

The Maximal trio walked into a marketplace. It was lively and upbeat compared to the more dour settings they had encountered at Maximal High Command. The streets were filled with merchants from all over the planet. Even some aliens from other planets had set up shop here.

"Can I interest you guys in energon processors powered by nuclear fusion?" offered one of the salesbots.

"No thanks, we're good," Rattrap waved his offer aside.

"You got a place to go to, Depth Charge?" asked Cheetor.

"Not particularly," Depth Charge crossed his arms. "I sold everything I had to pursue X, including getting that transwarp cell."

"Well, I've got a loft in Iacon City we can crash at," Rattrap offered the group. "We'll go there."

"Thanks Rattrap," Cheetor put his arm around Rattrap. "You really are dependable!"

"Heh, dependable's my middle name!" gloated Rattrap.

"Feh," Depth Charge snorted in amusement.

"Outta the way!"

Before them, a group of Transformers were pushing and shoving their way across the marketplace. They were a group of seekers along with a particular Cybertronian with a drill-bit on one arm in place of his hand.

"There they are!" Astro-shock pointed out.

Immediately Cheetor recognized who it was. It was the same Predacon he had shot down during the battle. But just how did he make it onto Cybertron without getting caught? What he committed was an act of warfare against the Maximal Council.

One silver and blue streaked seeker stepped forward. He was the leader of the pack and it showed through his dominant stride compared to his fellow flyers.

"Outta the way!" Silverwing pushed aside a wagon filled with stable energon cubes.

"Sir, my energon!" the merchant pleaded. "I make a living with this!"

"Cry me a river," Silverwing grabbed him and threw him to the ground.

"Hey, he can't do that!" Cheetor growled.

One Transformer stepped out from the group of Seekers. He was the one with the drill on his arm and from the looks of it he outranked even Silverwing.

"Drillmaster, shall I dispose of this nuisance?" Silverwing gestured to the cowering merchant.

"Let me," Drillmaster replied. "After which we'll deal with those three."

Drillmaster raised his arm as his drill hummed to life. Before he could strike, an emerald laser bolt struck him in the chest and sent him crashing into another merchant stand, one that was filled with specialized com-link installments.

"Lay off him, pointy!" Cheetor shouted.

Seething in rage, Drillmaster leaped back to his feet.

"Get them!" he ordered the Seekers. "But leave that golden 'bot to me!"

"Seekers!" Silverwing shouted. "Attack!"

All of the Seekers flew into the air and rained firepower down on the three Maximals as all the vendors and merchants ran away in terror.

"Flee in fear, cowards!" shouted Silverwing. "For Lord Shokaract's will shall be known to all!"

"Who's Shokaract?" asked Rattrap.

"Now's not the time, Rattrap," Depth Charge cautioned, raising his wing shields to deflect the shots.

"Oh, right…" Rattrap muttered sheepishly and took out his pistol.

* * *

"You'll pay for humiliating me," Drillmaster said to Cheetor threateningly.

"Come and get some," Cheetor gestured.

Gladly obliging, Drillmaster charged with his drill humming at full power. He thrust at Cheetor twice, only for the Maximal to duck. Then Drillmaster swung his drill, missing Cheetor narrowly and knocking over a pot of lubricants on a nearby stand. The lubricants splashed over the ground, causing Drillmaster to lose his balance.

"Agh!" he roared.

Before the lubricants could touch the ground Cheetor stood on, he ran forward and used the slippery ground as an asset as he took out his tail whip, sliding across the floor like an ice skater. Just as Drillmaster got to his feet at last, he saw Cheetor rushing at him. The Predacon aimed at Cheetor's spark and thrust his drill arm forward. Cheetor saw it and quickly ducked, sliding across the floor on his back and wrapping his whip around Drillmaster's leg.

Cheetor yanked and flipped Drillmaster on his back with a nasty thud.

"Ugh!" Drillmaster clutched his back with his open hand.

"Booyah!" Cheetor raised both arms in the air.

* * *

Rattrap raced across one of the ramps, leading him over the air above four of the Seekers who were in hot pursuit of him.

Transforming to robot mode in mid-air, he landed on one of the Seekers, grabbing hold on both wings.

"Let go!" the yellow Seeker cried out.

"Hold still!" the purple Seeker above him called out. "I'll blast him off you!"

Quickly, Rattrap gripped the wings of the Seeker he was on tightly and yanked, exposing the underbelly of that Seeker to his trigger-happy comrade.

"No wait!" the yellow Seeker howled.

It was too late. The blast struck the Seeker, knocking him out of the sky. As he fell, so did Rattrap who quickly grabbed onto a cable and swung across the buildings, firing off several shots at the seekers.

Two shots knocked out two of the Seekers but the third and final one closed in one Rattrap, severing the wire which the Maximal was holding with one slash of his metal wing.

"Aaaahhh!" Rattrap cried as he plummeted.

Salvation came in the form of Depth Charge in flight mode who caught him on his back.

"Whew, thanks 'Charge," Rattrap breathed deeply. "And I thought I was a goner!"

"Thank me later," Depth Charge flew up to the balcony and allowed Rattrap to get off. "This ain't over yet."

Four more Seekers surrounded Depth Charge, including Silverwing and Astro-shock. They circled him in a round formation, training their wrist-mounted laser rifles on him.

"You gonna keep me waiting forever?" asked Depth Charge.

"Get him!" shouted Silverwing.

Immediately Depth Charge leaped into action and slammed his elbow into one of the Seekers, taking him out of the fight. The other Seeker bum-rushed him, only to be met with a savage kick across the chin. A backhand from Depth Charge then knocked the Seeker out of the air.

"This doesn't look good, boss," Astro-shock whispered to Silverwing.

"Get him, you fool!" shouted Silverwing.

Reluctantly, Astro-shock aimed and fired. Depth Charge avoided the laser blasts and pummeled Astro-shock into unconsciousness with one fist.

"Oh boy…" Silverwing began edging away.

"You might wanna run now," recommended Rattrap.

"Surrender?" Silverwing growled. "I think not!"

Eschewing his own fears, Silverwing opened charge on Depth Charge who deflected them with his own wings and opened fire back with a power disc. The disc struck Silverwing and sent him hurtling across the horizon.

"That was swell," remarked Rattrap.

"Tell me about it," Depth Charge agreed. "Just who are these guys?"

"I dunno, but let's check on 'da kid first."

* * *

By the time they reached Cheetor, the young Maximal had already subdued and tied up Drillmaster.

"Nice going, kid," Rattrap complimented. "Ya mopped 'da floor with 'im."

"Untie me at once!" demanded Drillmaster. Cheetor had used some of the cords from the marketplace to restrain him.

"No can do," Cheetor told him. "Just why did you attack us anyways?"

"Anything I do, I do for the great and noble Shokarat!" Drillmaster spat. "I will say nothing more!"

"Ya better start talkin' soon!" Rattrap demanded.

"Why would I squeal?" Drillmaster huffed. "And even if I did tell you, you'd be thrust into a situation that's way over your heads!"

"Just talk or we'll make you!" Cheetor took out his tail whip.

"Alright you two, that's enough," Depth Charge announced to both Cheetor and Rattrap.

"Eh, what's on 'yer mind?" asked Rattrap.

"Just leave this to me," Depth Charge grabbed Drillmaster by the collar and dragged him to a nearby alley.

* * *

A couple of minutes had passed and both Cheetor and Rattrap were growing impatient. Just what was it that Depth Charge was doing without their knowledge?

"Aaaaaahhhhhh!" a bloodcurdling scream erupted from the alley.

Cheetor glanced at Rattrap nervously. The two of them peeked around the alley but by the time they looked, the interrogation was already over. Drillmaster was in stasis cuffs while Depth Charge was already walking away.

"What happened?" asked Cheetor.

"He spilled," Depth Charge informed them. "Remember that Shokaract he kept talking about?"

"Yeah?" Rattrap scratched his head.

"We'll be paying him a visit soon enough," Depth Charge said quietly.

* * *

"Do you think they will arrive soon?" Captain Skorn asked his master.

Skorn was a high-ranking Predacon in the service of Shokaract. He was a medium-sized 'bot dressed in the customary Predacon robes of generals of his caliber. Stroking his mechanical mustache, Skorn walked towards Shokaract uneasily.

"Patience Skorn," Shokaract reassured him. "They will come. I calculated that Drillmaster's penchant for blurting out information will aid us."

"For once the squealer proved useful," Serpentine stepped forward.

Serpentine was about a few inches shorter than Skorn. A green-plated femme-bot, she wielded a mechanical staff next to her with a small crystal diadem inside. She wore a similar robe to Captain Skorn, except it was decorated with a hood on her head.

'Your guests have arrived," she said to Shokaract.

"Good, send them in," gestured Shokaract.

The front door opened up to the royal chamber. Cautiously, Depth Charge, Cheetor, and Rattrap walked in.

"Greetings my friends," Shokaract greeted them. "I hope you didn't have a difficult time finding us."

"I suggest you bow before the master," recommended Skorn.

"And I suggest you take your exhaust pipe and shove it," Depth Charge glared at him menacingly.

Apparently, the scare tactic worked. Skorn backed away an inch, careful to look away so as to not betray the look of fear in his eyes.

"You're the ones who sent those Predacon Seekers after us!" Cheetor looked at Shokaract accusingly.

"Oh, was I now?" Shokaract yawned.

"Yeah, and somethin' tells me 'yer behind these insurrections," Rattrap pointed an accusing finger. "Dem Seekers attacked on 'yer orders!"

"I suppose there's no more point in hiding the truth from you," Shokaract smiled. "You see, I am indeed the one."

"I knew it," Depth Charge un-holstered his gun.

"Before you start a shoot-out, there's a few things you should know," Shokaract looked at Depth Charge. "Things that tie together with your past, Depth Charge."

"How do you know my name?" demanded Depth Charge. "And what do you know about my past?"

The spark chamber around Shokaract's chest area glowed ominously. Both Cheetor and Rattrap slowly backed away behind Depth Charge who stood his ground.

"Do you not recognize this spark?" asked Shokaract.

Suddenly, the alarm sensors in Depth Charge's internal systems blared at an insanely loud tempo.

"X!" growled Depth Charge.

"X?" Rattrap cried. "How can 'dis guy be Rampage?"

"Oh he's not," Rampage stepped out from behind Shokaract's throne. "But he and I were once the same entity."

Depth Charge held back no longer. Aiming carefully, he sent several missiles flying. Chuckling deeply, Shokaract held out a hand, deflecting each of the missiles with a blue energy barrier that shielded himself and Rampage.

"You see, when the Maximal Council had Protoform X at their disposal, they knew they couldn't simply get rid of such a powerful warrior," explained Shokaract. "To give off the illusion that they were doing something about the situation, the Elders cleaved off a piece of Protoform X's spark, one which resides in Rampage. The other, smaller portion they cut off and breathed new life into it, allowing it to take residence in a second protoform to become a new Transformer altogether. That Transformer… is me."

"Impossible!" growled Depth Charge.

"Two X's runnin' around?" Rattrap was incredulous. "Dis can't be happening!"

"But I assure you it is!" Rampage snarled. "And soon, my _brother_ and I will have to depart."

"You're not going anywhere!" Depth Charge raised his gun.

"Unfortunately, neither are you," Shokaract replied firmly.

A channel of energy opened up in Shokaract's chest plate and surged into Depth Charge's own, connecting them. A giant flood of memories flooded back into Depth Charge, from his early days as a cadet to the later carnage caused by Protoform X at Colony Omicron. Depth Charge could witness it all again, the broken buildings, the screaming femme-bots, and the sparkless corpses. Finally, it came to a point where it became too much.

"Do you remember it?" Shokaract relished. "I remember it as well. And so does Rampage… yes, relish it!"

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!" screamed Depth Charge.

Shokaract cut the connection as Depth Charge's limp body fell to the floor. No longer did Rattrap see the strong-willed and powerful manta 'bot of before. He looked like a shell of his former self as he curled on the ground whimpering.

"Oh, and if you should get the chance, you should ask Solaris Prime about Project: Deep Metal," Shokaract recommended.

"You're not getting away so easily!" shouted Cheetor.

"Serpentine, keep them busy," Shokaract ordered as he and Rampage walked away, escorted by Skorn. "I've given you a piece of the Darkspark for your own. Use it well."

"With pleasure, master," she bowed.

The Predacon female twirled her weapon in a circle and raised her staff, the energies from her crystal diadem surrounded the wall.

"Rise and serve your mistress!" she called.

One of the mechanical columns supporting the building tore itself from its foundations, contorting its form into that of a serpent. A snake-like head of sorts appeared at one end, revealing jagged teeth made from the titanium alloys of the column. The creature hissed at Rattrap and Cheetor.

Then it eyed Depth Charge who was still down.

"Oh man, snap out of it, DC…" Rattrap urged the blue Maximal. "Things ain't looking good…"

The snake-like creature snapped at Depth Charge only for Cheetor to sear it across the side of its face with an energy blast. The snake howled and knocked aside Depth Charge and Rattrap with a swipe of its tale. Then it concentrated its energies on Cheetor.

Cheetor transformed to beast mode and flew into the air. Following close behind him, the snake lounged into the air and bit off a piece of the ceiling just as Cheetor barrel-rolled out of the way.

As Cheetor zoomed in, the mechanical serpent whirled and slammed his head into the young Maximal, knocking him away. Then it turned its attention back to its other prey.

Immediately, Rattrap knew he had to turn the creature's attention away from Depth Charge.

"Hey, over here, ya overblown anaconda!" shouted Rattrap. He had a plan that was crazy, but it was still plausible enough that there was the chance it could work.

Rattrap stood up still, not budging an inch. The serpent looked down at him, then opened its maw and struck, swallowing Rattrap.

"Rattrap!" shouted Cheetor.

The serpent closed its mouth, satisfied with the meal it had just gotten.

"You've feasted well, my pet," Serpentine cooed. "Now finish the others!"

Before the serpent could move, its jaw budged open slowly. Soon, its gaping maw was revealed more and more as Rattrap soon appeared, giving Cheetor the thumbs-up. Cheetor stood there marveling at Rattrap's ingenuity. He had used his tail spear as a jack to force open the creature's mouth, Rattrap unlocked one of the belly bombs he had kept in storage within his wrists and planted it on top of the serpent's upper jaw. He quickly leaped off and rolled across the floor, away from the monster.

Within seconds, the mechanical serpent's head erupted in an explosion that sent metal shrapnel flying everywhere.

"Slag!" Serpentine cried. A short klik later, a blast from Rattrap's pistol destroyed the crystal diadem on top of the staff she was holding.

"No, what have you done?" she cried.

"Just givin' ya a friendly reminder not to feed 'yer snakes live rats," Rattrap told her. "Heh heh!"

"You haven't seen the last of me!" Serpentine surrounded herself in a puff of black smoke and disappeared.

"That about wraps things up," Rattrap holstered his gun again.

"Something tells me this is just the beginning," Cheetor stated ominously.

"Yeah…" Rattrap sighed. "Now help me get DC… we gotta take him to a CR chamber."

* * *

"Yo fish sticks, you sure you wanna do 'dis?" asked Rattrap as Depth Charge walked down the hall.

"Yeah," Cheetor reminded him. "Solaris Prime is like the big boss of big bots…"

Depth Charge was at the building which housed the Maximal Senate. Currently, Senate was not in session and Solaris Prime could be counted on to be in his office at this time. It was something Depth Charge had to do on his own.

"You guys wait for me outside," Depth Charge told them.

"S-Sure," Cheetor stammered.

"Well, if you need us, we've got 'yer back," Rattrap told the larger Maximal.

"You know me," Depth Charge replied with a self-confident air to him, unsure if he really was secure in his feelings or if it was just an act. "I never need backup."

"Suit yourself, Flipper," Rattrap shrugged.

Depth Charge took a deep breath and entered into the room.

"Think he'll be fine?" asked Cheetor.

"Don't worry," Rattrap reassured the younger Maximal. "DC's got it under control."

* * *

"Solaris," Depth Charge entered into the room and stood still as the door behind him automatically closed.

"Depth Charge," Solaris looked at his former lieutenant.

"We need to have a talk," Depth Charge cut straight to the chase.

"I expected this to happen sooner or later," Solaris straightened his desk up. "It has all come down to this."

"Tell me everything you know… about Shokaract and about Deep Metal," Depth Charge demanded. "And don't hold anything back."

Solaris looked at Depth Charge and finally nodded. There was indeed nothing he could hide now from the former guardian.

"Very well," Solaris acknowledged. "It's time I told you the truth about your past."


	43. Miss Arachnia's Secret Service

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Miss Arachnia's Secret Service_

If there was anything that surprised Blackarachnia, it was the fact that after all this time, Silverbolt had stayed with her, despite the unethical things she had asked him to do, in addition to her own past actions as a Predacon. Deep in the forests of Romania, she and Silverbolt were on an evening stroll, uninterrupted by either Maximals or Predacons.

She knew that most of the other Maximals had no reason to trust her. Not even Optimus Primal, goody-two-shoes that he was, would give her the benefit of the doubt.

"Is there anything else you brought me?" Blackarachnia inquired.

"Not today," Silverbolt told her. "I have yet to visit the Maximal base for a while."

"That's disappointing," she quipped. "I thought after a while, you'd get used to stealing."

Silverbolt sighed and looked away from her. Then Blackarachnia realized that she had said something she wasn't supposed to.

"No, I have not," Silverbolt shook his head.

"Aw, come on!" Blackarachnia tried to improve the situation. "It's not like I've had you do much of it lately."

Now it was Silverbolt's turn to give her a cunning, bemused look. "Perhaps your inner Maximal conscience is beginning to surface."

His smile was met with her cross-bow pointing into his snout.

"Not another word," Blackarachnia warned.

"Um, yes ma'am," Silverbolt gulped.

"That's a good dog," Blackarachnia stroked his chin playfully.

As the two continued their stroll, neither of them noticed a Transmetal cyber-bee perched on one of the branches, recording their activity.

* * *

"So this is what's going on?" Scorponok zoomed in on the lens. "Disgusting."

"I take it this femme-bot likes that Maximal," Thrust crossed both arms.

"Yeah, and she used to be one of us too," Scorponok explained. "Before she became a filthy Maximal-lover."

"Um, I think she just loves this one," pointed out Terrorsaur. "I'm not sure about the rest."

"It doesn't matter," Scorponok turned off the cyber-bee's recording on his monitor screen. "She's nothing more than a traitor now."

"Waspinator thinks spider-lady could be using fuzor," suggested Waspinator. "Maybe she planning on betraying him and destroying Maximals!"

"Ha!" Tankorr laughed. "Have you seen the way she looks at him? She's for real!"

"Which is why we'll have to do something about this," Scorponok declared.

"Like what?" asked Waspinator.

"Dynamo, are you there?" Scorponok opened up a new screen on his monitor.

"You called?" asked Dynamo.

"Yes, I have something I need to ask," Scorponok replied.

"You mean to say you want me to deal with the treachery of a certain female Predacon?"

"Well, y-yes," Scorponok stammered. "How'd you know?"

"I make it my business to know," Dynamo crossed both sleeved arms.

"This guy must be able to read minds," Terrorsaur whispered to Waspinator who nodded in return.

"Do not worry," Dynamo assured Scorponok. "I have dispatched an operative who will handle the situation."

"Is it Dinobot?"

Dynamo's image across the screen flickered. A deep throaty chuckle ran across the volume panels.

"You'll see," he told Scorponok and shut off the connection.

"Dyna-weirdo give Waspinator the creeps!" Waspinator shuddered.

"I hear ya," Terrorsaur agreed. "No way that guy's being genuine with us. We haven't even seen his face."

"Even so, Dynamo's doing us a favor," Scorponok reminded them. "We'll take his word for now."

"You could always send us," Thrust offered. "Tankorr and I haven't seen much action in a while."

"No, Dynamo has this mission," Scorponok told them. "I have a separate, but equally important task for you two."

* * *

"So what's been going on with your buddies?" Blackarachnia asked curiously.

"What do you mean?" Silverbolt was confused.

"The Maximals," she said, pretending to care for them. "What have they been up to?"

"They are doing well," Silverbolt informed her. "In fact, three of them have already returned to Cybertron.

"Have they now?" asked Blackarachnia.

"Yes, Cheetor, Rattrap, and the one named Depth Charge have returned," Silverbolt continued. "I wish them well."

"Interesting," Blackarachnia remarked to herself.

"How have things been at the Predacon base?"

It was now Silverbolt's turn to ask her about her teammates. Truth be told, she didn't really keep in contact with them anymore. Ever since Megatron's disappearance, they'd drifted apart from each other.

"Haven't really talked to them lately," she answered.

"Really?" Silverbolt's curiosity was piqued.

"Are you surprised?" she looked at him.

"Admittedly, yes," he told her.

"The truth is, loyalty and camaraderie doesn't go too far with Predacons," she said almost sadly.

"But perhaps with the Maximals you could have that," Silverbolt insisted. "After all, your protoform was that of a Maximal's."

"Thanks for believing in me," she chuckled. "But no thanks. I like being what I am."

Silverbolt gazed into her optics as she inched closer to his face.

"And somewhere beneath that squeaky clean armor of yours, you like it too."

Before they could kiss, Silverbolt's ears picked up something in the air. It was faint but it was a sign of danger nonetheless. Someone was in the woods with them.

"Down!" he suddenly pushed her away from him as a bladed weapon sailed past both of them and impaled itself against a tree.

"What the—?" Blackarachnia cried.

A large dinosaur leaped out from the undergrowth and charged, slamming into Silverbolt and knocking him to the floor.

"Who the heck are you?" demanded Blackarachnia.

The raptor swiped at her with his paws, forcing her to duck. Then the creature swept low with his tail, sending her back-first onto the forest floor. With a jaw that could easily exert several tons of pressure, the raptor bit down just as Blackarachnia rolled out of the way just in time. She flipped over and launched both feet into the assailant's chin, forcing him to step back.

"Interrupting my leisure time is not a good idea, reptile!" Blackarachnia growled.

"Dinobot, terrorize!"

Immediately, the velociraptor transformed into towering Predacon warrior who easily dwarfed her. Two sai's appeared in his hand at the same time. He twirled them in his wrists adeptly.

"Fear not Blackarachnia!" Silverbolt got up. "I will protect you!"

"Hmph," snarled Dinobot.

Dinobot thrust at Blackarachnia with his sai. She dodged it and threw a roundhouse kick which he blocked with a forearm.

As Blackarachnia attempted to put some distance between them, Dinobot threw both sai's, forcing Blackarachnia to backflip to avoid them from striking her. The sai's whizzed past her just as Silverbolt flew into the air to mount a counter-offensive with his wing missiles. The twin sai's struck his wings, pinning him against a large tree.

"Awwwrrruuuuu!" howled Silverbolt in pain.

"Silverbolt, no!" Blackarachnia cried.

It was apparent now that Dinobot had not been aiming for her the entire time. As Silverbolt attempted to pull the weapons out of his wings, Blackarachnia had to fend herself against the fearsome new warrior.

Dinobot threw a punch but Blackarachnia step-sided it and kicked him across the face. A second kick forced him back even further.

"Had enough, fossil face?" taunted Blackarachnia.

"For the moment," Dinobot sneered and transformed to beast mode. Then he ran off.

"Get back here!" shouted Blackarachnia. She took out her gun but then decided not to fire. At this point, Dinobot had already disappeared through the thickets.

"Are you alright?" Silverbolt walked up to her, careful to conceal the pain he was feeling.

"I'm good," she said. "But what about you?"

"I will survive," Silverbolt tried to stretch out his wing painfully.

"Dinobot may be back any second," she told him. "Think you could fly us out of here?"

"I am afraid not," Silverbolt replied. "This Dinobot has damaged my wings and I will be unable to sustain flight until the nanites are able to repair me."

"Swell," Blackarachnia crossed her arms.

"I'm afraid we will have to travel on foot," Silverbolt pointed out.

"Ugh, lead the way," Blackarachnia agreed. "But be on the lookout for Dinobot. He could still be around."

* * *

From the thickets, a pair of roaming eyes penetrated the leaves, watching as Blackarachnia and Silverbolt walked off. The velociraptor hissed with displeasure, seeing the two. The female was the traitor and his orders were to make her suffer even more for allying herself with the Maximals.

He would make sure their deaths were utterly without mercy.

Before he could proceed, his com-link started beeping.

"Dinobot here," he spoke into the com-link. "Phase one is complete. Moving on to phase two…"

* * *

"Where did that Dinobot come from?" Silverbolt asked. He was now walking on all fours in beast mode with his wings arched back, still waiting for them to heal.

"Who knows, maybe from one of the stasis pods," Blackarachnia theorized. "One of the other Predacons must've got him and reprogrammed him."

"Was it Tarantulas?" asked Silverbolt.

"Possibly," Blackarachnia replied. "You never know what tall, dark, and gruesome is up to these days."

The two of them came up to a river. A few feet away was a log that had been lodged between the two sides, forming a bridge. Blackarachnia gestured for Silverbolt to follow her. Just as they reached the log, however, a familiar figure could be seen on the other side.

"Oh no," muttered Blackarachnia.

"Halt!" Dinobot ordered. "You shall not pass!"

"Oh yeah?" demanded Blackarachnia. "Just watch us!"

Just as she took one step onto the log, Dinobot transformed to robot mode and unraveled a new weapon, this time a highly condensed metal bow staff that elongated from both sides. He leaped into the air and somersaulted onto the log, brandishing his weapon fiercely.

Blackarachnia flipped open her cross-bow and fired. Dinobot quickly deflected the missile with a swing of his staff.

"A good effort, female," Dinobot taunted. "But ultimately futile."

"Hyaaah!" Blackarachnia leaped up and directed a kick at Dinobot's side which he immediately blocked with his staff.

"Not good enough," he smirked. "Your movements lack cohesion and any form of tactics."

"Lack this!" Blackarachnia snarled and spun around, delivering a side kick into Dinobot's stomach.

Dinobot staggered back just as Blackarachnia leaped over him, grabbing on to his staff. As she landed, she and Dinobot struggled for control of the weapon.

Fortunately for Dinobot, he had the height and weight advantage, in addition to his strength. With a jerk, he flipped Blackarachnia over and drove his staff down aimed at her head. He missed narrowly just as Blackarachnia flipped herself away in time. Now she was standing on the other side of the bank.

"Blackarachnia!" Silverbolt rushed to her aid.

"Silverbolt, no!" she cried.

Sensing the distraction, Dinobot spun his staff into Blackarachnia's side, knocking her away.

Just as Silverbolt leaped at him, Dinobot drove his staff into Silverbolt's solar plexus, lifting him up and hurling him into a tree.

"Don't touch him!" shouted Blackarachnia.

"You're going to stop me?" laughed Dinobot. "Ha!"

Blackarachnia leaped up and spin-kicked at him. Dinobot blocked each successive kick with his staff, allowing her to make the first move. She drove her knee at his face in mid-air, causing him to back away.

"You have no form or discipline!" Dinobot told her. "Pathetic!"

This served to infuriate Blackarachnia more as she become slightly more reckless with her attacks. Dinobot saw his chance as Blackarachnia swung with her claw. He step-sided her and drove his staff into the back of her head, knocking her to the ground.

"No!" shouted Silverbolt.

As Silverbolt rushed to her air, Dinobot slammed his staff into the ground and vaulted into the air, kicking him from the side.

Silverbolt fell but Dinobot was not done with him yet. By the time the fuzor got up, Dinobot continued his assault with a blow to the back of his wing, dislocating it further. Silverbolt howled in pain but Dinobot swung yet again, striking his head and sending him crashing to the ground.

"You are both weak," Dinobot snarled. "Weak from your unfettered emotions!"

Silverbolt slowly got up to his knees again.

"You will not lay a hand on her, reptilian filth!" he growled.

"Oh no?" Dinobot jeered. "I will take joy in severing your sparks from your bodies! Take heart in that!"

"Not so fast, scalebelly!"

Blackarachnia swung from the trees with her web-lining, swiftly kicking Dinobot in the chest and sending him crashing into the bushes.

"You okay?" she knelt down besides Silverbolt.

"I will be," voiced Silverbolt. "What about you?"

"I'm a big girl, Rover," she winked. "I can take care of myself."

"Wretched widow!" Dinobot snarled. "You will regret your interference!"

"Come and get me," Blackarachnia fired a grappling hook into the trees above and launched herself into the air.

Dinobot hissed un-amicably and vaulted into the air, grabbing onto a branch and then swinging even higher. He got up to one of the sturdier branches, facing off against Blackarachnia who seemed to be balancing herself quite well.

Blackarachnia ducked to avoid a thrust of his staff and flipped out of the way as another strike nearly knocked her off the branch. She positioned herself on the branch as Dinobot's eyes glowed with an emerald hue.

She leaped off the branch to avoid the eye lasers and disappeared behind a thick collection of leaves.

"Where did she go?" Dinobot held his staff tightly.

After he was done surveying the scene beneath him, Dinobot looked up. Above him was no sign of her either.

"Right here, Dinobum!" Blackarachnia cried.

"What?" Dinobot hissed.

Blackarachnia was underneath the branch he was standing on. She swung upwards and kicked Dinobot in the back with both feet, sending him crashing chest-first into another branch and then plummeting into the ground.

Thankfully, Dinobot's fall was broken by the thick foliage on the ground. He managed to get up again, shaking his head to clear everything.

He was angry this time too. But now was not the time to let his emotional circuitry get the better of him. He was only here to complete Phase Two. Everything after that would take care of itself.

"Victory is yours for now," he gave Blackarachnia and Silverbolt a small bow.

Then he disappeared into the woods once more.

"What is this?" Blackarachnia was confused. "He attacks us and then he runs off…"

"I will admit that it does not make much sense," confessed Silverbolt. "But we are still in one piece and that is the important part."

"Heh, hopefully Dinobot's learned his lesson at this point."

"Indeed, such cowardly attacks are not befitting of any Transformer," Silverbolt agreed.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, with a hint of concern in her voice.

"I am afraid Dinobot has dislocated one of my wings," admitted Silverbolt. "It may take even longer to repair now…"

"That's it!" Blackarachnia realized.

"What is?" Silverbolt scratched his head.

"This was Dinobot's plan all along!" she exclaimed. "To take out your wings and chip away at us bit by bit. It's obvious now."

"By taking away our means of escape, he has ensured that we will not get far," Silverbolt nodded. "A clever, if distasteful, form of guerrilla warfare."

"We need to get out of here as fast as possible," Blackarachnia told him. "Or else he'll be back again."

High above them, Scorponok's cyber-bee continued its monitoring of their activities.

* * *

"Dinobot sure knows what he's doing," Terrorsaur commented.

Scorponok, Terrorsaur, and Waspinator sat in the Predacon lounge watching the screen. The three of them were impressed by the plan Dinobot had set forth.

"Dinobot will make mincemeat out of fuzor and spider-bot!" buzzed Waspinator. "Waspinator can't wait!"

Scorponok reached down and grabbed his energon drink. He raised it to his face and took a sip of it.

"You bet!" Scorponok declared. "We can just sit back and enjoy the action!"

"Where did Dynamo find this Dinobot anyways?" asked Terrorsaur.

"Beats me," Scorponok shrugged. "Probably got him out of some Maximal stasis pod and reprogrammed him."

Scorponok leaned back against his sofa and relaxed. His work for the day was done and all he had left was the enjoyment of his cyber-bee's recordings. Once Dinobot completed his task, he would be able to rest more easily knowing that traitor Blackarachnia had been effectively dealt with.

* * *

"Is your wing alright?" Blackarachnia asked.

The two of them were still making their way through the forests, up a steep hill.

"It is healing," Silverbolt replied. "Perhaps by the time we get up, my wing will have healed and we shall find a better location to escape."

"How did Dinobot find us?" Blackarachnia put an arm on Silverbolt to ease his transition up. "We're in the middle of nowhere!"

Silverbolt bit his lip and thought hard to himself. The actions of this Dinobot were not particularly honorable, but he did have a good strategy. Sooner or later he'd be back for another hit-and-run. And once they were sufficiently weakened, he would pick them off like prey.

He could also feel his wing slowly returning to normal. The nanites in his system were doing their job and in a few cycles, the gyros in his wings would enable him to fly again. Then perhaps he could get Blackarachnia out of there.

"I know not how he found us," Silverbolt reminded her. "But I shall defend you with my life should it come down to it."

"Sheesh, you don't have to put it like that," Blackarachnia sighed. "Nothing's going to happen to you."

Then she paused.

Silverbolt noticed it as well. It was another rare moment where she had admitted to caring for his well-being, or at the very least telling him that nothing bad would occur to him. She did care for him, that was the truth. But it was something Blackarachnia herself would never admit. Nor would she allow Silverbolt to bring up the topic.

Out of respect, Silverbolt said nothing. He knew enough about her at this point to know what would upset her.

"Well, it's not like old scalebelly can catch us now," Blackarachnia offered weakly.

"Perhaps not," Silverbolt put his hand against a tree to steady himself. "After all, we have traversed a long way."

"Or perhaps he is only biding his time!"

From the trees a large shape leaped down. The next thing Blackarachnia and Silverbolt encountered was a giant tail that struck them and sent them flying in opposite directions with one swing.

"You again!" Silverbolt growled. "Do you ever give up?"

"Not until the heads of my quarry are mounted!" Dinobot roared. "Prepare yourselves!"

"Is it me or is this saurian becoming more blunt?" asked Blackarachnia.

Dinobot transformed yet again into robot mode and this time took out a deadly chain whip from his compartments. Spinning it around his body, the chain became more and more of a blur as Dinobot whipped up dirt and swung the weapon all around his body.

"This is gonna get ugly," remarked Blackarachnia.

Finally, Dinobot unleashed the weapon. The blunt end of sailed across the air, nearly taking off Silverbolt's head just as he ducked. The weapon slammed through a small tree behind Silverbolt, destroying it utterly.

Blackarachnia took aim with the machine guns on her arm and fired. The shots bounced off as Dinobot continued swinging his chain in an orb-like fashion around his body, deflecting all the shots.

Doing what he could to help, Silverbolt took out two feather daggers from his wings and threw them. They, too, bounced off Dinobot's impenetrable defense.

"Your end is near, scum!" Dinobot shouted.

"This isn't good," muttered Blackarachnia.

The chain weapon came crashing down near their feet, causing them to leap away. Again and again, Dinobot attacked, his chains whipping at them as near-supersonic speeds.

"Die!" shouted Dinobot.

The next shot hit its mark, wrapping itself around Silverbolt's arm. Silverbolt struggled against the chain on his arm but he was unable to free himself.

"I don't think so!" Blackarachnia charged.

Blackarachnia somersaulted into the air and grabbed onto a branch. She swung low and kicked Dinobot across the chin. She fell down and landed next to him, leaping up once more and kicking him across the face once more to make him release his weapon.

Now that she had his full attention, Blackarachnia had to jump back as Dinobot slammed both fists down where she stood. The second time she was not so lucky. One backhand from Dinobot was all it took to knock her down.

"Your persistence annoys me, female!" he bore his teeth.

Blackarachnia grabbed onto a fallen tree branch and swung, slamming it into Dinobot's mid-section. As Dinobot kneeled over, Blackarachnia swung again, this time hitting his face and knocking him down.

"That's what you get for crossing a black widow spider!" Blackarachnia put her foot down on his chest.

"And this is what you get for stepping into my trap!" Dinobot smiled deviously.

With one hand, he grabbed her foot and pulled her down. As Dinobot got up, he swung Blackarachnia by that one leg, slamming her into a tree. Then as Silverbolt charged, Dinobot swung her overhead, throwing her into Silverbolt.

Silverbolt helped her to her feet but a bright green laser from Dinobot's optics struck him in the chest and blasted him back into the ground.

"There is no escape this time!" Dinobot reached down and took up his chain weapon again.

Dinobot launched his weapon again. This time Blackarachnia fired a grappling hook at approximately the same moment. The two weapons collided in mid-air, resulting in the chain having lost its momentum and falling to the ground.

Silverbolt saw his chance and leaped up with one of his sword feathers, bringing it down on Dinobot.

With both arms raised, Dinobot used the remainder of the chain in his hands to deflect the attack, quickly wrapping the chain around Silverbolt's hands. As Silverbolt struggled, Dinobot drew one arm back and slammed his fist into Silverbolt's jaw, causing the fuzor to see stars.

"Pathetic!" Dinobot mocked.

Silverbolt's vision was cloudy and he felt as if his processor was about to explode. He could see Dinobot coming at him again, with the intent to kill.

Blackarachnia leaped up and kicked at Dinobot, only for him to catch her leg again and hurl her away.

"No!" Silverbolt cried.

"What?" Dinobot whirled around.

The next thing Dinobot saw was a blur of silver and gray. Silverbolt unsheathed a feather sword from his wings and slashed Dinobot across the side.

Dinobot fell to his knees gripping his side in pain.

"You will not lay one scaled finger on her, villain!" threatened Silverbolt. "Otherwise I will demand satisfaction!"

"And have it you shall…" Dinobot said before falling face-first to the ground.

"Is it over?" Blackarachnia asked.

"It is," Silverbolt informed her. "He is in stasis lock and my wings have recovered. Perhaps it is time we left."

"I agree," Blackarachnia concurred. "Before this slagged saurian wakes up."

"Ready, ma'am?" Silverbolt stretched out his wings.

In response, Blackarachnia leaped into his arms.

"You bet, Old Yeller!"

* * *

"I can't believe it!" Scorponok slammed a claw onto his table. "Dinobot didn't slag 'em?"

"Scorponok should calm down," urged Waspinator. "Not good for energon cholesterol levels!"

Seething, Scorponok got up and looked away from the monitor screen. He had expected Dinobot to finish the job, not fail trying.

"Maybe we should've been there to help him," Terrorsaur pointed out. "Could've been easier that way."

"Dynamo promised me he'd destroy the traitor!" Scorponok growled. "And he came up short!"

"Where Scorponok going?" asked Waspinator.

"I'm going to contact Dynamo!" came Scorponok's short reply.

Scorponok fumbled with his communicator before getting to the proper signal.

"Dynamo, are you there?" he demanded.

No answer.

"Slag!" Scorponok threw the communicator away.

"Where are you going?" asked Terrorsaur as Scorponok stomped away.

"To get some fresh air!" Scorponok bellowed.

"Scorponok in a bad mood," Waspinator whispered to Terrorsaur.

"Tell me about it," Terrorsaur nodded.

* * *

"How much longer is it until we reach your place?" asked Blackarachnia.

"It should not take much longer," Silverbolt informed her as he glided through the air. "We will be in London soon."

"What say we stop by the beaches near the English channel first?" offered Blackarachnia. "You look like you could use a rest."

"Very well," Silverbolt was of a similar opinion.

Soon, Silverbolt landed on the rocky shores and let Blackarachnia down. It was night time already but they could still see the waves crashing against the rocks. It was a beautiful sight and for the first time, Silverbolt had someone to enjoy it with him.

Beneath them, more waves slammed against the jagged shores.

"You know, I want to thank you for saving me back there," Blackarachnia expressed her gratitude to him.

It was uncommon that she would be this nice to Silverbolt. However, in the past few months she had stayed with him, something inside her had changed. She was still the same old Predacon deep down but right now, there was something new to her. She was less rough around the edges and abrasive around him. And though she couldn't give a slag less about any of the other Maximals, she did feel concern for Silverbolt, if nothing else.

"You are welcome," Silverbolt replied cheerfully.

"Just don't think I'll go wiping out my core consciousness and become a Maximal again," Blackarachnia added as a cautionary feature. "I still like being the way I am."

"And I would never ask you otherwise," Silverbolt told her. "I like you just the way you are. However, there is another concern on my mind."

"What is it?" she asked.

"I still do not know how I can bring this up with Optimus and the others," Silverbolt said restlessly. "Sooner or later, they will discover the truth."

"Well, it doesn't have to be just yet," Blackarachnia told him.

"Nonetheless, the day will come when they will find out."

"So what? Just be honest with them."

"Tell them that I have been consorting with the enemy?"

"Oh, so I'm just the enemy to you, huh?" Blackarachnia turned away angrily.

"Err, no!" Silverbolt stammered, realizing his mistake. "It was a poor choice of words on my behalf!"

Silverbolt put his hand on Blackarachnia's shoulder but she turned around and smacked his hand away.

"Save it!" Blackarachnia snarled. "I'm just another Predacon to you, aren't I?"

"No! That's not it!" protested Silverbolt. "I've always seen you as—"

"What? As a Maximal?"

Silverbolt was in an unfortunate predicament. Slagged if he did, slagged if he didn't. Once Blackarachnia got angry, there was little he could do. He could try to placate her, but that would just make her furious again. There was a second option of leaving her alone to vent, but that would leave a lot of unsaid things floating in the air unresolved.

There had to be something he could do.

"Very well, I will give you your space," Silverbolt told her calmly. "When you are ready, I will be back. You know the coordinates to my com-link."

He crossed his fingers, hoping it would work.

"Whatever," Blackarachnia spat.

Silverbolt turned and walked away from her. Hopefully, in a little while, she would forgive him and they would return to his base together.

Or he would return to find her gone. There was always the chance that would happen. She had been infuriated at times with him before. Did he really cross a line this time?

"Do not move, Maximal," a familiar voice from behind him warned.

Silverbolt turned around with twin feather blades in his hands. Right in front of him was Dinobot gripping Blackarachnia in a neat chokehold in his right arm. His sword lined neatly against her throat, ready to do his worst if he had to.

"You're going to regret this, reptile!" hissed Blackarachnia.

"No… put her down!" Silverbolt ordered.

"I think not," Dinobot smiled.

Twin lasers erupted from his eyes and struck Silverbolt, smashing him against one of the large rocks.

"Do not harm her, please…" pleaded Silverbolt.

"Your request has been denied, freak," Dinobot informed him. "You see, my duty is to root out and destroy the traitor Blackarachnia. You just so happened to be in the way."

"Who sent you?" demanded Silverbolt.

"That… is information I cannot reveal," Dinobot replied. "Now put down your weapons."

Reluctantly, Silverbolt put down both feather blades.

"Good, now stand up," Dinobot ordered.

Silverbolt got back on both feet, hoping that by obeying Dinobot's command, he might stall the reptilian Predacon and allow enough time for either Blackarachnia to free herself or for him to come up with a plan to save her. And in order to do that, he had to distract Dinobot for as long as he could.

"Do you really want to do this?" asked Silverbolt. "Attack and destroy an innocent femme-bot?"

"Silverbolt," Blackarachnia said through Dinobot's grip. "I know you're a nice guy who says nice things… but I'm hardly innocent."

"Be that as it may, Blackarachnia does not deserve this," Silverbolt pleaded. "Surely she has done nothing to you."

"She has not," Dinobot confessed. "But nonetheless, I have a duty and I must carry it out."

"But perhaps you could show mercy?" offered Silverbolt.

"Enough stalling, Maximal!" Dinobot pointed his sword away from Blackarachnia to Silverbolt's direction. "You will leave now or join—"

Blackarachnia saw her opportunity. Utilizing her great flexibility, she kicked her leg up high as she could, connecting her knee with Dinobot's face. The blow was enough to shake Dinobot's jaw, forcing him to drop her.

She flipped away from him and stood next to Silverbolt.

"Thanks for the save," she said to Silverbolt in gratitude.

"Any time, ma'am!" winked Silverbolt.

"Eat lead, fossil freak!" Blackarachnia shouted and unleashed a burst of bullets from the machine guns on her arm.

Dinobot took out another weapon of his own to counter it. The spinning rotor blade he held in his hand deflected the shots as he held still, holding out until she either stopped her barrage or she ran out of bullets.

"Come on Silverbolt!" she insisted. "Go get 'im from behind!"

"But Blackarachnia, it would not be right to attack him when he is distracted!"

"What?" Blackarachnia demanded. "Don't tell me your chivalry actually applies to him too?"

As she turned to question Silverbolt, she also stopped firing. Dinobot saw his chance and unleashed another optical blast, this time striking Blackarachnia in the side and bringing her down.

"Blackarachnia!" Silverbolt cried.

He quickly ran over to the fallen Blackarachnia to assist her.

"Are you alright?" he asked with concern.

"Yeah," Blackarachnia leaned back up and dusted herself off. "Now let's quit arguing and just get him already!"

"Agreed!" Silverbolt helped her up.

"Raaagghhh!" shouted Dinobot as he charged.

Blackarachnia and Silverbolt ran forward and leaped up to attempt to pounce the Predacon all at once. Dinobot did the same and kicked them with both feet in mid-air, sending them crashing to the ground again.

The new Predacon warrior turned his attention away from Silverbolt and raised his sword up, intending to finish Blackarachnia off once and for all.

"No!"

From behind, Silverbolt tackled Dinobot, ramming him near the edge of the cliff.

"Do not interfere, Maximal!" warned Dinobot.

"You can attack me all you like," Silverbolt blocked a sword strike from Dinobot with his own feather blade. "But you will NOT harm Blackarachnia!"

With a clean stroke of his own, Silverbolt knocked the sword out of Dinobot's hands.

"You fight well," Dinobot complimented him. "You possess the traits of a true warrior and your loyalty to your comrades is truly the sort of honor I'd expect…"

Silverbolt was at a loss of words, unsure of what to do now that Dinobot was attempting to talk to him instead of fight him. Dinobot, on the other hand, was slowly positioning himself to get the drop on Silverbolt once more, his red eyes now slowly shifting into a shade of green.

"… of the Maximal kind!"

Before Dinobot could fire, Blackarachnia leaped above Silverbolt, using his body as leverage, and kicked Dinobot across the jaw, sending him plummeting into the waves below.

The two of them listened to Dinobot's cries before it disappeared totally.

"How'd he find us anyways?" asked Blackarachnia.

"He… took the train?" Silverbolt offered weakly.

"Hah hah hah," Blackarachnia laughed. "You have such a corny sense of humor, don't you?"

* * *

Silverbolt had been dreading this moment. He was now back at his home with Blackarachnia, preparing the communications line with Optimus. He didn't know what to say or how he should come out and say it.

"You ready to tell him?" asked Blackarachnia. "If he doesn't accept it, just tell him to slag off and mind his own business."

Soon enough, Optimus Primal's face appeared on the screen.

"Silverbolt, how is everything?" he asked.

"I am doing fine, sir."

"What's going on?"

"Well sir…" Silverbolt began uneasily.

Blackarachnia stood by patiently. She knew that sooner or later, it would come to this. Deep down, she didn't want Silverbolt to tell Optimus, but she didn't want him feeling guilty about it at the same time.

"I was ambushed today by a new Predacon warrior," Silverbolt told Optimus. "His name was Dinobot and I have reason to believe one of the current Predacons on earth unlocked his stasis pod."

"I see," Optimus nodded. "Are you alright?"

"Yes Optimus, sir."

"Alright, be on the lookout then," Optimus cautioned him. "Don't be afraid to call for backup just in case another incident arises."

"I will," promised Silverbolt.

"Anything else you want to report to me?"

"No sir. That is all. Silverbolt out."

After saluting Optimus, Silverbolt turned off the screen.

"You didn't tell him," Blackarachnia pointed out.

"Well, some secrets are better kept hidden," Silverbolt smiled.

"Agreed," Blackarachnia wrapped her arms around Silverbolt. "And some secrets are better kept behind closed doors."

As she leaned in to kiss him, Blackarachnia shut the door behind them.

* * *

"Dinobot's mission was a failure," Scorponok pointed an accusing claw at Dynamo.

"Yes, it was," Dynamo folded his arms. "I take full responsibility for that."

"Err, you do?" asked Scorponok.

At this point, he was so used to the other Predacons coming up with all sorts of excuses to justify their failures that he was completely caught off guard when one took personal responsibility for his own actions.

"Yes, and I apologize," Dynamo bowed. "It will never happen again."

"Err, good!" Scorponok puffed his chest up. "Next time Dinobot better shape up if he wants to contribute to this team!"

"I agree," Dynamo told him. "Next time, I will ensure that Dinobot performs his tasks dutifully."

"Great, I know I can count on you then," Scorponok smiled.

"By the way, we will be having company again today," Dynamo informed him.

"Wha—" Scorponok's optics widened. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Right in front of Scorponok, a strange new being materialized out of thin air, causing the Transmetal scorpion-bot to fall back in his seat out of fear.

"W-Who are you?" Scorponok demanded.

"Covert Agent Ravage," saluted the newcomer. "At your service."

**A/N:** About time I had Dinobot come in, eh? I hope you've all enjoyed his first time in action in the series. For those who have been disappointed that Dinobot had not been introduced for the first forty-some chapters, I promise that Dinobot eventually come to play a bigger role in my series. Also, it should be noted that within the continuity of my story, there was an Optimus Prime and Megatron of the past before Primal and BW Megs. In my universe, however, the "Great War" never made its way to Earth. This is why Earth is alien to the Maximals. Oh yeah, a little bit on Shokaract. I decided to introduce him as a new villain in my series after reading about him a little on the Transformers Wiki. Of all the non-TV show Beast Warriors, I found him to be the most interesting and decided to incorporate him into my storyline, probably because he bears the most resemblence to Rampage. I dunno, there's just something about him that leaps out at me more than any other toy/comic/expanded universe character.


	44. Protege

**Beast Wars: Symmetries **

_Protégé_

Cheetor and Rattrap both followed slowly behind Depth Charge as he stormed out of Solaris Prime's office angrily. Neither of them said a word, noticing just how bad of a mood he was really in.

"What happened in there?" asked Cheetor.

"Beats me," Rattrap shrugged. "Whatever it is, it's grindin' his gears…"

Depth Charge lowered his head, contemplating all that was said to him. Had his entire life been a lie? Was he nothing more than a tool who no longer had any control over his own destiny? His conversation with Solaris had revealed much, about himself and his past. Things that he had never known before had been thrown into the open.

He could still recall it clearly in his mind.

"_What Shokaract had told you about his origins is indeed correct," Solaris Prime confirmed._

"_You were the one who allowed it!" Depth Charge pointed an accusing finger at his former superior. "You couldn't help but play Primus and keep a piece of X's spark!"_

"_I will not be spoken to like that, Depth Charge," Solaris said calmly._

"_And I won't be spoken down to!" Depth Charge glared at him. _

"_Very well then," Solaris smiled slightly. "After all, you are no longer a cadet."_

"_And haven't been for stellar cycles," Depth Charge reminded him._

"_Yes, I keep forgetting that," Solaris said, baiting Depth Charge slightly._

"_Then maybe you need your processors refreshed," Depth Charge grunted, with more than a hint of dissatisfaction._

_Solaris Prime sat with both arms crossed. Depth Charge was now here for more than just Shokaract. He came to inquire about Deep Metal. _

_For the longest time, Solaris was aware that he had kept the secret of Deep Metal from Depth Charge. But now he could do it no longer. Depth Charge needed to know the truth about his secret origins, just as he had discovered the true origins of Shokaract._

"_Brace yourself Depth Charge," Solaris told him. "The other reason you're here because of Project Deep Metal. I intend to give you the answers."_

"You okay, Depth Charge?" asked Cheetor, going next to the blue Maximal's side.

"Can't believe I was just a pawn in this all the time," Depth Charge mumbled.

"Ya know, if you'd just talk to us about it, you might feel better," suggested Rattrap.

"Wait right there, you three!"

The three of them turned around. Behind them was a femme-bot with a blue and orange color frame, sporting the uniform of a Maximal police officer around her agile figure. She wore an orange band right above her blue optics and mounted a laser pistol next to her waist. In the back of her head, thin, metallic hair strands were bundled together into a ponytail. Sporting such a thing was apparently a new trend on Cybertron. Rattrap certainly did not remember the femmes having anything resembling hair, much less ponytails, when he was still on Cybertron a few stellar cycles ago.

"Detective Kairen of the Maximal Peace Brigade," she saluted them. "At your service."

"At my service?" Rattrap wondered aloud. "Did we call catering?"

Depth Charge crossed his arms. "Just why would we need a detective at our service? I wonder now."

"Solaris Prime has assigned me to ensure that your integration back into Cybertronian society is successful," Kairen told them. "A lot has changed in the stellar cycles of your absence."

"I can tell," Cheetor looked around.

"What're you really getting at?" Depth Charge asked her.

"What do you mean?" Detective Kairen was confused.

"You're not here to pat us down and make us feel at home," Depth Charge told her directly. "Solaris ordered you to keep an eye on us and report our activities to him."

"Come on, Depth Charge, can't we just give her the benefit of the doubt?" suggested Cheetor.

"Wait a sec, is 'dat a new Galaxy Gun model I see?" Rattrap stared at the gun she held.

"Yes, it's the latest edition," Kairen replied, smiling. "It's the new standard for all Cybertronian police officers."

"Eh, my gun's bigger," Rattrap took out his gun and moved his hand up and down on it, in a polishing motion.

Both Cheetor and Depth Charge groaned at Rattrap's antics.

"Is he always like this?" Kairen frowned.

"Now you know what I've been putting up with for the past few stellar cycles," Cheetor whispered to Kairen.

"I can tell," the Maximal detective whispered back.

"Well," Rattrap started walking towards the door. "I'm ready to have a fun night on the town again!"

"I could use some fun myself," Cheetor agreed.

After the three of them left the building, Depth Charge was the first to step a few feet ahead of them. Then he turned around.

"I'll be going off on my own now," he warned them, taking out his gun and pointing it at the three of them. "Anyone who tries to follow me will be sorry they did!"

After glaring at Kairen one last time to get his point across, Depth Charge transformed to flight mode and flew away.

"Eh, same old Depth Charge," Rattrap shrugged. "Always gotta look tough for 'da crowd."

"Yeah, you would think he'd give the loner act a rest already," Cheetor agreed.

"Shouldn't we go after him?" asked Kairen.

"Nah, let DC go blow off some steam," Rattrap replied. "Something's getting' to him and he needs some alone time."

"Don't you guys want to help him?" asked Kairen. "Aren't you his buddies?"

"Yeah, but we know Depth Charge," Cheetor reminded her. "Trust me, you don't wanna bug him when he's ticked."

"Ha!" Rattrap pointed at Kairen. "Fishface was right! You are spying on us!"

Kairen sighed. Her cover had been blown and now she had to fess up to them.

"You're right," she told them with a tone of resignation. "Solaris Prime did order me to keep an eye on the three of you."

"Looks like it's just the two of us now," Rattrap pointed out.

"Yeah, Depth Charge being gone and all," remarked Cheetor.

"You wanna go get an energon shake?" Rattrap asked Cheetor. "I'm dyin' for one!"

"Sure thing," Cheetor walked off with Rattrap.

"Hey, wait for me!" Kairen ran after the two.

* * *

Standing aloft one of the tallest Cybertronian skyscrapers, Depth Charge felt truly at peace with himself for once, but not entirely.

The wind blowing in his face and the solitary nature of his current roost made him far more comfortable up here than the hustle and bustle of Cybertron down there. But he had other things to worry about. Shokaract was one of them but Deep Metal was another one. Solaris Prime had explained to him exactly what that was.

"_Project Deep Metal began before the experiment on Protoform X proceeded," Solaris explained to Depth Charge. "Back then, the goal of the Maximal government was to create a super soldier, capable of obedience, tactical knowledge, and enhanced fighting abilities."_

_Depth Charge said nothing. He merely waited patiently for Solaris to finish up what he needed to say._

"_Creating an immortal spark was also the goal of Deep Metal," Solaris continued. "The subject spark we used as our candidate for Deep Metal became the soldier we needed. But he lacked the immortal spark necessary to our design specs."_

_Dread began gnawing at Depth Charge from within. He did not like the sound of where this was headed one bit._

"_You are that soldier, Depth Charge," Solaris concluded. "Deep Metal and you are one and the same."_

"_It… it can't be!" Depth Charge got up, steadily backing away._

"_Depth Charge," Solaris informed him. "You were the precursor to the Protoform X project."_

"_You're lying!" Depth Charge snarled. "I'm not responsible for creating X!"_

"_I am not," Solaris told him solemnly. "But if it gives you solace, you weren't responsible for the creation of Protoform X. You were just a test dummy... a prototype, so to say."_

"_Then my entire life has been a lie," Depth Charge lowered his head, shaking it frantically. "It's been a filthy, slaggin' lie!"_

_Soberly, Solaris Prime also lowered his head in shame. Deep in his spark, he also knew that he was guilty. Though he would never admit it publicly, he also played a hand in destroying so many lives, through the creation of Protoform X and the current psychological situation with Depth Charge._

"Oh well," Depth Charge muttered, shaking the memories out of his head. "It doesn't matter anymore. The past is the past."

Of course, he was not entirely convinced himself of his own words. Protoform X was still out there alive somewhere. And with Rampage alive on a large inhabited world, there was bound to be destruction. Shokaract, too, presented a threat.

There was still a lot of work to be done and right now, he wasn't so sure that working within the system was the best way to get things accomplished.

There had to be another way.

* * *

When Rattrap wanted to go sightseeing, going to a small-town energon diner was not the thing he had in mind. He had been planning a trip to the casinos but both Kairen and Cheetor had insisted that they stop by a more humble establishment.

And now, here they were. Cheetor took a sip of his pink energon slurpee as Kairen thanked the waiter after her drink was delivered.

"So that's what you've been doing the whole time?" she asked.

"Yeah, earth had its perks, don't get me wrong," Rattrap told her. "But being there all the time made me feel like a rat in a cage."

"You guys brought back Protoform X," Kairen took a small sip of her drink. "How come you didn't bring back the rogue who stole the golden discs?"

"Megatron?" asked Rattrap.

Kairen nodded in affirmation.

"Well, dat's the thing," he told her. "One day he just… vanished. Primus knows where, but I think da guy's really gone now."

"How about the golden discs?" asked Kairen. "Did you manage to find them too?"

"Sorry toots, didn't ever find 'em," Rattrap admitted.

"Are you guys feeling a little drowsy?" asked Cheetor.

"Now that you mention it… yeah," Rattrap put a hand to his head.

"I'm not feeling so good…" Cheetor's head began spinning.

Cheetor was the first to fall face-down onto the table. Rattrap held his stomach, realizing that some sort of knock-out formula had been added to their drinks. Kairen sensed it as well and took out her blaster.

"My my, feeling a little woozy in the circuits, aren't we?"

"Rampage!" Rattrap growled.

Kairen and Rattrap both opened fire at once. All their shots bounced off Rampage who laughed off their attempts humorously.

"Hahaha!" he cackled. "You think you can really stop me?"

Rattrap got up but suddenly fell down, fainting on the spot. Kairen held her gun still, but Rampage grabbed it from her quickly.

"Should've brought better protection," Rampage sneered and crumbled the gun to pieces in his hand. "Remember that when you wake up."

Soon enough, Detective Kairen crumbled to a heap.

"Was poisoning their drinks really necessary?" asked Rampage. "I could've easily demolished them even if they were awake."

"Sometimes Shokaract eschews violence in favor of more subtle tactics," Babel stepped out of the kitchen.

"His loss," Rampage shrugged.

"Who do you want us to take?" Steelhide stepped into the scene with his partner Yarkon.

"Take the golden one named Cheetor," Babel instructed. "The other two are useless to us."

"Heh, gotcha," Yarkon picked Cheetor up and took him away. "Don't know what the boss sees in you."

Babel reached inside his compartments and took out a small monitor screen, personalized just for the two unconscious 'bots.

* * *

"Unnnngh," Cheetor groaned. "Where am I?"

"You are in my domain now," a familiar voice reminded him.

"It's you again!" Cheetor growled.

"You're not alone, pussycat," Rampage said in a soothing voice.

"Aw great," muttered Cheetor. "Stuck with two psychos in one setting."

Shokaract was amused. He stepped down from the factory room to show Cheetor that he had no intention of fighting.

"Do not fear," said Shokaract. "I do not come to fight."

"Then what do you want?" demanded Cheetor.

"Merely the opportunity to speak with you," Shokaract told him. "You possess great power. I sensed that the moment I saw you."

"Feh, not anymore," Cheetor lowered his head. "It was taken from me."

"You want it back, no doubt," Shokaract pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess," Cheetor said hesitantly.

"What if I told you that power resides dormant within you?" Shokaract told him. "And that it only needs the proper amount of coaxing to bring it out?"

"You can't do that," Cheetor replied doubtfully. "You don't even know what made me a Transmetal, much less a Transmetal Two."

From behind, Rampage grabbed hold of Cheetor, holding him still.

"Hey! Let go!"

Shokaract's spark glowed as particles of pure light left his body, engulfing himself fully. Soon, Cheetor's spark also glowed an eerie green. The particles in the air met at the temple of Cheetor, surrounding him and interconnecting with his spark.

"This is most interesting," Shokaract spoke slowly.

With the connection they currently shared, Shokaract saw the events that unfolded during the course of the Beast Wars. Much of it was an interesting event. He witnessed how the fight began and he saw the course of the Vok invasion and Tigerhawk's attempt to scorch and purge the world to make it a haven for Transformers only.

More deeply, he saw how Cheetor had been taken prisoner by one named Megatron and tortured and brutalized until he was malleable enough to be subjected to an experiment. Though it had been against his will, the experiment turned out to be a success. Cheetor came out of it stronger, faster, and more powerful than ever.

"There it is!" Shokaract's optics glowed deeply.

The power core steadily growing on Cheetor's chest engulfed him just as Rampage let go. A green light of energy consumed Cheetor, transforming him back to the state that had given him so much power.

"I… I'm back in my Transmetal Two body," Cheetor panted heavily. "I can't believe it."

"It is yours permanently," Shokaract spoke up. "I told you that unlocking it permanently was indeed possible."

"You weren't kidding!" Cheetor flexed his claws out.

"I believe a 'thank you' is in order," Shokaract grinned smugly.

* * *

"Are you two up yet?" Depth Charge asked.

"Hey, we gone to Six Lasers over Cybertron yet?" Rattrap asked in a drunken slur.

"For Primus' sake, wake up already!" Depth Charge rounded on Rattrap.

"Oh, hey… what?" Rattrap finally woke up fully.

Rattrap became aware that he was resting next to a construction zone. Kairen stood up next to him. She had just gotten up as well.

"Where we at?" asked Rattrap.

"That doesn't matter," Depth Charge told him. "What matters is that they have Cheetor."

Depth Charge took the small monitor that he had found at the scene of the crime and turned it on.

"Greetings Maximals," Shokaract's face became visible. "By the time you are reading this, it will mean that Cheetor is with me. You have nothing to fear, however, since I plan on taking him under my wing. If you wish to try to retrieve him, you are free to do so. However, I would not recommend it."

"Seems clear to me what we should do," Kairen told Depth Charge and Rattrap. "This is a hostage situation after all."

"For once I agree," Depth Charge nodded. "Let's go."

"Not so fast, Maximals."

"Is dat the kidnappers?" Rattrap turned around slowly.

A violent and explosive surge of sound vibrations would have finished them off right there if Depth Charge had not grabbed the smaller Maximals and leaped out of the way in time.

Depth Charge put Kairen and Rattrap down. He looked up to see several unfamiliar Predacons.

"We have orders from Shokaract himself," Babel told them.

Babel, Serpentine, Yarkon, and Steelhide were there, prepped for battle and ready to go. Babel sent another wave of destructive sound at them which Depth Charge deflected with his own wing.

"Let's take care of these clowns first," Depth Charge told his two allies.

"Agreed," Kairen took out her gun.

Yarkon arched his arm back and unleashed a chain ball from his right hand. Depth Charge leaped up and kicked the wrecking ball into a pile of steel beams, trapping them in place. Yarkon tried to yank them out in time but to no avail. Depth Charge quickly body-slammed into him, sending Yarkon sprawling against another metal support beam that had yet to be completed. He crumpled to the floor in stasis lock.

"You ain't getting past me!" Steelhide shouted and charged.

He threw a punch which Depth Charge caught immediately. Briefly, the two struggled against each other but Depth Charge quickly let him go, causing him to stumble forward. As he did, he turned around again only to walk into a spinning side-kick by the blue Maximal right into his stomach.

"Give it up now!" Kairen shouted. "I'm with the police!"

"Never!" Serpentine hissed. "We serve only one master!"

Kairen rolled out of the way to dodge one of the blasts coming from Serpentine's staff. She fired at close-range to destroy the energy crystal in the staff's frontal chambers and slugged Serpentine across the face to knock her out cold.

The one who was having the most trouble in the fight so far was Rattrap. Every one of his shots was deflected when he tried to shoot at Babel, whose armor was fully capable of creating powerful bursts of sound from mere air particles.

"You can't dodge me so easily, rodent!" Babel sent another powerful wave, this time striking its target and sending Rattrap flying into the heart of the construction zone itself.

Rattrap got up before Babel could enter into the yet-to-be-completed building. He quickly planted a bomb on one support beam. Then onto another. He placed a third belly bomb onto the third beam before another sound blast soared past him. The blast was soon followed up by another, this time surging across the sand. Rattrap quickly rolled out of the way before planting the final bomb on the final beacon, forming a rectangular image that connected his four bombs.

"Can't hide forever," Babel leaped down and nearly took Rattrap's head off with a swipe.

"Who says I'm hiding?" Rattrap avoided another strike from Babel and positioned himself in front of the original front entrance he had just entered through.

"I am!" Babel struck Rattrap dead-center with a powerful shockwave that knocked him clear out of the building yet again.

Rattrap clutched his damaged chest but quickly pressed down on a command key next to his own wrist. Instantly, all four pillars surrounding Babel blew up simultaneously before he could walk out.

"No!" shouted Babel.

Quickly, he formed a force field around his own body to try to prevent the steel, cement, and several tons of ceiling and titanium beams above from crushing him on the spot.

All at once the rubble came down and it took everything he had just to maintain the power just to hold it all back.

"Energy depleting rapidly to five percent," the computers on Babel's systems read.

"Slag!" shouted Babel. "I can't go out like this!"

"Ya just did," Rattrap held out his pistol and fired.

One shot from Rattrap's pistol was all it took to completely destroy Babel's force-shield and send thousands of tons crashing down on him, crushing him utterly.

"Good thinking," Kairen complimented Rattrap. "It was pretty smart of you to have that entire building come down on him."

"Y-You can't win this!" Steelhide panted.

Rattrap and Kairen both paused to see what was going on.

Depth Charge stood there, poised confidently and calmly as Steelhide grew more weary and reckless in his attacks. Already Steelhide had one of his tooth knocked out and his armor was the one looking much more dirtied. He was also panting heavily. Neither Rattrap nor Kairen had seen the full fight but it was evident Depth Charge had not pulled his punches.

"I'll get you!" Steelhide charged.

Depth Charge step-sided him and drove his elbow into Steelhide's spine, sending him crashing to the floor.

Steelhide got up and made another abortive move but Depth Charge merely pulled out his cyber-shark missile launcher and fired. The missile sailed through the air and blew up on impact against Steelhide's chest, sending him into stasis lock immediately following a small explosion.

"Don't bother getting up," Depth Charge told the fallen Predacon.

"Alright," Kairen told Serpentine after cuffing her. "I think it's time you told us where to find Cheetor."

* * *

"Don't think that I'm not grateful for getting my Transmetal Two body back," Cheetor told Shokaract. "But I never said I'd join you."

"Are you certain?" asked Shokaract. "You'd make quite an addition."

"Bah!" snorted Rampage. "You're wasting your time with this whelp!"

"Whelp, huh?" Cheetor snarled. "Is that an invitation for me to turn you into crab cakes right about now?"

"Come and try it, why don't you?" Rampage beckoned with one hand. "Even with your shiny new body, you won't be able to do a thing!"

"Wanna bet on that?" Cheetor smirked arrogantly.

"Both of you, stop it!" Shokaract ordered. "I did not give you this new body so you could make a mess out of my lair!"

"Funny, I don't recall taking orders from you," Rampage told Shokaract with a hint of defiance.

"So you return my hospitality by biting the hand that feeds you, brother?" demanded Shokaract.

"Trust me, I've bitten off a lot more than just hands," Rampage told his 'brother' with a dangerous tone to his voice.

"Heh, looks like I'm not the only one with issues," Cheetor whispered, watching Shokaract and Rampage argue.

As the two other Transformers were occupied with each other, Cheetor snuck away silently. He went down the halls to the left and walked through several corridors, all winding in different directions.

Suddenly, curiosity struck the cat as Cheetor noticed an open room with a computer screen inside with some sort of tape inserted into it.

"What could this be?" he said to himself.

He walked into the room and held up the tape. Whatever it was, it was just sticking out of monitor screen's port.

Out of sheer inquisitiveness, he put it into the machine and activated the monitor.

"This should be interesting," Cheetor said to himself.

The video screen turned on to reveal a darkened room where three individuals sat. At the center of their round table was a light hanging from above, being the only source of illumination for an otherwise drab setting.

"General Seaclamp, General Ramhorn" Cicadacon told his two companions. "State the nature of this new threat we are encountering."

Seaclamp? Ramhorn? Those names sounded familiar. Cheetor scratched his head trying to remember just who they were.

"We are not sure yet as to what it should be considered," General Seaclamp. "But the rise of Shokaract presents an interesting scenario we could have never imagined."

"He is no Predacon," Ramhorn held up some of his papers. "But he has been garnering much support from our own people and turning their anger and rage against the Maximals."

"Something which should no doubt be _our_ job," Cicadacon stated angrily.

"What do you believe can be done about it?" asked Seaclamp. "I do not wish to have another rogue complicating things like that villain Megatron."

"It is possible we, the Tripredacus Council, can play off both sides," Ramhorn told them. "Arm Shokaract with more weapons and encourage him to fight the Maximals for us. It is in our interests to benefit from this situation as much as we can."

"He uses our people," Seaclamp disagreed angrily. "Picking the best and brightest from our Predacon forces. That cannot be allowed!"

"What else do you wish to do?" Ramhorn demanded. "Sit back and allow the Maximals to continue their free reign over us?"

"Shokaract is a loose cannon, that much is certain," Cicadacon told them. "I've heard rumors that he is Protoform X himself."

"How can that be true?" demanded Seaclamp. "The Protoform X project was scrapped and X himself was sent off-planet."

"I realize that," Cicadacon reminded them. "But do not forget that the Maximal Imperium itself is not above deceit and disingenuous intrigues."

"So they kept X's spark and sent a sparkless body off planet?" Ramhorn inquired.

"That's how I interpret it," Cicadacon replied. "However, I have another plan."

"What is it?" Seaclamp looked at his comrade.

"If indeed Shokaract is Protoform X, we can convince him to join our side," Cicadacon revealed his plan. "With his power, we are certain to gain victory over the Predacons!"

"Shall I send an envoy?" asked Ramhorn.

"Yes, do so immediately," Cicadacon told them.

"So these guys are the Tripredacus Council," Cheetor muttered.

"I see you've been reading my messages," Shokaract stood at the front of the door.

"Whoa, hey," Cheetor turned around. "Didn't think you'd mind."

"I don't mind," Shokaract told him. "By the way, would you like to see what happened to the messenger they sent?"

Cheetor gulped. "Sure, take me to him."

Shokaract led Cheetor away from the room and downstairs through several winding steps. By the time they had gotten down there, Cheetor heard moans coming through the door they were about to enter into. Suddenly it hit him. He was in a dungeon.

Shokaract didn't mind. He gestured for Cheetor to follow him through the door.

"Oh Primus…" Cheetor looked around him.

Each jail cell held a vast array of Maximals and Predacons, most of whom were already rusting through maltreatment and lack of energon. Several of them were chained against the wall, not being allowed to even move. Cheetor looked to his left to see one gray Transformer with a Maximal insignia. The darkened coloration on his body and hollow eyes could only mean one thing. He was already dead.

"This is wrong," Cheetor said silently.

"Is something the matter?" Shokaract asked.

"Just the way you're treating them!" growled Cheetor.

"Come, we haven't even gotten to the envoy yet," Shokaract beckoned for Cheetor to come to a particular cell.

What greeted Cheetor was a horrifying sight of mangled circuitry and metal. The Predacon symbol was the only visible thing on him that distinguished him from the rest of his badly torn up body. He had been tortured and it was not a pretty sight. His throat had also been ripped open, exposing his voicebox, which dangled from right out of his neck.

"S-Shokaract…" the Predacon managed to say.

"You're going to be alright!" Cheetor told him. "I'll get you to a CR chamber!"

"I had an informant give me that tape of the Tripredacus Council," Shokaract explained. "I found out their plan before the envoy even arrived. Of course, being that I refuse to play the role of a lackey for the Tripredacus Council, I naturally had to refuse and send them a message in return. I kept their envoy of course."

"You scumbag!" Cheetor growled. "What did you do to him?"

"It wasn't me," Shokaract raised both hands up innocently. "I just let Rampage have a go at him last night. And by Primus did he have his fun!"

Cheetor used his claws to sever the energy chains holding the unnamed Predacon messenger. The young Maximal caught the Predacon before he could fall and lowered him gently.

"Don't worry," he said to the Predacon. "I'll get you out of here."

"Thank you my friend…" the Predacon rasped. "Thank you…"

In that moment, the color from his eyes vanished as his spark rose from his body. The body turned a drab color of gray as the life of the unnamed Predacon left him, leaving Cheetor there holding him in his arms.

"I'd better go tell Rampage his new playmate won't be available anymore," Shokaract turned around.

"You animal!" Cheetor snarled.

Shokaract reacted with his unusually fast reflexes, turning around and raising his forearm as Cheetor fist came crashing into it without pulling his punch at all.

"I'll rip you limb from limb!" Cheetor roared.

"That won't be necessary, will it?" Shokaract smiled, revealing his sharp teeth.

An explosion erupted upstairs, soon followed by Rampage's angry cry.

"Looks like Rampage has found something else to do," Shokaract commented and leaped away from Cheetor at a speed that even surprised the young Maxmial.

"You're not getting away from me!" Cheetor warned and gave chase.

He ran after Shokaract, leaping past the stairs and continuing to chase Shokaract who levitated his body in the air to reach the top. After Shokaract disappeared through the door, Cheetor kicked it open.

In the main room, Rampage and General Skorn were there exchanging fire with Depth Charge, Rattrap, and Kairen.

"Whoa, you guys made it?" Cheetor asked.

"Yeah!" Rattrap cried, dodging a shot from Skorn. "Took us a while to find ya!"

Skorn made the mistake of stepping out from behind Rampage whose thick hide and enormous frame protected him from most of the shots. In an instant, one of Rattrap's blasts hit him and sent him flying into the wall.

"What is going on here?" demanded Shokaract.

"Isn't it obvious?" Rampage sneered. "They've found us!"

Rampage transformed to tank mode and fired three missiles.

"Take cover!" shouted Depth Charge, grabbing Kairen and Rattrap and flying them away.

The missiles destroyed half the room on impact, sending shards of glass, steel, and concrete flying everywhere in addition to the fires from the explosion itself, exposing the night sky and the city beneath the skyscraper they were on. Rampage transformed back to robot mode and tripped over the body of Skorn, stumbling briefly. He hissed with displeasure and with a simple kick, sent Skorn flying off the ledge, screaming in fear.

Shokaract leaped down and grabbed Skorn.

"Thanks for saving me, your excellency," Skorn said.

"No problem," Shokaract replied. "Speaking of which, I really need to get Rampage under control."

"I recommend a collar!" Skorn snorted.

"It'll take more than that to contain him," Shokaract admitted reluctantly.

Rampage was as liable to attack his allies as he was his enemies. This presented a problem for Shokaract who simply wasn't used to dealing with such a chaotic character in the midst of his servants.

Shokaract levitated to the second level and placed Skorn there.

"I suggest you leave now," Shokaract told him.

Skorn didn't need to be told twice. Immediately, he fled the scene.

Shokaract levitated back to the floor level where the fighting was occurring. Before he could steady himself to the ground, a missile struck him from the side.

"You again!" he hissed.

"That's right," Depth Charge sneered. "Miss me?"

Depth Charge flew into the air and tackled Shokaract, sending them both plummeting onto the floor.

Shokaract used one foot to kick Depth Charge off and created a purple bolt of energy in his hands which he threw.

The energy bolt struck the ground near Depth Charge, splitting it and forcing the Maximal to step away. Shokaract sent several more which Depth Charge blocked by raising one of his wings.

Shokaract created another purple energy blast in both hands and sent it sailing down, destroying the ground Depth Charge stood on as the blue Maximal leaped away again.

"You cannot hope to stop me!" Shokaract laughed. "I am immortal!"

From the smoke, an energy disc emerged and struck Shokaract in the chest-plate.

"Agh!" Shokaract growled angrily.

Two more missiles emerged from the smoke which Shokaract deflected with both hands.

Depth Charge flew up and launched a roundhouse kick which Shokaract blocked with one knee and both forearms.

* * *

If there was one thing Rampage had to force himself to admit, it's that Cheetor was a much harder target to hit in his new body than he used to be. The feral techno-organic cheetah bounded off a wall in beast mode and pounced on Rampage, biting into his gun which Rampage held up.

Rampage threw Cheetor off and fired again. The shot did not hit its mark as Cheetor avoided it and came up, slashing Rampage across the side.

"Aaaagh!" Rampage howled. This time, Cheetor actually left a mark on him.

Soon, however, the mark closed up. Rampage smirked inwardly, knowing that his advanced healing was still on his side.

Cheetor leaped up, kicking Rampage savagely across the face. Rampage stumbled back but did not fall down. Cheetor leaped up again, punching the behemoth across the back of his head. Again and again, he danced around Rampage, leaping and striking at him from all sides.

He could tell that his blows were connecting and that he was actually able to hurt Rampage, judging from the incoherent howls of pain from the beast.

The young Maximal let his fist sail naturally through the air and connect with Rampage's face.

Rampage stood still and absorbed the full blow with his entire face.

"Hah hah hah!" he laughed.

"What the slag?" Cheetor cried. Then he realized that Rampage was indeed capable of taking all that he could dish out, and then some.

Rampage grabbed Cheetor's wrist while the cat's fist was still pressed against his face and used his other arm to backhand Cheetor into a wall.

Before Cheetor could recover, Rampage drove his fist into Cheetor's stomach. The next punch met Cheetor's head directly, knocking him right through that very wall.

Cheetor got up, holding his side. Rampage was still one tough cookie. He was extremely fast and extremely strong even though he wasn't a Transmetal Two himself. He was not going down easy, if at all.

In the meantime, the aerial battle between Depth Charge and Shokaract was taking a turn for the worst. Shokaract created a blade of pure energy in his hands and cut off one of Depth Charge's wings, injuring the blue Maximal severely in the process.

Rattrap and Kairen began firing off several shots at Shokaract, most of which either missed or bounced off his armor.

"You think that can slow me down?" Shokaract's spark chamber began glowing.

Several red and black tentacles made of pure spark energy emerged, whipping out at the two unfortunate Maximals. One of them hit their target and enveloped Kairen and Rattrap at the same time, sending a current of power into their bodies.

"Aaaahhh!" the two of them cried. Then they fell to the ground.

"You piece of slag!" Depth Charge slashed at Shokaract with his tail blade. Shokaract leaped over head and created another purple disc of energy, throwing it into Depth Charge and sending him falling to the floor.

Cheetor, in the meanwhile, was still heavily involved in his battle against Rampage. He spun around, kicking the giant thrall across the face with his heel.

For a moment, it looked like Rampage would counter-attack. However, the red Predacon began chuckling and backed away.

"You had enough?" Cheetor raised both fists again.

Before Cheetor could attack again, the body of Depth Charge crashed into him, sending both of them rolling across the floor.

Neither of them got the chance to properly get back up. Shokaract and Rampage attacked simultaneously. Shokaract unleashed another purple energy ball just as Rampage fired off another missile.

The ensuing explosion enveloped both Cheetor and Depth Charge, sending their badly damaged bodies into unconsciousness.

"Depth Charge!" cried Kairen.

"Kid!" Rattrap turned away from Shokaract and Rampage.

Kairen turned around and fired a shot straight towards Shokaract's skull. Shokaract easily brushed aside the laser beam with his palm and laughed.

"You overestimate yourself, female!" he told her.

Twin eye lasers emerged from his optics and blasted away her gun. Rattrap's gun was second to go as Shokaract blasted that one from the Maximal's hand as well.

"It's time for us to be going now," Shokaract told them. "Seeking a new base is my priority now that you've uncovered us."

Shokaract enveloped himself and Rampage with a blue light, disappearing from plain view once the flash was over.

* * *

"I'll have to write a report to Solaris Prime," Kairen told the three Maximals. "He'll need to know about Shokaract."

"Feh, do what you have to," Depth Charge grunted, crossing both arms.

"Solaris Prime sent me to keep tabs on you guys," Kairen admitted. "But that won't be necessary anymore."

"So you'll just write up a bogus report on us everytime to Solaris and tell him it's the truth?" asked Cheetor.

"Pretty much," Kairen smiled. "But don't tell anyone. It's our little secret!"

"Sounds like ya got the right idea," Rattrap complimented her.

"Well, I gotta be heading out now," Kairen informed them. "I'll see you guys later!"

After waving goodbye to their new ally, Rattrap and Cheetor turned to Depth Charge who was standing there motionlessly.

"So that's your Transmetal Two body, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah, I had it for a while back on earth," Cheetor replied.

"How did you get it back?" he asked.

"Well, I…"

It was understandable that Cheetor was reluctant tell them just how he had regained it. The truth of the matter was that Shokaract had brought it back for him, albeit Cheetor was not the one who had willingly accepted Shokaract's offer. Shokaract had more or less done it without his permission. But still, Cheetor couldn't deny that deep down he really wanted to have this body back. It granted him a power beyond anything in his wildest dreams and slag if he was going to give it up again!

"I guess it just came to me in my time of need," Cheetor told them.

It was a lie, but it was the best Cheetor could come up with under the circumstances. He did not want them knowing that it was Shokaract who was directly responsible for it.

"Let's hope it comes in handy then," Depth Charge said emotionlessly. "Because once Shokaract makes his bid over Cybertron, we'll need all the help we can get."

"How soon do ya think that'll be?" Rattrap asked.

Cheetor was not the only 'bot with internal conflicts to overcome. Depth Charge, in the meanwhile, had not yet come to terms with the fact that he had been the original super soldier experiment, the precursor to Protoform X. It was deeply unsettling to him that his origins were tied more closely with Rampage than he would have liked to imagine. He felt betrayed by the Maximal government on all levels, emotionally and psychologically, though he would never openly admit it. To think that he and Rampage were both came of the same stock…

He did not know what would come of it next, but he was not looking forward to it.

Depth Charge closed his eyes before answering Rattrap. "Soon."


	45. Cybertron's Most Wanted

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Cybertron's Most Wanted_

"Any readings from Cybertron?" asked Optimus.

"Not so far," Rhinox confirmed. "Haven't confirmed so much as a blip on the map."

Rhinox flipped his chair around and typed in a few other commands on the monitor to his right.

"It may take months to even a year before Cybertron makes any contact back to us," Rhinox said truthfully.

"Swell," Optimus sat back. "In the meantime, how do you suppose the others are doing?"

"They'll be just fine," Rhinox responded. "Cheetor and Rattrap most likely settled back to life on Cybertron."

"And Depth Charge?" asked Optimus.

"Err, it might take a little while longer for him," Rhinox replied uneasily.

"I can only imagine what Rattrap's doing now," Optimus smiled. "He was really eager to go back."

"Knowing him, he's taxed all his credits on the local casinos," Rhinox said truthfully.

"Of our core crew, Rattrap's always had the most checkered past," Optimus admitted. "Think it might come back to bite him?"

"Let's hope not," Rhinox looked upwards. "Reminds me almost of that time Rattrap got involved with that one racket…"

* * *

"Oh yeah!" Rattrap cried. "Show me 'da money!"

Closing both eyes, Rattrap closed his hand together holding both the dice. He rattled them in the air, drawing in the atmosphere around him.

He was currently stationed in the Vector Prime Casino, one of the most lavish gambling resorts on all of Cybertron. Around him were shapely femme-bots of all sizes, most of whom were serving drinks to the male 'bots. Unfortunately for Rattrap, they were not walking around minus their torso plates. But they were a sight for sore eyes nevertheless.

The 'bots standing around their holo-deck booth were a motley array of Maximals and Predacons alike. Rattrap did not remember any of them. Perhaps they were new patrons at the casino. Back in the old days, he still remembered coming over here with his old buddies for drinks and a good bet on the table.

Many of the patrons of the casino were now looking at Rattrap angrily. After all, he did win up to seven games in a row. Normally 'bots like that did not get a favored glance, especially since there was always the possibility that they cheated to win so many times.

"Alright!" Rattrap threw down the dice. "Papa needs a new pair a' sneakers!"

Not many 'bots at the table knew what he was saying. Then again, most of them never went down to earth to learn what 'sneakers' were.

From the holo-deck, a green image of Starscream emerged. He was the equivalent of being the Joker in the deck. In that instance, the other holographic images belonging to the other Maximals and Predacons disappeared.

"You win this round again," the drone operating the game pushed the stack of chips to Rattrap. "Congradulations."

"Yeah, heh heh!" Rattrap cried.

The other patrons only glared at him angrily.

"Well guys, good game," Rattrap told them happily.

"This guy had a phaser!" one of the 'bots shouted angrily. "He was cheating."

A phaser was commonly used cheat scan which enabled the players to easily achieve the highest quotient possible to win the game. Rattrap, however, did not possess one for the game. The entire time he had won through his own skill and luck. The others, however, did not believe it in the slightest.

"Hey now, I won 'dis game fair and square!" protested Rattrap as he packed up the chips he had won.

"Liar!" another 'bot cried out.

"Hoo boy, 'dis could get ugly," muttered Rattrap.

Several hostile figures attempted to leap at him all at once. Each and every one of them stacked on top of each other just as Rattrap jumped out of the way.

"Oh come on!" Rattrap asked. "Can't we just talk 'dis out?"

The response to Rattrap's question came in the form of gunfire.

"I gotta get outta here…" Rattrap said to himself.

Soon, a fight broke out in the bar with Maximals and Predacons alike attacking and beating each other senseless. Deep down, Rattrap wondered if they had planned on this drunken brawl all along.

"I'm gonna get you!" a large construction 'bot punched at him.

Rattrap ducked underneath and slid below the attacker's legs, avoiding him. As he got up, he had to swerve his head to the side to avoid a cup thrown randomly across the room.

"Dis pack of animals really know how to party," Rattrap muttered.

"Over here!" a 'bot gestured for Rattrap to come over to a safe location.

Rattrap did not hesitate and followed his benefactor to the back room, away from the general carnage.

"Thanks buddy," Rattrap told him. "Didn't think I could last with 'dem bar-room brawlers."

"Don't mention it, friend."

"Endgame, is 'dat you?"

"Who else?"

The 'bot stepped out of the shadows to reveal himself. He was characterized by a silver and blue armor, with wrist-mounted laser pistols and grappling hooks alike. Endgame was just a bit taller than Rattrap, though still lean and agile. Mounted at the top of his head was a silver helmet with a small radio link sticking out from the side. Aside from his superlative headpiece, the Maximal also possessed a CR-500 pistol on his left hand.

Without warning, an electrical prod from behind him stunned his entire system. After a brief moment of sizzling, electric-induced pain, Rattrap fell down. Two other 'bots stepped out from behind him.

"Good thing I recognized you on this wanted poster," Endgame chuckled. "Hah hah hah! You got new armor now but I always remember a familiar face!"

Before Rattrap became fully unconscious, he became dimly aware that he was being picked up and taken away.

"There's quite a big bounty on your head," Endgame told Rattrap. "Gorga the Magnificent really has it out for you."

"You stinkin' bounty hunter…" Rattrap muttered.

"Yeah, well you don't exactly have a stainless record yourself," Endgame reminded him.

* * *

Serpentine held her staff uneasily as Shokaract paced up and down. Captain Skorn was also just as tense. Shokaract was usually not this testy. Their leader, however, was in a far more disgruntled and unpleasant mood than before.

Before them stood the other Transformers they had recently freed. Babel, Yarkon, Drillmaster, and Steelhide were there as well, as were multiple Seekers and the other Predacon and Maximal recruits they had gained.

"Leave us," Shokaract ordered his soldiers.

Immediately, the multitudes of followers left.

"The rest of you, stay," Shokaract ordered.

Immediately, Steelhide, Babel, Drillmaster, and Yarkon realized that he was talking to them. And when Shokaract was in a bad mood, it was best to stay silent and hope for the best. Plus, not speak unless spoken to.

"Do you appreciate the fact that you were freed?" Shokaract asked.

"Yes master!" Yarkon bowed. "We thank you for your graciousness."

"Yeah, we couldn't have done it without you!" Drillmaster echoed.

"Serpentine," Shokaract now focused his stern gaze upon her.

"Y-Yes master?" Serpentine gulped.

"Would you like your power back?" he asked simply.

"I would, master!" she replied eagerly.

Shokaract opened up his chestplate, revealing the Darkspark. He reached his hand inside and pried out a small black crystal. Telekinetically, he sent it floating towards Serpentine who took hold of it with one hand.

"This is the final piece of the Darkspark which you may possess," he told her austerely. "Should you lose this one, you will no longer be afforded any more of the Darkspark's power."

"I understand," she bowed.

"As for the rest of you," Shokaract turned to his minions. "Why have you not succeeded against Depth Charge and the others yet?"

"We… we'll get 'em soon!" Steelhide said excitedly. "Just give us another chance and I promise we'll make scrap metal out of them!"

"No!" Shokaract's voice boomed, his anger steadily rising. "You will do no such thing!"

"But boss, we can—" Steelhide protested, only to be elbowed by Babel.

"Be quiet," Babel whispered. "Don't make this any worse than it already is."

"All of you have failed me too many times," Shokaract told them bluntly. "It's time I called in the Trinity."

"Y-You don't mean the Trinity!" Babel protested. "You can't!"

"Why shouldn't I?" Shokaract demanded. "And choose your words carefully, Babel."

"Their power is too terrible for anyone to handle!" Babel insisted. "I've seen them fight before and they're too strong for anyone to contain!"

"What did you just say?" Shokaract asked.

"Don't be a fool, Babel!" Captain Skorn scolded him. "The Trinity includes the three most powerful warriors of the Predacon Elite Guard. It would be an honor to have them fight alongside the Wayward Sons of Cybertron."

"They're loose cannons!" Babel insisted. "They're not loyal to anyone but themselves! They don't even have any real allegiance to the Tripredacus Counc—"

Twin eye teams emerged from Shokaract's optics and pierced Babel's spark, killing him in an instant.

The rest of Shokaract's troops could only stare at Babel's dead body in fear and fascination.

"Anyone else wish to question my orders?" he asked.

"No way!" Steelhide put on a fake smile. "We're with you to the end!"

"Really?" Shokaract grinned.

"Yeah, all the way!" Drillmaster insisted.

For a moment it looked like Shokaract was ready to open fire upon them as well. But luckily for them, he only turned around and relaxed his shoulders, signaling that he was in a pleasant mood once more.

"That's what I like to hear," Shokaract told them agreeably.

* * *

After all this time, Rattrap had not expected the bounty of his head to still be there. Nor did he expect to ever be captured and be brought before the notorious crime lord of the underground Predacon Mafia.

Before him sat a large, corpulent robot. It was Gorga the Magnificent, head of the Predacon yakuza. As leader of most crime syndicates on Cybertron, Gorga had built up a reputation for himself over the years. He was sleazy as he was brutal, a combination that enabled him to combine business and pleasure with the utmost of finesse.

Years ago, Rattrap had managed to put him out of business. It was only for a brief while, since Gorga bribed his way out of prison after a month, but it had been a setback for his criminal empire. And he had no other but Rattrap to blame for it.

"Ho ho ho!" rumbled Gorga. "It is good to see you again!"

"Yeah, good 'ta see 'yer chubby skidplates as well," Rattrap taunted, despite being held down by energy bonds.

"I see you are going by the alias of Rattrap now," Gorga commented. "A fitting name for one such as yourself! I remember how sneaky and evasive the desert rats of Morgoz were."

"How was life on 'dat desert prison, anyways?" asked Rattrap. "Get enough sand in 'yer processor?"

Now Gorga was beginning to get annoyed.

"If you know what is good for you, you will still your impertinent vocal processor!" Gorga threatened.

"Yeah, and what're you gonna do?" Rattrap joked. "Eat me?"

"Guards!" ordered Gorga. "Take him away! In the meantime, I must think of enacting a most fitting punishment for our guest as payback for my imprisonment!"

The guards forced Rattrap to rise and dragged him off. Endgame crossed both arms, allowing a smile to creep across his face.

"You have done well, bounty hunter," Gorga told him. "It is a pity you have not yet become a Predacon. Becoming one is only a voice activation code away."

"Staying as a Maximal has its advantages," Endgame nodded in response. "I get around Cybertron much easier that way."

"In any case, it is good that you have decided to work for me, lad!" Gorga congratulated Endgame. "Stick with me and you will not regret it!"

* * *

"Hey, easy on 'da merchandise!" Rattrap shouted as the two guards behind him shoved him into his jail cell.

"Don't worry," one of the guards told him. "You won't be in here for long."

"Yeah, Gorga's prisoners usually don't last longer than three days," the other guard laughed dumbly.

"Ah swell," Rattrap leaned against the wall and sat down. "Spendin' time in the cooler was not my idea of fun."

"I see you haven't changed one bit."

Rattrap looked up to see Endgame standing in front of his cell.

"And I see 'yer still the dirty, opportunistic low life you always were," Rattrap shot back.

"Hey now," Endgame smiled. "That's no way to talk to your old partner."

"So we worked on a few cases together back when I was still a Private Optic," Rattrap acknowledged. "That don't make us buddies or anything."

"Those were the days, huh?" Endgame asked.

"Yeah, they were," Rattrap stood up. "Why're you working for a sleazebag like Gorga anyways?"

"For the credits of course," Endgame revealed. "Why else?"

"You didn't become a Pred or anything?" Rattrap's curiosity was piqued.

"Nah, I like staying as a Maximal," Endgame replied. "It makes my job easier."

"To go around muggin' random 'bots?" asked Rattrap.

"You could say that."

"Guess you also haven't changed after all these years," Rattrap pointed out.

"Nope," Endgame smiled. "Don't plan on changing either."

Endgame turned around and walked away briskly, leaving Rattrap to himself.

* * *

Standing still, both Azure and Zaraxes waited patiently near the landing pad. Their expected visitor was to arrive back at anytime now at this location in Kaon. The secret lieutenant that the Tripredacus Council had sent as a spy to keep tabs on Megatron would be returning and they were here as the welcoming party.

Azure was a female Predacon mounted with light blue shoulder pads and a Predacon gladiatorial helmet. The spikes on her boot and on her arm gave her a menacing aura that few 'bots dared to cross. She was the niece of Tripredacus Council member, General Ramhorn.

Her partner Zaraxes was less pronounced in his choice of armor. His body was streamlined and rounded, though he was no less dangerous than Azure. He held in his right hand a Predacon war staff. He was the son of General Cicadacon.

The two of them were high-ranking members of the Predacon Elite Guard. Though their family connections had indeed secured them their positions, the pair was certainly not lacking in ferocity and discipline by any means. The two of them performed their duties and performed them well. Nepotism could only bring one so far in life.

"I hear he goes by the name of Tarantulas now," Zaraxes said to Azure. "He's been gone for so long."

"In the latest message he sent to the Tripredacus Council, he said he would be arriving today," Azure replied.

"What would be so important that it would take him stellar cycles to return?" Zaraxes demanded. "The Tripredacus Council needed him and he goes off on a wild Quintesson chase."

"He has his reasons," Azure said uncertainly. "Remember, the Tripredacus Council has always placed a great deal of faith in him."

"Faith isn't good enough," Zaraxes slammed his staff into the ground. "Tarantulas hasn't produced any results."

Soon, the landing beacons around them were activated, signaling the landing of a space shuttle. The Predacon duo quickly ended their conversation and went up to the pad to greet the returning guest.

Tarantulas stepped outside and surveyed his surroundings. Things around this city hadn't changed much, especially with the Tripredacus Council being the cheapskates they were. After all this time, they were still that unwilling to spend money to remodel the city a bit. They truly were a bunch of senile fools.

"Lieutenant Tarantulas, is it?" asked Zaraxes.

"Yes, I go by that now," Tarantulas nodded.

"Glad to have you back lieutenant," Azure bowed. Zaraxes also bowed reluctantly.

Tarantulas stepped off his ship. "I see this city is still as drab as ever."

"Yes, well that can't be helped," Zaraxes chimed in. "The Tripredacus Council only has so many resources."

"Of course," Tarantulas said with an expression on his face akin to a sneer.

"What happened to you?" Azure asked. "You look different than what we remember."

"I've undergone a change," Tarantulas regarded the two guardsbots as if they were naïve children. "A change that has placed me at the forefront of Cybertronian evolution."

"Mind sharing with us what this change in Cybertronian evolution is?" asked Zaraxes.

"Yes, yes, all in good time," Tarantulas told them. "But first take me to the Tripredacus Council. I will have a full report to make to them."

"Right this way," Azure gestured for Tarantulas.

* * *

"Gotta… reach it…" Rattrap groaned.

During his time in the cell, Rattrap managed to loosen his energy bonds just a bit. With every last effort, he had made sure that his forearm was free enough that he could reach inside to get his belly bombs. More importantly, there was a particular belly bomb with a homing signal. If he could reach that, he could contact Depth Charge and Cheetor.

Finally, Rattrap slid the bonds off. During his pre-earth days, he had studied escape artistry from a variety of teachers on Cybertron, who taught him the best way to slip out of sticky situations. Their training paid off handsomely too. Rattrap quickly opened up the compartment on his arm and pressed down on the homing signal.

It would only be a matter of time before Depth Charge and Cheetor received it. Hopefully by then, he wouldn't be scrapped and recycled into a toaster oven.

"Finally," Rattrap breathed a sigh of relief.

After activating it, he closed the compartment on his arm and sat down again.

Luckily, he had done so just before Endgame and Gorga had arrived with a contingent of soldiers.

"Ho ho ho!" laughed Gorga. "Look at the little rat in his cage!"

"Ya know, pet rats don't come cheap," Rattrap reminded Gorga sarcastically. "You gotta feed me, take care of me, change my cage every once in a while… and even give me one of 'dem exercise wheels to play with."

"If I didn't know any better," Endgame looked at Gorga. "I'd say he's taunting you."

"Hey, I'll have you know having rats as pets can be a very rewarding experience!" Rattrap told them jokingly. "Would any of you rather have a hamster or guinea pig?"

The guards began whispering amongst themselves, not understanding the language Rattrap was using in the slightest.

"What's a hamster?" Gorga looked up at Endgame.

"Don't ask me," shrugged Endgame.

"So uh, any of you boys wanna let me go?" suggested Rattrap. "Ya know… forgive and forget?"

That snapped Gorga back to reality. He had almost forgotten for a second why he was here. And that was to punish Rattrap.

"Scribe!" he shouted to his floating diagnostic drone.

"His excellency Gorga has decided on your sentence," the drone spoke to Rattrap in a monotone voice. "Henceforth, the great Gorga has sentenced you to dismemberment! You are to be maimed and torn apart by the Rock Lion of Planet Xirnoc."

"You actually got yourself one of those?" asked Rattrap. "You do know that poaching and smuggling organic creatures onto Cybertron is illegal, right?"

Gorga smacked his head in frustration. Endgame rolled his optics and crossed his arms. Was Rattrap really that dense? Or was he just trying to annoy them?

"No duh," Endgame sighed.

"Do not patronize me, little rat!" shouted Gorga. "Why do you think I run the largest criminal organization in Cybertron?"

"Gee, could it be 'dat you're not a very nice guy?" suggested Rattrap.

"That is it!" Gorga shouted angrily. "I was going to give you one night to think over your transgressions against me! But now that you've really angered Gorga the Magnificent, your decree will be carried out within one megacycle!"

"Hoo boy," Rattrap muttered. "Me and my big mouth…"

* * *

"Hey Depth Charge," Cheetor rushed into the opening where Depth Charge stood. "Did you get the signal?"

"Yeah," Depth Charge looked at the beeping signal on his wrist's computer. "Rattrap's in a bind."

"Where is he?" asked Cheetor.

It was unusual for Rattrap to activate his distress signal like that. Most of the time, Rattrap prided himself on being self-sufficient and

"That way," Depth Charge pointed to the direction where the signal originated. "Let's go."

The two of them transformed to flight mode and set off.

* * *

"Are you certain you did the right thing?" Skorn asked Shokaract in his throne room. "After all, what if these three bear more loyalty to the Tripredacus Council than to you?"

"That will not be a concern," Shokaract replied, reassuring Skorn. "I believe our soon-to-have-arrived guests themselves are not completely satisfied with the way things are run."

"Yes, but they are still a liability, master," Skorn warned. "I admit that I was initially excited to be having them on our side but you must always take precautions."

"Don't worry," Shokaract said again. "You worry too much, you know that, Skorn?"

"Yes, but—"

Suddenly, Skorn fell silent. It was as if an invisible force was tugging at his vocal processors.

Shokaract sensed it as well. The three Predacons he had called for were here, hiding their presence in the shadows.

"You may as well come out now," Shokaract called out to them.

No answer.

"Oh, and put him down," Shokaract gestured to Skorn who was now floating in the air, grasping for air.

With a thud, Skorn fell to the floor. Just as that occurred, three shadowy figures leaped across the air, springboarding over Shokaract simultaneously. They moved in such a blur that even Shokaract was having a bit of trouble seeing them.

Soon enough, though, their movements became evident to him. The trio leaped across the throne room, bouncing off the walls in a pattern revealing their grace and agility.

Shokaract was impressed… but not that impressed.

The three Predacons struck simultaneously with their weapons. Shokaract saw it coming and raised his forearm, blocking them all at once.

"Hyaaah!" Shokaract roared, unleashing a sonic wave that sent the three of them flying back.

The assailants all landed on their feet and revealed themselves at last in the light. Then they bowed.

"You are the Trinity, I presume?" asked Shokaract.

"None other," their leader stepped forward.

He was a lanky, armored 'bot with black armor and a streamlined helmet with a razor-sharp arch running down the center, and splitting in two. In his hands were two cybernetic ninja stars.

"Prowler, at your service," he bowed.

The other two 'bots stepped up as well. The one to Prowler's right was a light gray 'bot with a blue visor and streaks of blue running down his chest and arms. His weapon was blue-bladed laser sword. It was a rare weapon on Cybertron, one which with very few practitioners who were well-versed in its practice.

"I'm called Sonata," the 'bot introduced himself. "Second-in-command to the Predacon Elite Guard."

"And you are?" Shokaract asked the third and final one.

"Name's Clampdown," the third one spoke with a rough tone to his voice.

Compared to the other two, his weapons, the claws extending from the top of his knuckles, were much more direct and to-the-point. Unlike Sonata and Prowler who had blue optics, Clampdown's eyes were blood red.

"I assume you know why I called the three of you here?"

"Pest control?" Prowler smiled.

"Yes," Shokaract confirmed. "Until the arrival of these three irritants, my greatest obstacle was the Maximal Imperium. But now…"

"You want us to do a hit job?" demanded Clampdown. "Forget it! We ain't no bounty huntin' scum!"

"Clampdown, wait," Prowler raised a hand. "Let's hear what Shokaract has to say."

Shokaract's spark chamber glowed red. He projected three holographic images from his spark plate of Depth Charge, Rattrap, and Cheetor.

"These three have been the cause of my troubles for some time," Shokaract explained. "I've sent my best minions after them but as of yet, my so-called 'elite' have not made any progress."

"I see," Prowler acknowledged. "And you have called upon the Trinity to take care of these three Maximals."

"The Darkspark, near-omnipotent as it may be, does not grant me the power to read minds," Shokaract told them. "But I know what you may be thinking right now. _What's in it for me_?"

"Actually, there is something we want from you," Prowler revealed.

"Oh?" Shokaract narrowed his optics.

"We want to join you," Sonata broke the silence. "We're not happy with the way things are under the Tripredacus Council. It's time someone changed things around."

Shokaract had to resist the urge to rub his two hands together gleefully.

"Do tell," he said cheerfully.

* * *

At this point, Rattrap had already successfully lock-picked the stasis cuffs tying both his hands together behind his back. But he didn't dare show that yet.

Right now, he was forcefully kneeled before Gorga's throne room. The corpulent Predacon mafia boss was looking at him malevolently, with Endgame by his side along with his diagnostic drone and a few random guards.

"Have you anything to say for yourself before I pronounce your sentence?" demanded Gorga.

"Yeah, eat slag!" Rattrap spat, realizing for all intents and purposes that there was no way he could get out of this.

"You should've stayed off-world," Gorga warned. "That way you could have saved your own hide."

Gorga pulled down on a lever, releasing the floor beneath Rattrap. The small Maximal fell down a chute until he landed on a titanium marble floor.

"Grrr…"

The rock lion circled Rattrap ominously. Its mane was red while the rest of its body was a matted color of orange. Being much larger than an ordinary lion on earth, this particular creature was not a lion per say, but rather, a similar creature that had gone through convergent evolution on a planet with similar conditions. At the top of its head was a unicorn-like horn.

Hissing aggressively, the rock lion charged, swiping his claws at Rattrap.

Rattrap ducked as the giant megafauna leaped over him.

A searing pain across his back, however, was soon felt. The rock lion raked its claws in a slashing motion across Rattrap's back.

"Agh!" Rattrap stumbled forward, losing his footing and falling down.

The creature was apparently powerful enough to cut through metal. He'd have to be careful around this particular organic.

Charging again, the rock lion pounced on Rattrap, pinning him to the ground. Its mane was almost big enough to cover the small Maximal's body. It clamped its jaws down at Rattrap's head but was held back only by Rattrap's forearm.

Again, the rock lion attempted to bite down, only for Rattrap to hold him back just barely.

"Got a little kitty treat just for ya!" Rattrap popped open one of his belly bombs. This one in particular was not explosive. It did, however, contain a powerful knockout gas.

Continuing to hold the lion back with one arm, Rattrap used his free hand to shove the bomb inside the lion's mouth.

Soon, a pink smoke arose from the creature's jaw. The rock lion finally stumbled back, away from Rattrap and onto the cold, hard floor.

"Heh, thought I'd never get ya off," Rattrap commented.

"What is going on?" demanded Gorga from up top. "Why isn't Rattrap torn apart?"

"Want me to go finish the job?" Endgame suggested.

"Do it!" ordered Gorga.

Just as he issued his command, the door to his throne room was kicked open and a squadron of Maximal soldiers poured in.

"Troops, surround the perimeter!" ordered Kairen. "We have Gorga's compound under arrest!"

"No!" Gorga cried.

The large robot got up and attempted to run away. A foot, however, stuck out and tripped him over. As Gorga looked up, Depth Charge stood over him.

"You're not getting away that easy," Depth Charge crossed both arms.

A second Maximal stood over him as well. Cheetor grabbed Gorga and lifted him up.

"No, you're definitely not," Cheetor warned Gorga.

After cutting open the metal floor gate that held Rattrap's location, two of Kairen's Maximal fliers went down and brought Rattrap back up.

"You okay?" asked Cheetor.

"Yeah, where'd Endgame go?"

"The bounty hunter?" asked Depth Charge. "We lost him in the confusion."

"He ain't getting' away 'dat easy…" Rattrap swore and ran towards the direction that led away from the throne room.

* * *

Endgame reached the engineering room and briefly went inside to retrieve his rocket pack. He didn't need it often, but it came in handy during times of escape.

The authorities were here now and there was no more point to staying. Gorga didn't pay him enough to stay and fight either. He would seek his fortunes elsewhere. Besides, he'd already gotten his bounty on Rattrap from Gorga. There were crime lords elsewhere on Cybertron who most likely had a bounty on the rat as well. He would offer his services to them and get the best out of the deal.

"Time for me to split," he mounted the rocket pack on his back.

Igniting its engines, Endgame flew into the air from the outside landing pad he stood on. In just a few moments, he would be home free.

"You ain't escaping!" Rattrap rushed forth.

He grabbed his tail spear and chucked it. The spear struck one of the vents on Endgame's rocket pack, clogging the ports until the jet pack finally exploded, sending Endgame falling to the floor.

"Agh!" Endgame fell on his front side.

He quickly grabbed the badly damaged jetpack and threw it away off the building.

"You again!" Endgame snarled.

"Yeah, let's finish 'dis!"

Endgame drew his blaster but Rattrap was much quicker, shooting it out of his hands in one, swift motion.

"I was always 'da faster draw," Rattrap smiled.

Seething inwardly, Endgame quickly activated his internal weaponry. Without warning, two laser cannons on his arms activated, blasting Rattrap in the chest and flooring him, knocking his gun away in the process.

"I always did have more toys than you," taunted Endgame.

"You ain't beaten me yet, old pal!" Rattrap got up weakly.

Angered by Rattrap's pronouncement, the bounty hunter ran forth and punched Rattrap viciously across the face. He struck again, this time knocking the smaller Maximal to the ground.

"Don't bother getting up," Endgame insisted. "There are a lot of other kingpins out there who would gladly take your hide."

Suddenly, Rattrap sprang back to action and tripped Endgame with both feet. He leaped over Endgame and reached for his fallen weapon which lay just a few feet away from the bounty hunter but Endgame grabbed Rattrap's foot, pulling him down once more.

In retaliation, Rattrap kicked Endgame across the jaw to loosen the grip on his foot. He got up and grabbed his gun, turning around to fire.

Endgame managed to swerve past the shots and slashed at Rattrap with an energon-infused knife he had. Rattrap avoided one slash but Endgame quickly made a stabbing motion to his abdomen which Rattrap quickly caught.

"Maybe I won't turn you in to anyone else," Endgame promised as the tip of his blade edged closer and closer to Rattrap's stomach. "Maybe I'll just slag you here and now!"

In a desperation move, Rattrap bit down on Endgame's hand, forcing him to drop the knife.

"Aaagh!" shouted Endgame.

Rattrap took the opportunity to cup both hands together, driving them into Endgame's skull, knocking him down.

"Ready to call it quits, pal?" demanded Rattrap.

"Not just yet!" Endgame got up and fired one of his grappling hook coils from his wrist.

The grappling hook shot past Rattrap who avoided it, which was exactly what Endgame was counting on. The hook latched on to the door that Rattrap had entered into and pulled it off.

Endgame yanked the door forward and watched dispassionately as it smashed into Rattrap from behind, slamming him down once again.

"All good things…" Endgame walked up to Rattrap and gave him a good kick to the side.

The bounty hunter grabbed Rattrap by the neck and lifted him up. He had one more grappling hook to spare and he had an idea of what he wanted to do with it.

"Must come to an end," he finished. "This one's going to go right through your spark."

He pointed to Rattrap's spark chamber just as Rattrap looked up. Above him was a commercial vessel, mounted with choppers on both sides. The choppers were strong and sturdy as well. That gave Rattrap an idea.

Quickly, Rattrap grabbed onto Endgame's wrist and pushed it up, causing him to misfire. The grappling hook soon became entangled in the choppers and after that, so did the rest of his coil.

As the choppers continued to spin, Endgame was dragged up by his metal coils straight towards the choppers themselves.

"No!" he cried.

Rattrap quickly looked away from the ensuing carnage. When it was all over, Endgame's mangled body fell to the floor, just a few feet away from Rattrap.

"Yeesh," Rattrap took one glance at Endgame and decided not to spare another look.

* * *

"Great job guys," Kairen congratulated the trio. "You helped me take down two of Cybertron's most wanted."

"Piece a' cake!" Rattrap shrugged. "Ya couldn't have done it without me!"

"Leave it to the rat to take all the credit," muttered Depth Charge.

"Is 'dat a hint of jealousy I hear in your voice?" Rattrap nudged Depth Charge playfully.

"Back off!" Depth Charge growled. "We were worried about you!"

Rattrap took a step back. Had Depth Charge just said what he thought he'd said?

"Aww, I never knew ya cared!" Rattrap put both hands together for emphasis.

"I mean… they were worried about you!" Depth Charge pointed a finger towards Cheetor and Kairen, attempting to salvage the situation as best he could. "I couldn't give a slag less!"

"My hero!" Rattrap leaped on top of Depth Charge's arm.

A horrified expression soon crossed Depth Charge's face. Just before Rattrap could plant a big wet one on him, Depth Charge dropped the smaller Maximal in disgust.

"Hands to yourself, rat," he warned.

Kairen looked at Cheetor exasperatedly. "Are they always like this?"

"In a word, yes," he replied.

"Well, I hope you've learned a lesson from this," Kairen walked up to Rattrap.

"Which is?" he asked.

"The reason Gorga found you was because you entered into a casino where a lot of his thugs roamed," Kairen told him. "Rumor spread pretty quickly afterwards and that's how the bounty hunter was able to find you!"

"Yeah, you didn't exactly keep a low profile, Rattrap," added Cheetor.

"Heh, guess you guys are right," Rattrap's shoulders sagged. "Maybe I oughta give it a rest on the gambling."

"Hah, yeah right…" Depth Charge snorted.

"No, I'm serious 'dis time..." Rattrap swore resolutely.

"Yoo hoo!" a femme-bot's voice called out.

"Are you Rattrap?" another one asked.

Rattrap's head perked up. He recognized them. They were two of the femme-bots from the Vector Prime Casino.

"Now that you've gotten Gorga arrested, the boss wants to treat you to a special energon cocktail event!" the waitress 'bot called out. "He's been forced to pay extortion money to Gorga before and he's really grateful you put the crime lord away!"

"Well, I dunno about that, ladies," Rattrap replied uncertainly.

"You get a free stellar cycle's pass," the other one told him.

"Well… in 'dat case," Rattrap turned around.

He put both arms around the two femme-bots and began walking back to the direction of the Vector Prime Casino.

"See ya guys around!" he called to his friends. "I've got a date with destiny!"

Cheetor and Kairen looked at him in disbelief.

"Okay then…" Cheetor scratched his head.

"Just after I gave him that lecture?" Kairen palm-faced. "Does he have no shame?"

"See?" Depth Charge pointed out. "What did I tell you?"

* * *

"Is the Agent here yet?" demanded Cicadacon.

All three Predacon generals sat in the main chambers of the Tripredacus Council. They were awaiting Tarantulas' arrival, but he was still not here yet.

"No," Seaclamp folded both hands together. "And if he does not arrive, then perhaps we should reconsider who we send on our fact-finding missions."

"I'm beginning to think he can't be trusted!" Ramhorn slammed a fist on the table. "He abandons us for stellar cycles and then comes back expecting to ingratiate himself with us again!"

"Once he arrives, we'll let him explain himself," Cicadacon said resolutely. "Then we'll decide on what to do next based on what he tells us."

"Greetings, generals!"

"It's him!" General Seaclamp turned around.

At the door was Tarantulas. He looked different than they had remembered but he was still recognizable. The guards at the door crossed their weapons in front of Tarantulas.

General Ramhorn motioned for them to allow Tarantulas in. The imperial guards lifted up their war axes to let Tarantulas enter.

"Greetings lieutenant," Seaclamp looked at him. "What have you to report?"

"I bring with me a wealth of knowledge that will revive the Predacon Empire from the ashes of defeat!" Tarantulas told them. "But first, I must tell you that I don't work for free anymore."

"What?" Ramhorn got up. "How dare you! I should crush you for your insolence right now!"

Cicadacon grabbed Ramhorn and restrained him.

Seaclamp glared at Tarantulas ominously before replying.

"We're listening," he said.

A/N: Kudos to anyone who can guess who Prowler, Sonata, and Clampdown are based off of.


	46. CAR

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_C.A.R. – Covert Agent Ravage_

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"

Directed by the blaring of the alarm, Optimus grabbed on to one of his pistols and ran towards the cave's opening. Just a few moments ago, their computer's sensors had detected a Predacon energy signature within the area. And usually, one Predacon energy signature meant that more would be showing up soon.

Vigilantly, Optimus stepped out of the base and reared his gun next to his head as a cautionary measure.

But hiding did not appear to be this particular Predacon's forte. Right in front of him was a velociraptor with his jaws agape.

"Greetings Optimus Primal," it hissed.

"Dinobot, I presume?" asked Optimus.

"Yes, how did you come to know this?" Dinobot grinned a toothy smile.

A while back, Optimus had learned this through one of Silverbolt's reports. But he wasn't going to tell that to the Predacon.

"That's none of your business," Optimus replied curtly. "What do you want?"

"I'm hurt!" Dinobot feigned sadness. "And I thought the great and powerful Optimus Primal was more compassionate and forgiving to those in need, even the enemy…"

"So you admit you're an enemy?" demanded Optimus.

"Hmm, hah hah," Dinobot began circling Optimus like he was prized meat. "_That _is something you shall find out soon enough."

Optimus kept his gun trained on Dinobot. He knew very little about this Predacon, save the information Silverbolt had given him. From what the fuzor had spoken of, this one was a particularly skilled and ferocious one, despite not being a Transmetal at all.

"Dinobot, terrorize!"

The raptor transformed to robot mode and immediately fired a shot from both eyes that struck the gun in Optimus Primal's hands and knocked it out.

"No projectiles, Primal!" hissed Dinobot, drawing his sword. "We fight as true warriors!"

Dinobot somersaulted in the air and came down with his blade in a vertical measure, possessing the intention of splitting Optimus in two with one blow.

Optimus quickly parried with his battle mace and pushed Dinobot back.

Dinobot charged again and connected his blade once more with Primal's weapon. Again and again, the two weapons clashed. Optimus took aim and swung at his head, but Dinobot ducked and quickly slammed the blunt end of his weapon into the side of Optimus Primal's head. The next thing Optimus saw was Dinobot delivering a side-kick into his mid-section, the force of which was enough to knock him down.

"Had enough?" taunted Dinobot.

Optimus got up slowly. Dinobot was a lot more skilled than he had given him credit for. He held his own quite well, despite not possessing a more technologically advanced, alien-induced body.

Dinobot easily side-stepped another attack by Primal. This time, he directed a sweeping kick at Optimus's head, which the Maximal leader quickly ducked under. Dinobot swung at Primal's face but Optimus deflected the blow with a forearm countered with a punch which rattled Dinobot's jaw, forcing him to step back.

Dinobot held his jaw, surprised by how strong his opponent really was.

"Not bad," Dinobot commented. "Perhaps there is some fight in you Maximals after all!"

Dinobot attacked once more, continuing his assault. As the two parried and swung with their weapons, they neared the edge of a cliff. Dinobot slashed at Primal's head but Optimus rolled out of the way, both of them with their backs turned to each other.

They both turned around and swung once more. This time the force of Optimus Primal's mace was strong enough to shatter Dinobot's sword into pieces on contact. The front section of the sword spun across the air until it embedded itself into a boulder.

"Surrender, Dinobot!" Optimus warned.

"Surrender? I… think… not!" Dinobot's eyes glowed an eerie green and then fired.

To avoid the blast, Optimus had to quickly leap to the side. When he got up, however, Dinobot was right behind him, swiftly criss-crossing two sai's against his throat.

"Do not move," warned Dinobot. "Or I will be forced to neutralize you."

"You have me at your mercy," Optimus admitted. "Now tell me… what do you want?"

"I came only as a test," Dinobot confessed. "And you passed it."

"What kind of test?" asked Optimus.

"A test of courage, honor, and warrior spirit," Dinobot informed him. "You have succeeded."

"That's… nice," Optimus scratched his head.

Dinobot put both sai's back in his compartment. He transformed back to beast mode to signal that the fight was over.

"Meet me tomorrow night at the city's amphitheater," Dinobot told him. "You will encounter your second test there."

"And if I don't?" asked Optimus. "You could be leading me into a trap."

"I could," admitted Dinobot. "But then again, I could also be revealing to you the center of Predacon activity which has been taking place for the past few months."

"What was that?" demanded Optimus.

Dinobot said nothing more and ran off, leaving a not-too-friendly impression as he did. Dinobot may have been an honorable combatant, but he was still a Predacon. There was simply no telling what he had planned.

First and foremost, Optimus knew what he had to do. He had to tell Rhinox and get his advice.

* * *

"So, Scorponok," Dynamo requested as he stood before the gray Transformer. "Tell me what it is that truly motivates you."

Scorponok's day wasn't getting any less busy and the paperwork piling up on his desk wasn't shrinking either. But despite that, he still found time to arrange his meeting with Dynamo who had promised a new gift for him.

"I… I want to continue the work that Megatron started," Scorponok confessed. "Unite the Predacons and re-take Cybertron in honor of our fallen leader."

"I see…" Dynamo pressed against a chair. "And you believe you can accomplish this?"

"Where there's a will, there's a way," Scorponok said hopefully, thinking back to his final moments with his leader. "And Megatron's always had a way."

"_Scorponok, with me gone, I expect you to continue the work that I've started," Megatron commanded._

"_I will, Megatron," Scorponok bowed. "But why are you leaving us?"_

"_I've reached the very end of one of my gambits," Megatron said calmly, through his own fears. "Soon, Tigerhawk will be after me."_

"_We can stop him together, Megatron!" Scorponok insisted. "Together we can clip that overgrown pussy cat's wings!"_

"_Scorponok!" Megatron shouted. "Now is not the time for this!"_

"_Err, sorry Megatron," Scorponok stammered, remember his place. "I'll do as you say."_

"_That's better," Megatron got up. "This is something I have to do on my own."_

_He held the Transmetal Two driver in his hand securely and began walking away. _

"_Scorponok," Megatron looked back one more time._

"_Yes Megatron?"_

"_Thank you for staying by my side for so long…"_

_After having those last few words, Megatron left the room, leaving Scorponok alone to his own devices._

"Considering our leader is no longer with us, you must forge your own path for now," Dynamo explained. "And I believe I have just the solution."

"Oh yeah?" asked Scorponok.

Dynamo stood up as the bright-red epicenter of his death mask hummed to life. A holographic projecting emerged, revealing a middle aged doctor working on several machines in the background.

"I remember this guy," Scorponok exclaimed. "He retrieved Sentinel for us."

"Dr. Drake has been a valuable asset to me," Dynamo explained. "Since his encounter with the Maximal supercomputer Sentinel, his mind has been technologically enhanced light years beyond his current human understanding of engineering. His earthbound ingenuity, combined with his new understanding of Cybertronian science, has made him invaluable."

"What's he got for us?" inquired Scorponok.

"His project will be revealed in due time," Dynamo told Scorponok. "In the meantime, would you care to show yourself, Ravage?"

Right across from the two of them, Ravage materialized out of thin air again.

"Can't you knock the next time?" demanded Scorponok.

"My apologies, sir," Ravage bowed. "Covert Agent Ravage… at your service."

"Umm… at ease, soldier," Scorponok replied, struggling to find an appropriate answer for a servant who was this formal.

After dealing with Terrorsaur, Waspinator, Blackarachnia, and Tarantulas for so long, Scorponok had forgotten a lot of protocol. Even Predacons had protocol and, within the Predacon government and military, it was mandatory. But Scorponok had never been a formal part of any of that. His way of serving Megatron had always been simple and to-the-point. While being fanatically loyal to the Predacon leader, he had never really been a stickler for formality either when talking to his superior.

"I met Agent Ravage only a few days ago," Dynamo told Scorponok. "He came at the behest of Tarantulas, to fill in for him on earth while Tarantulas made his return to Cybertron."

"So you're the spider's replacement?" asked Scorponok.

Ravage nodded curtly. He then raised his head up and gave Scorponok a short salute.

"That's good, because I have a mission for you," Scorponok instructed him. "You'll be pairing off with Thrust and Tankorr tonight to give our friend Optimus Primal a warm greeting."

"Your wish is my command," Ravage agreed.

"Before I go, there is one more matter I wish to speak to you about," Dynamo chimed in.

"Go ahead," Scorponok gestured.

"During my journeys, I uncovered a particular relic you may take an interest in," Dynamo explained as he dug into his robes, revealing the Transmetal Two driver.

"How… how did you get that?" demanded Scorponok.

"I found it in the ruins of a temple in one of the many deserts on this planet," Dynamo unveiled. "It is still in working condition."

"Great!" Scorponok slammed both claws on the table in excitement. "We can use it to upgrade the entire team!"

"I'm afraid that is not an option for the moment," replied Dynamo.

"Why not?" Scorponok was curious.

A moment later, a small fissure erupted from the driver, giving Scorponok his answer.

"By the time I had found it, this device had already sustained damage," Dynamo informed him. "Unfortunately, it has only enough power left to use on one more test subject."

"I could always use the extra upgrade," Scorponok reached for it.

Dynamo pulled back, not allowing Scorponok to get his claws on the device.

"No," Dynamo told Scorponok firmly. "I have something else in mind for this contraption."

* * *

"I think it's a trap!" Rhinox gave his honest opinion.

Optimus sat at the table with Rhinox. Jack and Luna were also there, debating the sincerity of Dinobot's words.

"Let's face it, Optimus," Luna told him. "Dinobot is a Predacon after all."

"Honor or no honor, being a Predacon means one thing," added Jack. "Their bottom line is to conquer and destroy."

"I realize all that," confessed Optimus. "But something about this Predacon was different, something I can't quite put my finger on."

"Don't forget, he did assault Silverbolt," Rhinox pointed out. "Perhaps Dinobot has a different sense of honor than we do."

"Hmm, maybe you're right," Optimus sighed. "Maybe he is just luring me into a trap."

"I can come with you," suggested Rhinox. "That way we'll be prepared in case he springs anything."

"No, I'll go myself," Optimus told them.

"Why?" asked Jack. "Dinobot could be just pulling your leg!"

"Yeah, he's probably got something planned already!" Luna told him.

"One other thing Dinobot mentioned was that this place has been the hub of Predacon activity ever since the months of peace that came after the threat of Tigerhawk ended," explained Optimus. "If I can mount a covert mission and sneak in, I can find out what they've been doing for all this time."

"You sure you don't need any backup?" offered Rhinox.

"Not this time, old friend," Optimus replied. "This is a mission of stealth."

* * *

Back in his days at the academy, Optimus had gone through his fair share of stealth missions before. While he didn't excel in them, he was nonetheless competent enough to get the job done with minimal distractions. It certainly helped that he paid attention during those courses whereas other cadets made the mistake of being cocky enough to think they could breeze through such missions.

While in beast mode, Optimus looked down from the beacons on top of the theater. There wasn't much to see except a few drones loading equipment into some kind of van. So far, he hadn't seen any sign of Predacon activity. Still, these drones were up to something and he had to see what it really was. He held his fingertips out, the tip of his fingers opening up as a tracer flew out and connected itself to the van.

Before the last shipment could be delivered onto the truck, Optimus leaped down from the rafters and put himself between the truck and the drones.

"Stop right there," ordered Optimus. "You're not going anywhere!"

"Unit Optimus Primal has arrived!" the drones put down their crates. "Engaging primary target!"

Before either of the drones could attack, Optimus flipped out his gun and shot the two, destroying them on impact.

"Come on out, Dinobot!" shouted Optimus.

A tail swung out from the side and struck Optimus, flinging him into the box of crates that the drones had put down.

Standing before Optimus Primal was a dilophosaurus on his hind legs. The creature hissed malevolently and bore its frilled neck in a gesture of intimidation.

"Sorry Primal," Thrust told him. "Dinobot won't be joining us today."

"Thrust?" Optimus cried.

A second tail, one more bony and armored, struck Optimus once more and sent him flying into several more stage props.

"He's not the only one!" Tankorr snarled, arching his clubbed tail back and bringing it down onto the floor.

"What are you two doing here?" Optimus dug himself out of the rubble.

"Aaaahhh!" roared Tankorr, lowering his head and charging.

Optimus leaped overhead, avoiding Tankorr and landing safely as the behemoth smashed through a pillar behind him. His whole body was still aching from the attack but he had to pull himself together if he wanted to survive. Thrust and Tankorr were back now, both having attained new beast modes with the added bonus of having become Transmetal. That made them more dangerous than ever now.

"Have you become Predacons now?" demanded Optimus. "I thought you were Vehicon generals… Maximals!"

"Not anymore we're not," Thrust stated simply, lowering his head as he grinned. "We've decided to switch over to the winning side."

"Yeah, and it's got nothing to do with you," Tankorr faced Optimus again, grinding all four feet into the ground as he prepared to charge again.

"If that's the way you want it…" Optimus sighed, drawing both maces.

Though a part of him was still loathe to fight his old comrades, Optimus knew that he had no choice. The Predacon symbols tattooed on them told him everything he needed to know. When a Predacon announced his real intentions, they meant it. And the gleam in Thrust and Tankorr's optics showed that they had gone beyond the point of no return.

Thrust was the first to attack, spitting out several globs of venomous acid. Optimus had to leap past them and swing onto one of the bars on the ceiling. He flipped over it and landed neatly in front of Tankorr who transformed to robot mode, with club in one hand and armored carapace for a shield in his other arm.

Tankorr brought his club down, forcing Optimus to leap to the side to avoid the lethal blow. The Maximal leader struck back, slamming his mace against Tankorr who brought his shield up.

Thrust charged, biting down on one of Optimus Primal's maces and ripping it from the Maximal's hands. Callously, he spat the mace out of his jaws and clamped his teeth near Primal's head. The second time was no charm, however. Optimus used the remaining mace in his hands to bring it across Thrust's jawline, knocking him to the floor.

Tankorr used this temporary distraction to strike Optimus with his club, sending him flying once more.

"What's the matter, Optimus?" demanded Tankorr. "Afraid to fight your old comrades?"

"Step aside Tankorr," Thrust ordered. "It's my turn now."

The larger Predacon did as he was told and stepped away to allow Thrust to do his thing.

"Thrust, terrorize!"

In rapid succession, Thrust transformed into a lean, slanted robot. The rockets on his boots hummed to life and propelled him forward. As he hovered across the air, Thrust unearthed two daggers from his legs and threw them both. Optimus managed to avoid one but the other struck his mace and knocked it out of his hand.

"Nice job Thrust!" Tankorr lowered his shoulder-cannon and fired.

The shot exploded on impact as it struck Optimus in the chest. By the time the smoke cleared, Tankorr went over and lifted the body of the Maximal up.

"How are we going to finish this, Mr. Thrust?" Tankorr asked.

"Heh heh, I don't know Mr. Tankorr, what do you think?" Thrust chuckled.

"I say we pulverize him!"

"No finesse," Thrust shook his head. "We have to do something more elegant."

"You mean slow and painful?" asked Tankorr.

"You read my mind!" Thrust nodded.

Tankorr placed Optimus into a chokehold. "So how do we do it?"

"I say we blind him first," Thrust transformed back to beast mode. "Always aim for the optics, I say."

Slowly, Optimus raised his head, aware of what was about to happen. If he didn't do something fast, he would be scrap metal.

"Hold him still," Thrust ordered.

Looking down, Optimus noticed a loose floorboard just below Thrust's jaw. At the distance Tankorr was holding him, he would have to lower himself. He watched slowly as Thrust opened his gaping maw to unleash the venomous acid he had spit out earlier.

Optimus riveted his body downwards, slamming both feet into the loose floorboard. The opposite end of the board flew up into Thrust's jaw, striking him and causing him to misfire his deadly venom. The glob of venom sailed past Optimus Primal's head and splattered against Tankorr's visor.

"Aaaaahhh!" Tankorr cried, dropping Optimus. "Thrust, you idiot!"

"Aw slag…" muttered Thrust.

Optimus rolled out of the way and took out his gun, firing at the ceiling. A second later, one of the lights came crashing down on top of Tankorr, burying him into the wooden floor.

Thrust snarled angrily. "You won't get away that—"

Immediately, Optimus rammed into Thrust from the side to take him down. He grabbed Thrust by the tail and hurled him into the wall after four or five swings.

"You're… gonna regret that!" Thrust got up slowly.

Seeing a rope next to him, Optimus quickly grabbed it and leaped away as Thrust unleashed another glob of acid at him. Before the Vehicon could unleash another spat, Optimus used the rope as a lasso, wrapping the cords around Thrust's jaws and sealing it tight. The Maximal leader quickly started yanking Thrust towards him, preventing him from freeing himself.

Suddenly, the rope was cut and Optimus fell back.

"I'm afraid I cannot allow you to disrupt our operations, Optimus Primal."

"Are you who I think you are?" Optimus demanded, getting up.

Before him was another sleek Transmetal. He held in his hands two electrical nightsticks, the kind of weapons Optimus had seen elite guards use before in training academies. He stood upright and for some reason, he had the head of a panther.

"Covert Agent Ravage," the interloper stated simply. "I am here to ensure that our business runs smoothly."

"I thought you sounded familiar," Optimus circled Ravage. "You're the descendent of the notorious Decepticon war criminal Soundwave."

"Yes, I am quite proud of my birthright," Ravage grinned.

"As part of a peace process, Soundwave was one of the few Decepticons after the war to be granted amnesty," Optimus continued. "The Predacon clan you belong to is one of the few families in good graces with the Maximal Elders."

"Ha ha," Ravage chuckled. "That is also true."

"Why would you aid the Predacon cause?" demanded Optimus. "The Maximal Council made it quite clear that you and your clan were not to engage in any subversive Predacon activities."

"I am well aware of the restrictions placed on my clan!" Ravage pointed a nightstick towards Optimus menacingly. "I was tired of waiting on the Tripredacus Council to act when all they are capable of is groveling before the Maximal regime!"

Optimus was suddenly thrown off track. The Tripredacus Council was up to something? Were they waiting for an opportunity to strike? Just what were they planning?

To his surprise, Ravage vanished into thin air. Optimus looked around him, only to see nothing.

"Where could he have gone?" wondered Optimus.

A protruding pain to his side alerted him to Ravage's whereabouts. Immediately the panther-like Transformer appeared out of thin air and struck Optimus across the side with his electrical nightsticks.

Ravage arched back and kicked Optimus in the stomach, forcing him back. He attacked one more, dealing Optimus several more blows with the tip of his nightsticks, unleashing surge after surge of energy.

Optimus blocked the next attempted strike from the nightstick. Before he could fight back, Ravage disappeared once more.

"Is that a cloaking device?" demanded Optimus.

"You're catching on," Ravage's voice echoed around the room. "Even the most advanced of sensors cannot detect my movements."

Unfortunately for Optimus, he had never before fought an opponent with a cloaking device, not even during his days at the academy. There seemed to be little he could do against someone who could strike from the shadows and then retreat once more. Especially with a Predacon who could make himself unseen at will.

Ravage reappeared once more in the air, roundhouse kicking Optimus across the side of his face.

As Optimus stumbled back, Ravage struck Optimus with three more blows from his nightstick, followed up with a spin kick which knocked Optimus to the floor.

Optimus rose and fired back with his gun only for Ravage to vanish once more before the shot even struck him.

"You cannot see me," Ravage taunted. "But I can see every move you make!"

Another current of energy surged into Optimus, this time a much bigger and more concentrated dose than before. Ravage appeared once more from behind Optimus with both nightsticks firmly planted into Primal's back, sending wave after wave of excruciating energy into him.

"Time to end this," Ravage declared.

He released both nightsticks and allowed Optimus Primal's unconscious body to fall to the floor.

"Nice job Ravage," Thrust came up, complimenting their partner.

"It is my specialty," Ravage said, trying to maintain a façade of humbleness but utterly failing.

"What'll we do with Optimus?" asked Tankorr, who had made his recovery as well, save for his damaged visor.

"Leave him be," Ravage told them. "What I did was send him a message. He must understand that we cannot be stopped."

"Well, whatever you say," Thrust shrugged.

"Now, I believe it is time we delivered our cargo on time," Ravage directed them. "Only one more shipment into the trucks and we shall be done."

Ravaged directed the two other Predacons away, keeping a careful eye on Optimus to make sure that he didn't get up again. After they were done loading, the van drove off.

* * *

Waking up with a splitting headache didn't leave the best mark on Optimus Primal as he steadied himself out of the medic bed Rhinox had set up for him. Rhinox was there, as were Jack and Luna.

"You okay, Optimus?" asked Jack.

"Never been better," Optimus rubbed the back of his head.

"I traced your energy signature and found you unconscious," Rhinox explained to him. "What happened?"

"The Predacons are making a comeback," Optimus explained. "Apparently they're under new leadership now."

"Who did you encounter?" Rhinox asked.

"Would you believe me if I said Thrust and Tankorr?" Optimus replied. "Those two have willingly become Predacons."

Rhinox shook his head incredulously. He remembered the two and the way they attempted to capture the Axalon team a long time ago. Whatever the memories he had of them, they weren't pleasant.

"They were aided by a new Predacon," Optimus continued. "One named Ravage."

"Who's Ravage?" asked Luna.

"He hails from one of the major Predacon clans on Cybertron," Optimus told her. "He has ties to the Tripredacus Council themselves."

"I remember you once telling us about Tripredacus," Luna stated. "Aren't they the shadowy Predacon government the Maximals keep on a short leash?"

"The Council has a way of loosening their own leash when they're not being watched," Rhinox added as an additional piece of information for Luna.

"Rhinox, I'll be needing your expertise," Optimus admitted.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Can you build anything to counter a cloaking device that turns a 'bot invisible?"

"Hmm, I've never encountered anything like that before."

"Ravage has one," Optimus explained. "I can't fight against something I can't see."

"Sure, let me go make something that can—" Rhinox got up before stopping and realizing something. "Actually Optimus… I don't think you'll be needing any new gizmos."

Optimus raised an eye ridge, as if Rhinox was off his rocker.

"I have just the thing," Rhinox opened up one of the wooden cupboards in the room.

* * *

Scorpnok clicked his claws excitedly as he awaited the arrival of his new Predacon team who had successfully delivered the packages as promised. Next to him was Dynamo who had no visible expression at all. The Predacon stood passively, not at all concerned with anything.

Before he opened the door, he shot Terrorsaur and Waspinator a dirty look, being reminded of just how little they had done in the past few months.

Finally, when the bell rang, he clicked on one of the bottoms on his laptop to open the door, allowing Ravage, Thrust, and Tankorr to enter.

"Come in! Come in!" Scorponok ushered.

"We made the deliveries as promised," Ravage bowed.

"We encountered a little trouble," Thrust admitted. "But that's been taken care of."

"Good work, guys," Scorponok congratulated them. "What was that trouble anyways?"

"Optimus got involved," Tankorr replied. "But we made short work of him."

"Even better!" beamed Scorponok.

"I knew you would perform admirably," Dynamo spoke up.

The three of them bowed before Scorponok and Dynamo.

Deep down in his spark, Scorponok was elated. He finally had a Predacon team who were as effective as they were punctual. Things were looking up now and with any luck, they would soon be running the show.

"Get up, all of you!" Scorponok told them. "Our work isn't done yet! Make sure the next shipment gets here on time!"

Ravage bowed. "Agreed. Let us move out!"

* * *

The Asiago train station in Crimson City was widely considered to be one of the most high tech in the world. With state of the art technology, it positioned itself on the edge of cutting tech ingenuity.

Before they had gone out, Optimus had, thanks to the tracking device he had planted earlier, made sure to identify with Rhinox the exact place the vans had parked at and this was the right place. It didn't take long to deduce that whatever was in those vans was going on board one of the trains.

"Are you okay, Rhinox?" asked Optimus.

"Dandy," Rhinox replied with a hint of discomfort. "Just need a little more wiggle room."

Finally, Optimus pushed up and popped the lid off the cargo he and Rhinox hid in. Rhinox followed soon after that and both of them stepped out onto the train they had just secretly boarded.

The inside of the train were spacious as well. It was practically big enough to fit a gestalt.

The floor beneath them was wooden, but well polished. Other cargo lay around them as well, filling up the place nicely.

"Never knew the humans had it in them," Rhinox said, noting the high tech accomplishments of the train.

Without warning, the train started up and began its long course. Both Maximals were surprised how smooth the ride was, without the bumps such vehicles would entail.

"Guess we'd better get started, eh?" Optimus gestured.

"Gotcha," Rhinox went over to one of the boxes and tore off its lid.

Optimus did the same and went over to another box, popping its lid to observe the contents inside.

"Hmm, not much to see in here," Rhinox took out the object.

He placed it down next to the box. It was a giant piece of metal, decorated in a gold hue. While it was an interesting piece of art, it did not appear to have any practical value for anything. Having no further need to examine the object, Rhinox went off to another one of the boxes.

Meanwhile, Optimus was having the same amount of success. He took out another piece of metal from the boxes and set it down. Did the Predacons suddenly become collectors of expensive and rare art? What they had in these boxes weren't energy sources like energon or any form of advanced weaponry either.

"Well that's just Prime," Optimus sighed.

After several minutes had passed, the two of them had unearthed all the contents from the wooden boxes. What lay before them were various, discarded pieces of metal without any uniformity or hidden weaponry within.

"Just what are the Predacons up to?" wondered Optimus. "This doesn't make sense."

Rhinox was in agreement. He looked over the pieces of metal laid out in front of them. Picking one up, he squeezed it briefly. To his surprise, the metal did not fold in his hands like most earth metal would have.

"Wait a minute, something's not right here," Rhinox observed. "This is almost like a Cybertronian alloy."

"You're right," Optimus picked up one for himself. "The substance is bound by a molecular cohesion so strong that it's downright indestructible."

"I think I know what we're dealing with now," Rhinox told Optimus. "I couldn't figure it out at first but now it's making sense to me."

Optimus put down the piece of metal to listen to Rhinox.

"Individually, these pieces follow no set pattern and don't appear to be anything more than useless scrap metal," explained Rhinox as he took out his computer scanner. "But there's more to it than that."

He held out the scanner for Optimus to see after scanning all the metal objects in the room and saving it into the scanner's hard drive, loading them in until all of them were visually available.

The pieces on the scanner's monitor coalesced around each other and began connecting to one another, forming a large skeletal wing.

"Connect the pieces together and you have the exact designs for what the Predacons are planning to build," Rhinox deduced.

"A wing?" Optimus was startled. "What could they be building with it?"

"I'm not sure," Rhinox too was a bit troubled. "But the other pieces of the puzzle are in the next section of the train."

"I agree, let's go then," Optimus nodded.

The two of them opened the door to their section of the train after pressing down on a button and wasted no time into entering into the next section of the bullet train.

"Think we'll find more in here?" asked Rhinox.

"We'll see," Optimus declared.

Suddenly, the door on the other side opposite to the Maximals opened up and in came Tankorr and Thrust, who were also surprised that their enemies had entered.

"How'd you get in here?" demanded Thrust.

"Doesn't matter!" Tankorr shouted and transformed to robot mode. "Let's pulverize them!"

Tankorr was the first to attack, taking out his club and swinging it around dangerously. Rhinox, having no other weapon to recourse to, took out his own chain gun and blocked it. Before Optimus could help his friend, Thrust slammed into Optimus and knocked him out of the train onto the metal furnishing which held the two sections of the train together.

Thrust attacked again but Optimus grabbed the ladder and climbed to the top of the train to lure Thrust up. Thrust obliged and leaped onto the top as well, unleashing a massive blog of acid which Optimus quickly avoided. He watched briefly as the venom fell to the ground, quickly burning a hole into the sand.

Thrust transformed to robot mode and took out his twin daggers, quickly crossing them against Optimus Primal's maces. Thrust leaped into the air, delivering a drop kick to the back of Optimus Primal, knocking him back. He leaped up once more, coming down with both daggers, in preparation of stabbing Optimus through the spark and ending it then and there.

Optimus rolled out of the way and got up again. Before Thrust could pull out his knives, Optimus barreled into him with an uppercut that sent Thrust falling back.

In anger, Thrust revealed the wrist laser he had and fired. Optimus rolled out of the way of the orange beam and fired back with his own gun, the plasma burst hitting Thrust square in the chest and knocking him off the train. As Thrust hit the ground, Optimus watched as the Predacon became a blur in the distance and then climbed down that train section again.

Below, Rhinox was having much more trouble with Tankorr, especially since the large Predacon was now a Transmetal.

"Give it up!" Tankorr growled, slamming Rhinox into one of the consoles. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way!"

"Let's go it my way!" Rhinox got an open hand free and slugged Tankorr across the jaw as hard as he could.

Tankorr shrugged off the blow and grabbed Rhinox, throwing him back first into the side of the train. Before Rhinox could get up again, Tankorr placed a heavy foot on his chest and began grinding down.

"Say goodnight!" Tankorr shouted.

Suddenly, a chain wrapped itself around Tankorr's neck. The Predacon turned around to see Optimus yanking him back slowly. Tankorr snapped the chain and chased after Optimus, slamming his fist down just as Optimus leaped out of the way. Again and again Tankorr punched at him, forcing Optimus on the defensive, dodging and avoiding the blows.

Behind him, Optimus saw the emergency exit on the side of the train. He looked up to see Tankorr charging him, all rationale having been discarded in the heat of battle. In that moment, he knew what to do.

Optimus leaped high over Tankorr as Tankorr smashed open the emergency exit door but unfortunately, not through it. Tankorr ripped the door off his fist, after having punched a hole through it, and threw it away.

"You thought I would fall for that trick?" Tankorr laughed at them, still standing in front of the emergency exit opening. "Haha! Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Actually, we do!" Optimus reminded him.

Optimus moved out of the way as Rhinox charged into the scene, slamming into Predacon behemoth and sending him crashing into the desert floor, rolling away from the train and becoming a speck in the distance.

"That takes care of Tankorr," Optimus declared. "I'll go and scout for anymore Predacons. You try to stop this train."

"Got it," confirmed Rhinox who headed through the doors into another section of the train.

Optimus got out as well and leaped up, activating his rocket boots. He flew into the air and traveled the entire length of the train to the front, looking for any signs of Predacons. Near the locomotives of the front train, he glanced into the train itself, looking for any passengers, hostages, or potential Predacons. He saw nothing.

Leaping back onto the train, Optimus opened up his com-link.

"Optimus to Rhinox, there are no Predacons spotted," he said. "You are clear to go."

A sudden jolt of electricity to his side made him second-guess his decision.

"Greetings again, Optimus Primal," Ravage smirked.

"Actually Rhinox," Optimus quickly announced in his com-link. "I just spotted a Predacon."

"You are an irritating nuisance to our plans," Ravage announced to him. "I will put a permanent end to you once and for all."

Ravaged pressed down on the center of his belt to active his invisibility once more but Optimus was prepared this time. The Maximal leader reached inside his compartments and took out a bucket full of white paint, popped the lid off, and threw it, splashing it all over Ravage just as he activated his cloaking device.

"No!" shouted Ravage.

Before Ravage could clean the paint off, his power cell in the belt gave way. The liquidity of the paint had badly damaged his cloaking device. Ravage hissed in anger and attacked Optimus with both his nightsticks.

Optimus deflected a blow and swung with his own mace, missing Ravage's head by inches. He deflected a kick from Ravage and threw his own punch at the Predacon who averted it as well.

Ravage came in, one strike after another, forcing Optimus back. As Primal took a step back, Ravage struck him in the chest with a leaping side kick and knocked him on his back.

"Now to finish you, Primal!" growled Ravage.

Before the Predacon could do anything, the train came to a screeching halt, forcing both Optimus and Ravage to straddle for balance on the train.

"How could this be?" demanded Ravage as he finally stood up.

"We're not going to let you succeed!" Optimus got up as well.

"Slag you!" Ravage shouted and launched himself forward for another assault.

Their weapons met again, this time ending in defeat for Ravage. As soon as Optimus Primal's weapons made contact, both of Ravage's nightsticks were shattered to pieces. Optimus wasted no time and tackled Ravage off the train, holding him firmly against the ground.

"Nice job, Rhinox," he said as Rhinox stepped out of the main train.

"What'll we do with him now?" Rhinox inquired.

"You'll never take me alive," Ravage told them, getting up and edging nearer and nearer to the Cliffside the train had journeyed to.

"We're taking you in," Optimus told him, getting out a pair of stasis cuffs. "The law that applies to your clan on Cybertron also applies to you here."

"I think not!" Ravage backflipped off the cliff.

"No!" shouted Optimus as he and Rhinox rushed to the edge.

Soon, Ravage emerged once more, perched neatly aboard a metal glider underneath his feet shaped like a bat.

"This is not over, Optimus Primal," Ravage told him and flew off.

"We have to go after him!" Optimus activated his jet boosters.

"Optimus, the train!" Rhinox pointed out.

Without warning, power came back to the train as its electrical engines hummed to life once more. The train gathered speed once more and sped up until it raced off and became a blur in the distance.

"We'll never catch up to it in time!" Rhinox pointed out.

"I can fly up and still catch the train!" Optimus declared.

Just before he could fly into the air, a laser beam struck the ground where they stood and sent them flying back. In the distance they saw a figure clothed from head to toe in garments and bearing a Death Mask of Kaon. The arrival of the new interloper was short-lived, however, as he disappeared into the forests as quickly as he had appeared.

"Ugh…" Optimus moaned. "What was that?"

"I think I encountered that guy before," Rhinox told him, getting up groggily from the attack.

"It's too late," Optimus Primal's face sank. "The train is gone by now and so are the Predacons."

"We'll never find out what they're up to now…" Rhinox sighed in disappointment.

"We'll find out," Optimus said solemnly. "But by that time, it might be too late."

With somber, foreboding glances at the train tracks, Optimus and Rhinox transformed to beast mode and began the slow trek back home.

* * *

"Did the shipments arrive as I ordered?" asked Scorponok.

"They arrived safely and on time," Dynamo said in a soothing voice. "Everything is going according to plan."

"Good," Scorponok sat down. "Then that will be all for today."

"You are dismissed," Scorponok told the trio of Predacons before him.

Thrust, Ravage, and Tankorr all bowed simultaneously and walked away.

Scorponok poured a glass of energon gin for himself and raised it up in the air in front of Dynamo as a toast.

"To Predacon victory!" he declared.

"Yes, to Predacon victory," Dynamo agreed.

"If you don't mind, can you tell me what you plan on doing with all this equipment?" Scorponok requested.

From beneath his mask, Dynamo smiled.

"I thought you'd never ask," Dynamo crossed both arms in satisfaction.

A/N: Yes, I know in G1 canon that Ravage is one of Soundwave's cassettes. In my story, however, he's a descendent of Soundwave. Transformers in my continuity are long-lived but can and do die of old age. I simply decided to make Ravage a relative of Soundwave's instead of having him be this 1000 plus year old Decepticon. And in the context of this series, I think it fits a bit better. I realize there are purists who don't agree with what I did but oh well, can't please 'em all.


	47. Sedition

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Sedition_

"Report, Lieutenant Tarantulas," General Seaclamp beckoned to him.

The three of them sat at their round table, looking at Tarantulas who stood a few feet away. The lighting was dark but at the same time, wasn't pitch black.

"Yes, as I was saying," Tarantulas told them. "In the time I've spent on that mudball Earth, I've gone through many changes."

"So we have heard," General Cicadacon nodded. "What can you tell us about this earth?"

"It is a small, primitive planet," Tarantulas replied. "Populated by organic bipeds called humans, along with other organic life not worth mentioning."

"Yes, I can see," Seaclamp put both hands together. "These humans appear to be the dominant species on the planet."

Tarantulas snorted. "Though primitive, these humans have fashioned civilizations for themselves, using the scarce resources and archaic tools at their disposal. They've also produced technologies of various sorts, though that, too, is inferior compared to what we've accomplished."

"Still, it sounds as if they have the potential to be civilized one day," Seaclamp added.

"Heh," Tarantulas chuckled sarcastically. "A likely outcome."

"But enough with the humans," Ramhorn cut right to the chase. "In all your time on earth, what have you learned that can benefit the Council?"

The expression on Tarantulas wavered slightly in a manner of disgust. After all this time, the Council was still looking after its own hide. If the fact that most of Kaon was in decay while the Tripredacus Council's buildings were still well-kept and mannerly was saying anything, then the Council truly did not care about the Predacon race.

"It is a planet with apt resources," Tarantulas replied at once. "It is also the source of an ancient power brought from the heavens long ago by an alien race known as the Vok."

"And this power source," pointed out Cicadacon. "It has changed you, correct?"

"More than you can imagine," Tarantulas said gleefully.

"Interesting," Seaclamp put both hands on the table. "You are to write up a full report of your findings within the next three days and submit it to the Council. Are we clear?"

As Seaclamp spoke, Ramhorn grinned maliciously. One of the many purposes of summoning Tarantulas here was to test him. To test him to see if his wits were dulled from his time away from the planet. Behind Tarantulas, a shadowy Predacon assassin was approaching him slowly and silently.

Soon, the assassin was right behind the Predacon spider, his weapon slowly arching up in a slow, weighty fashion.

Tarantulas, however, remained where he was, listening to everything Seaclamp had to say. The assassin then raised the energy pike he held in his hand, preparing to run Tarantulas through.

In an instant, Tarantulas spun around with his gun and fired a direct shot right through the cavity chamber of the assassin's spark. The assailant dropped his weapon and fell to his knees. He dropped to the ground.

"Thought you could catch me unaware, eh?" Tarantulas sneered.

"Excellent!" Ramhorn boomed. "You are as sharp as ever, lieutenant!"

Two more guards appeared and dragged away the Predacon assassin whose spark chamber had been blown out.

"You are dismissed, lieutenant," Seaclamp told him.

* * *

"Yo Depth Charge! Cheetor!" Rattrap spoke loudly into his com-link.

"What is it?" Depth Charge's voice came through.

Rattrap zoomed through the marketplace, zig-zagging across the street. He did not mean to cause a ruckus but circumstances right now did not allow him the luxury of taking a nice walk down these lanes.

"I'm being chased," Rattrap replied. "By three cycle 'bots. Don't know who they are but they're on my tail!"

Behind him, the three motorcycle 'bots were hot on pursuit. For the past few cycles they had been chasing Rattrap after finding him. And relentless they were, not giving up on the chase for an instance.

"We're zooming in to your location," Cheetor's voice spoke up. "We'll be there as soon as we can. Just hang tight!"

Of course, Rattrap couldn't really hang tight. If he stopped, then those cycle 'bots would get him for good. Having no other recourse, he continued speeding away as his pursuers continued their relentless chase.

* * *

"Generals, are the invasion plans intact?" asked General Cicadacon.

"Yes, and they must be carried out as soon as possible," General Seaclamp replied. "We may not get such an opportunity again."

In their inner chambers, the three Tripredacus generals were mapping out the course of their invasion. It had taken a long time but after careful planning, they'd come up with a plan to conquer all of Cybertron. It would be a heavy gambit, however, and it required only one domino factor that could determine it all.

"We are banking an awful lot on Shokaract," Ramhorn cautioned. "Will he really be the proper diversion needed?"

"He has to be," Cicadacon insisted. "According to our reports, Shokaract himself will make his move on Cybertron soon."

"Which dictates our course of action," Ramhorn reminded the two. "Doing something just because Shokaract does it is not my preferred choice."

"Can you think of a better time to strike than now?" demanded Seaclamp.

"Well… not really," confessed Ramhorn.

* * *

The conversation between the Tripredacus Council had not gone unnoticed. Tarantulas sat at the control panel in their palace, silently watching and occasionally cackling as he watched the Tripredacus Council.

The three of them were master chess players, no doubt about it. But from all his time on earth, Tarantulas himself had learned so much more about strategic board games.

He had installed one of his spider drones in their inner chamber, monitoring them from not too far away. Those old fools would never suspect a thing.

Tarantulas switched the gears on his com-link to get a better sound quality. He already knew of their plan to invade Cybertron. He just needed to hear all the details.

"Listening in there, buddy?"

Tarantulas turned around.

"Oh no!" he cried.

Zaraxes slammed the blunt end of his war staff into Tarantulas' face to knock him to the floor.

"I always knew you were up to something!" he declared.

"Looks like you were right after all," Azure stepped in. "There was a traitor in our midst the whole time."

"You whelps cannot stop me!" Tarantulas hissed, getting up. "Neither you nor the Tripredacus Council will have Cybertron!"

Before Tarantulas could make a move, Azure fired a dose of cyber-venom from her wrist-mounted gun. The blast hit Tarantulas in the head, paralyzing him on the spot. With a quick spin kick, Azure struck Tarantulas and sent him falling down.

She took out an energy bond and wrapped it around both his hands, tying him up effectively.

* * *

"What is this?" Seaclamp turned around as Zaraxes and Azure marched in with Tarantulas as prisoner.

"We found him spying on you," Azure replied quickly. "We have reason to believe Agent Tarantulas has an agenda far beyond our own."

"Tarantulas? Working against us?" General Ramhorn smiled. "Who would've thought!"

"Frankly, I'm not surprised," Seaclamp crossed both arms.

"Oh, you know very well that this would've happened sooner or later," Tarantulas crooned. "After all, one can only get so far working for incompetents like you!"

"See!" Zaraxes told the Council. "He doesn't even deny his treachery!"

"On your knees!" Azure kicked Tarantulas in the femur, forcing him to kneel down.

"You'll pay for that, wench!" Tarantulas muttered.

"So the truth is out now," Cicadacon towered over Tarantulas. "You were planning on betraying us the entire time."

"Such a pity too," Ramhorn added. "And to think you were one of our finest agents."

"I would've succeeded in offing you as well," Tarantulas looked at the Tripredacus Council and then spared a short glance to Zaraxes and Azure. "If it hadn't been for these meddling kids."

"You mean with the spider drone you had in our presence?" Seaclamp took out the drone that Tarantulas had planted. "We knew all along of your presence."

"We also knew you had a bomb on it," Ramhorn took the drone from Seaclamp's hands and pointed to the now cut-off wires.

"Guilty as charged, I'm afraid," Tarantulas said almost shamelessly.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" demanded Cicadacon.

"Oh, I've got no quarrel with any of you," Tarantulas told them. "It's just that Predacon leadership could do much better than with the likes of you."

"Are you accusing us of incompetence?" Ramhorn demanded as Seaclamp and Cicadacon held him back.

"Oh, more than just that," Tarantulas replied. "You see, there's been a change in the structure of the political climate on Cybertron. And I intend to cash in on it."

"You don't mean…" Cicadacon demanded.

"Shokaract?" Tarantulas asked. "Of course that's who I meant!"

"You'd throw away everything just to side with that rogue?" demanded Seaclamp.

"I ran off for a few stellar cycles with Megatron, didn't I?" Tarantulas pointed out.

"That was different!" Ramhorn growled. "You were ordered to!"

"Why are you doing this?" demanded Cicadacon.

"That's my little secret now, isn't it?" sneered Tarantulas.

"Take him away!" Seaclamp ordered, now completely disgusted with the spider's behavior. "And lock him up until we find the time to deal with him!"

Both Zaraxes and Azure bowed, picking Tarantulas up and leading him away.

* * *

Rattrap swerved across the sidewalk quickly cutting a corner into an abandoned alley. He hadn't turned back to check to see if his pursuers were still on his tail, but he couldn't just slow down either.

"Man, who were those guys?" Rattrap panted as he slowed down and transformed to robot mode.

From up above, Rattrap saw Cheetor and Depth Charge flying down and landing at his location.

Depth Charge transformed to robot mode while Cheetor remained as he was. Rattrap ran up to them just as Depth Charge took out both his guns.

"Where are they?" Depth Charge asked.

"I dunno," Rattrap guessed. "I may've lost 'em."

Suddenly, Cheetor's ears perked up as he sensed a disturbance in the sound of the air.

"No, they're here…" Cheetor growled in a low pitch.

Depth Charge sensed it as well. He spun around rapidly and fired two shots that exploded on impact against a load of metal containers. From that explosion, three figures leaped out.

Prowler smiled as he sailed through the air. That attack almost amateurish in its execution. So far, Depth Charge was not living up to the fearsome reputation that Shokaract had branded him with earlier. Sonata and Clampdown evidently felt the same way.

Cheetor roared and leaped up as well, clashing against the two. They slashed at each other in mid-air before landing on their feet.

Suddenly, Cheetor came to a realization. His strikes had missed them. With his speed and strength, he almost always _never_ missed. This time was different.

"Whoa, those guys are fast," Cheetor commented.

"Who are you?" Depth Charge demanded, holding both guns up at firing range.

Two mechanical ninja stars appeared in Prowler's hands. "I'm Prowler."

"Clampdown," Clampdown stated simply as claws extended from his knuckles.

"Sonata," Sonata gripped his weapon and pressed down on it, igniting a blue beam.

"Whoa, nice lightsaber," Rattrap commented.

"It's called a laser blade," Depth Charge looked down as Rattrap.

"Lightsaber!" Rattrap shot back.

"Laser blade!" Depth Charge retorted.

"Uh, guys," Cheetor pointed out.

If the situation wasn't so dangerous at the moment, Cheetor would have laughed. In all his time on earth, Depth Charge hadn't taken the time to familiarize himself with film cinema the same way Rattrap did. But then again, how could one sit down to watch Star Wars when he was pursuing a mass murderer like Rampage?

"What're the odds?" asked Rattrap.

"We can take these guys!" Cheetor replied firmly.

"Predacons, attack!" Prowler shouted.

Rattrap raised his gun but felt an invisible force gripping him from some distance. He fired off several blasts but all were deflected by the glowing blade of energy Sonata held. Sonata bounded across the wall and ran his laser sword down, slicing Rattrap's pistol in half.

"Hoo boy," Rattrap backed away.

Depth Charge did not experience the same disarming as Rattrap did. Instead, he ran forward gripping his tail sword, clashing directly against Prowler.

Prowler gripped both cyber-ninja stars in his hands tightly, using them to block the blows from Depth Charge's sword that were being laid upon him.

"Stillness…" Prowler said while blocking the blue Maximal's attacks.

Again and again Depth Charge struck before spinning around with a horizontal slash. The blow severed one of the pipelines mounted against the walls but missed Prowler.

Prowler leaped over the attack and bounced off the opposite wall, kicking Depth Charge across the face and sending the surprised guardian stumbling back.

"And strike," Prowler finished, smiling arrogantly.

As Cheetor and Clampdown struck at each other, Rattrap drew his tail spear and held it in the position of a sword just as Depth Charge did. He raised it just in time but in vain. Sonata struck down with his weapon. The laser blade cut through his tail, severing that weapon as well.

Sensing his victory at hand, Sonata began humming in a low pitch. Before the confused Rattrap could do anything else, he felt his body being lifted into the air.

"What 'da heck is 'dis?" Rattrap struggled in the air.

"It's called Processor over Matter," Sonata explained in a few simple words. "Not that it'll matter to you anyways."

Sonata telekinetically threw Rattrap against the adjoining wall and again towards the opposite wall. He slammed Rattrap onto the floor and then into a pipeline.

In the meantime, several afterimages of Clampdown surrounded Cheetor, moving around the Maximal in a flowing position so fast that even the young Transmetal Two had trouble keeping up.

From behind, one of Clampdown's razor-sharp claws seared across Cheetor's back, causing the young Maximal to howl in pain. Through the corner of his eye, Cheetor could see Sonata raising his laser blade in preparation of striking down Rattrap.

"Rattrap!" he cried.

Clampdown spun around and slammed his boot into the back of Cheetor's head. In retaliation, Cheetor spun around rapidly and backhanded Clampdown with a blow so fast that the Predacon could barely dodge.

Cheetor leaped up and attempted to tackle Sonata but was held in place again by another invisible grasp.

"No!" he cried.

"Thinking about attacking me?" Sonata held Cheetor in mid-air telekinetically.

Clampdown got up again. Seething at the way he had been struck, he leaped up, bouncing off the wall both times before kicking Cheetor in the side of the head to knock him into Rattrap.

As the two Maximals got up groggily, Sonata and Clampdown both attacked simultaneously with a telekinetic push that slammed the Transmetals against a wall.

Before Sonata or Clampdown could attack again, several missiles rained down from the sky as Depth Charge fired at them.

After the two flipped away, Depth Charge landed and fired more shots at them, which they promptly dodged.

"Ohmmmmm…"

Depth Charge took notice. There it was… that humming sound again.

Suddenly, chunks of metal began ripping themselves from the building and rising in the air as the ground beneath him shook.

He looked up. Prowler was there floating in the air with a passionless expression on his face. The pieces of metal formed around him, coalescing into two rings of floating metal which orbited around him in a circular motion.

"Ohmmmmmm…"

Prowler stretched out his body as every piece of scrap metal surrounding his body flew in all directions.

"Take cover!" Depth Charge shouted to Cheetor and Rattrap.

Quickly, Depth Charge covered his entire body with both wings as the metal shrapnel hit him on almost every side.

Cheetor got up and grabbed Rattrap, flipping away from the metal.

He was not fast enough, however, as a piece of shrapnel hit his leg in mid-air, downing both him and Rattrap.

"Agh…" Cheetor grabbed his leg.

"Cheetor!" Depth Charge looked down at his companions.

Prowler used Depth Charge's momentary distraction to throw both ninja stars at him. The cyber-ninja stars struck deep and imbedded themselves into Depth Charge's chest.

"Aaaahhh!" Depth Charge howled.

"There's more where that came from," Prowler told his opponent ominously.

Depth Charge clutched the wound on his chest, attempting to pry out the ninja stars. For some strange reason, though, they would not budge.

* * *

"What are our plans now, generals?" asked Cicadacon. "Tarantulas has found out about us."

"With him, there is no telling what he will do," Seaclamp declared in a trembling voice. "We may have to do the unthinkable…"

"Carry out the invasion now?" asked Ramhorn. "That would throw away years of careful planning!"

"Do not underestimate this particular lieutenant," Seaclamp cautioned. "Tarantulas hides secrets about himself and his past that even we do not fully know. He is a threat to us."

"Instead of pursuing a reckless invasion now," Cicadacon proposed. "Why not put an end to Tarantulas before he spills our plans to anyone else?"

"I'm in agreement," Ramhorn crossed his arms.

"Yes, yes…" Seaclamp nodded. "He must be eliminated!"

"We must put an end to him," Cicadacon agreed. "Send out an assassin! We finish this tonight!"

* * *

All things considered, being locked up was only a temporary setback. There were still dozens of contingency plans running through the mind of Tarantulas that all he needed to do was merely sit back cross-legged and contemplate which one was the best.

He hadn't expected to be found out so quickly. But those cursed Elite Guard whelps had discovered him sooner than he expected.

The fact that he was no longer loyal to the Tripredacus Council was an open secret at this point but what exactly they would do about it remained a mystery.

"Lieutenant Tarantulas."

Tarantulas turned around. Five Predacons entered into his cell. All of them bore the crests of the Predacon Elite Guard.

"I suppose you're here on orders to eliminate me," Tarantulas guessed.

"Those are our orders, yes," one Predacon replied.

"Then why not do it already," Tarantulas goaded them. "Put me out of my misery. I dare you."

"Because our conscience tells us otherwise, sir."

One of the Predacons gripped his axe and slashed down at the energy bond that held Tarantulas' two hands together, severing the link.

"You will be rewarded handsomely for this," Tarantulas said, complimenting the Predacon elite soldiers.

"With all due respect, sir," another Predacon spoke out. "Doing the right thing and overthrowing the Tripredacus Council is its own reward."

At this point, there were many rumors Tarantulas had heard about desertions in the Predacon Army. But he never imagined that the discontent had already spread to the Predacon Elite Guard, some of the deadliest warriors in existence and perhaps the most loyal to the Tripredacus Council and it showed in spades. The Council really wasn't doing a good job of ruling over the dissatisfied Predacon masses by now. And all too soon, when the flames of discontent spread more and more, Predacons would rise up to challenge their power. It was in the programming of Predacons to engage in these acts of revolution since primordial times.

"You will not regret your heroic acts," Tarantulas told them. "Now come with me. There is much work to be done."

"Yes sir," the five Predacons agreed.

* * *

By this point, Depth Charge was not exactly in a good position. The three Elite Predacons attacked him simultaneously. Sonata and Clampdown launched themselves into the air, striking one after another.

Utilizing one swift chop, Sonata separated Depth Charge's right hand from his arm. The next attack from Clampdown sliced right through the blue Maximal's jet pack, causing it to explode.

With no more means of flight, Depth Charge fell until he hit the floor violent. He shook his head trying to clear out the pain.

He and the others were losing badly at this point.

As he got up, he saw Prowler right in front of him. Prowler grabbed the two ninja stars embedded in Depth Charge's chest and yanked them out, causing Depth Charge to grunt painfully. The next motion was a swift kick, with Prowler planting both feet into the wounded part of Depth Charge's chest, knocking him back close to Cheetor and Rattrap.

"Oh man, what're these guys made of?" Rattrap limped back.

"I don't know and I don't care," Depth Charge growled. "But I ain't going down without a fight!"

"You might want to think things through more carefully," Prowler warned.

"What's that?" demanded Cheetor who himself wasn't exactly operating at peak capacity.

"You're heavily injured," Sonata pointed out. "And you have no chance of escaping. Just give it up."

"And we'll promise to make this quick," Prowler nodded. "You have my word."

Depth Charge used his only hand left to grip his gun and point it at the three Predacon Elite.

"I wouldn't recommend your course of action," Prowler warned.

Without warning, Depth Charge drew his arm upwards and fired several shots into the buildings above them. From the explosions, several pieces of the building's wreckage came crashing down in between the Maximals and Predacons, stirring up dust and debris alike.

"This is our chance," Depth Charge told Cheetor and Rattrap. "Let's get out of here while we still can!"

"We're retreating?" Cheetor asked.

"We don't got any other choice," Depth Charge told him and began limping away. "Now let's go before they catch up."

Cheetor lowered his head in shame and followed, along with Rattap.

"Ohmmmmm…"

"Is 'dat…" Rattrap froze.

"Honestly, there's no escaping," Prowler's voice was heard from behind them. "So why bother trying?"

The Maximal trio turned around. All the dust had been cleared and all the debris were floating in the air held in place telekinetically by the three Predacons. Because of their extensive training in processor over matter, they had cleared the dust and lifted the wreckage in a short time.

Depth Charge took immediate notice. Up above, the debris floating in the air was large enough to crush all three of them on the spot.

Before the Trinity could make their move, a blast of energy soared through the air and annihilated the pillars and debris they held.

"You will not lay a hand on these three," a familiar voice emerged.

"Solaris!" Depth Charge exclaimed.

"Solaris Prime," Prowler noted. "I was not aware this was a matter which concerned you."

"I'm making it my concern," Solaris told them.

Depth Charge gazed upon the weapon he held. It was the Matrix Blade, rumored to have been fashioned from a piece of the Allspark itself. Immense power was said to be granted to those who wielded it. For the first time in his life, he would see whether or not those rumors were true.

Being a bit more impatient than his comrades, Clampdown leaped into the air, coming down with hands and claws outstretched.

Solaris Prime cut directly into the air, creating a razor-sharp gust of pure energy that struck Clampdown and sent him flying back.

"Do anything to these three and you will answer to me," Solaris Prime warned the three Predacons.

"Duly noted," Prowler gestured for Sonata and Clampdown to fall back.

Before he left, he gave Depth Charge a deep glance.

"This is not over," he told the blue Maximal.

"Wasn't counting on it," Depth Charge shot back.

"Are you three alright?" asked Solaris.

"Yeah, thanks for the save," Cheetor replied.

"Meh, I'll live," Rattrap held his hip which was still in pain from being tossed around.

"And you, Depth Charge?" Solaris looked at him.

"No need to worry about me," Depth Charge narrowed his optics, gazing at Solaris apathetically.

* * *

Bearing in mind the circumstances of his escape, Tarantulas was surprised that he had made it all the way to the ship's courtyard.

The Elite Guard Predacons who had allied themselves with him had informed him that the Tripredacus Council would be leaving on this ship. Whatever it was, they had not been informed.

"Where is that ship headed to?" asked Tarantulas.

"I don't know," one of the Elite Guard answered. "But I'm betting it's to one of their orbital stations."

"They're headed in their dreadnaught battlecruiser," another guardsbot pointed out.

"Then let's head out," Tarantulas ordered them. "Wouldn't want to disappoint our dear council members, would we?"

"Tarantulas!"

Tarantulas had been so busy formulating a plan in his head that he had forgotten about watching his surroundings. Azure and Zaraxes were there in front of them, having uncovered them.

"What treachery is this?" demanded Azure.

"Oh let's see, the kind where I throw a monkey wrench into the Tripredacus Council's plans?" suggested Tarantulas sarcastically.

"Traitor!" Zaraxes yelled.

The two of them leaped up, attacking Tarantulas simultaneously. Almost casually, Tarantulas opened up and fired two salvos from his shoulder-mounted missile launchers. Both missiles erupted in mid-air revealing two nets made of cyber-venom webbing. The twin webbing caught both Zaraxes and Azure, pinning them against a nearby blockade cruiser.

"You… won't get away!" Zaraxes groaned, weakened from the cyber-venom.

"Don't you worry my dear boy," Tarantulas told the younger Predacon condescendingly. "I just did."

"Nice shot, sir," the Elite Guard captain of this particular squad complimented. "Think after all this is over, you might consider taking the place of the Tripredacus Council?"

It was quite a hefty offer too. Taking over their position meant a lot of power and influence, something few Predacons could resist. But it also meant a lot of bureaucracy and paperwork, not to mention having to kiss up to the Maximals. Frankly, it was something he, Tarantulas, could do without.

"Thank you for the offer but I must decline," Tarantulas told them.

"But it would be an honor, sir," one of the guardsbots insisted.

"Oh you know me," Tarantulas half-way lied to them. "I prefer the life of a simple Predacon agent."

* * *

"Ship is ready for takeoff," the captain told Ramhorn.

"Good, I want to arrive on Charr on time," he rumbled.

"So far so good," Seaclamp sat down on his chair. "With the tactics we've drawn up, we will be able to direct the invasion through Charr."

Slowly, their battlecruiser rose up into the air. After shifting around towards the open sky, the ship's engines hummed to life and flew into the atmosphere, entering into warp space.

"Even if the invasion is a failure, we shall be long gone," Cicadacon told the other two generals smugly. "They'll never find us."

"It pays to plan ahead," Seaclamp took an energon gin stirred richly in a small glass cup and sipped it lightly. "A toast… to a Predacon run Cybertron!"

"Hear hear!" Ramhorn agreed.

The three of them raised their gin glasses at once and tapped.

Instantly preceding that, the ship's engines grinded to a halt and entered out of warp space.

"What?" Seaclamp put his glass down. "What is the meaning of this?"

"We are not yet at our destination!" Cicadacon got up. "Why has the ship stopped?"

The three generals received their answer in the form of laser fire which rocked their ship.

"An ambush!" Cicadacon hissed. "We have been betrayed."

"Captain!" Ramhorn yelled into the monitor. "What is happening? Why is the crew not responding?"

"My liege!" the Predacon captain shouted. "Something… happened! All our crew has been poisoned with cyber-venom!"

"What?" Ramhorn shouted.

Suddenly, a bolt of bright green energy hit the captain and put him into stasis lock before the monitor fizzled out.

A second explosion against the shields rocked the ship once more.

"Generals," an incoming communication appeared on one of their monitor screens. "You are most likely wondering right now why you are being attacked."

"Who are you?" demanded Seaclamp.

"We are the Wayward Sons of Cybertron and we are offering you this very chance to surrender and place yourselves under the protection of Shokaract. Refuse and we will be forced to take you as prisoners instead."

"Never!" Ramhorn yelled at the messenger. "The Tripredacus Council never surrenders!"

"My dear generals," the messenger replied. "It would seem that you have already surrendered since that fateful day you took office. You've had your time to bask in the misfortunes of your fellow Predacons for long enough. That ends now."

The message ended, leaving behind three very bewildered Predacon generals.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please remember to fasten your seatbelts…" a familiar voice came through the intercom. "_It's going to be a bumpy ride_."

Immediately, the source of their troubles became clear.

"Tarantulas!" Cicadacon yelled in fury. "You cowardly worm!"

"Sticks and stones, my dear generals," Tarantulas' voice came through again. "You see, any minute now your shields will fail you. And I'll be along for the ride."

"Show yourself, coward!" demanded Seaclamp. "This will be the first and last time you ever betray us!"

"But I was so successful at it!" Tarantulas insisted. "Success was never punished in Predacon society the last time I checked!"

The front doors of the room opened up to reveal Tarantulas.

"Get him!" Ramhorn shouted.

"Uh uhn uhn!" Tarantulas shook a finger in the air. "Not unless you want this ship to go up in flames prematurely."

Cicadacon stopped as soon as he saw the detonator in Tarantulas' hands.

"Why are you doing this?" he demanded.

"You want to know why?" Tarantulas replied mockingly. "Very well, if you must know, I was getting rather bored of working for you!"

After saying that, Tarantulas took out a rifle and fired. From the pistol flew one of his spider drones which latched on to the main controls, pressing down on it and sending the ship into a collision course with the communications station that lay floating in the center of the attacking fleet.

"No!" Cicadacon cried. "What have you done?"

"Isn't is obvious?" Tarantulas chuckled as the ship took a nose-dive. "Ha hah hah hah hah!"

"Your actions will not go unpunished!" Ramhorn threatened.

Tarantulas ignored him. "You want to know the true reason I do what I do? It's because I love the smell of death and suffering! Every waking moment to me is only a grand testament to a singular purpose in my life… to create as much chaos and as much havoc as I can! To that end, I will only side with those who reek of chaos and war. Megatron was one of them. And now I have a new host with whom I can do what I love most."

"Shokaract…" Cicadacon realized.

* * *

"Where's Tarantulas?" one of the Elite Guard Predacons asked.

"I don't know, but this ship is headed in a collision course with the enemy's comm-tower," the commander replied.

"What about Tarantulas?" another of the guardsbots asked.

The Elite Guard commander of this particular squadron had an answer, but it was not an answer the 'bots under him would've liked to hear. They'd grown rather fond of Tarantulas since allying with him and would've gladly served under him had he ascended to a higher position of power.

But now was not the time for that. They had their own skid-plates to worry about. Tarantulas or no Tarantulas, they were getting off this ship.

"We don't have time to worry about him," the commander told them. "If you want to stay, then go ahead. But I'm getting inside those escape pods."

By virtue of being the leader of this squadron he entered into the first escape pod. Soon enough, the rest of his squad followed.

* * *

"And so it ends here!" Tarantulas told the Generals. "The grand finale! Everything in your pitiful portentous lives comes grinding to a rolling stop!"

General Ramhorn ran over to the controls and tried to pry the spider drone off. The drone, however, gave off a highly toxic overload of cyber-venom which forced his hand away. He stepped back, clutching his hand, with a look on his face that bordered on despair.

"10 seconds to impact…" the computer's voice came through the inter-com.

"You treacherous worm!" Cicadacon charged Tarantulas.

"9 seconds…"

Tarantulas avoided Cicadacon easily.

"8"

With pinpoint accuracy, Tarantulas opened fire on the elderly General Seaclamp and shot him right through his spark.

Cicadacon quickly opened up a line on the monitor. Azure and Zaraxes were there in the background. From the looks of it, they had just recovered from a bad dose of cyber-venom.

"Listen to me and listen carefully!" Cicadacon told them in a rushed but still dignified voice. "This may be the end of the line. I leave everything in your hands now."

"7."

"General!" Zaraxes cried, seeing Tarantulas in the background. "What's going on!"

Now only Cicadacon and Ramhorn remained. Cicadacon turned away from the monitor to face Tarantulas alongside his fellow general.

"6."

Before Ramhorn could act, another of the spider drones latched on to his neck and injected more cyber-venom into his system, causing him to collapse.

"5."

Now only Cicadacon remained.

"4."

"Any last words?" Tarantulas asked.

"3."

There was nothing Cicadacon could say.

"2."

"Heh heh heh heh heh!" Tarantuals chuckled deeply.

"1."

"Bwa ha ha hah hah hah hah!"

The ship exploded on impact as it struck the communications tower. Shards of metal flew out of the explosion, destroying any nearby ship that was unfortunate enough to be close by.

* * *

"Have the counts been tallied?" asked Zaraxes.

"Yes," the morgue 'bot answered. "The Tripredacus Council is…"

He spared a glance towards the three metal coffins.

"I'm afraid they're gone now," the morgue director admitted sorrowfully. "I'm sorry."

"Tarantulas was the one who did this!" Azure growled. "Show me his body so I can tear it apart limb by limb!"

"Yeah, he was with the Council when he entered their ship!" Zaraxes added. "I saw him in there right before the ship exploded!

"You see that's the problem," the director told them. "By the time the recovery crew had arrived, we never found his body."

* * *

"That was quite a clever trick you pulled off," Shokaract told Tarantulas in the meeting room. "You successfully duped the Tripredacus Council and ensured their demise. I like that."

"It was nothing," Tarantulas replied, taking a small sip of the energon gin that Shokaract had given him.

"I'm impressed indeed," Shokaract admitted. "Impressed enough that I wish to offer you a place in the Wayward Sons."

"No really, you shouldn't have," Tarantulas bowed slightly.

Shokaract stood up and led Tarantulas straight to his throne room. The door opened up to reveal a grandiose sight of high-tech innovation and magnificence.

Situated around the throne room were Prowler, Sonata, Clampdown, Rampage, Serpentine, Drillmaster, Steelhide, and hundreds of other servants. Each of them quickly turned around to see who was there.

"My friends!" Shokaract announced. "We have a new member with us! Please give a warm welcome to Lieutenant Tarantulas!"

Overall, the reception was mixed. Rampage glared daggers at him while some cheered and others booed. But that did not bother Tarantulas in the slightest. He was here to have his fun. And when his time with the Wayward Sons ran its course, he would move on to new hosts, possibly new worlds, and most importantly of all, new victims. But for now he would enjoy himself. After a hard day's work, he had at least earned that much.

"I think I'm going to like it here," Tarantulas said to himself.

"Our home is your home," Shokaract offered a hand.

"Indeed," Tarantulas agreed and shook on it.


	48. Prophecy

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Prophecy_

From the thickets of the woods, two eyes emerged cautiously. They darted about frantically, looking for any sign of danger.

Finally, when the coast was clear, Black Horn came out. He was a young bull moose who had been recently separated from his herd. Though he was still young, he had already reached adolescence at this point and was, in theory, strong enough and large enough to hold his own against any competing male or predator.

There were some creatures, however, that he was simply no match for. He had seen before how packs of ravenous wolves had brought down the largest of bulls in his herd. He had also seen before how one brown bear alone was sufficient enough to kill a moose. He was not invincible and he knew it.

What stalked him now, though, was something completely different.

A sudden cry erupted from the sky. Black Horn looked up to see a large bird of prey in the air flying above him in a circle. He had seen this bird before and wherever she went, danger always followed.

The threat was no mere bear. It was something much more.

Black Horn became alert and ran off across the forest, through trees and shrubs alike. A piercing roar from behind him echoed voluminously across the woods.

The young moose quickly changed gears and ran towards the river. If he could get there in time, perhaps he could get away after all.

The river bank was up ahead. In only a few more bounds he would make it to safety.

"Raaahwr!"

A massive white tiger pounced from the thickets and slammed into Black Horn, tackling him to the ground. The last thing Black Horn saw were the green eyes of the tiger before its teeth sank into his throat.

* * *

That night, Tigatron and Airazor had feasted extremely well. Bones littered the ground as the two lay there in beast mode, both having gorged themselves.

True their main source of nutrients was from energon but while in their beast modes, organic prey were also a worthy substitute.

"Had your fill, big guy?" asked Airazor.

"Of course," Tigatron smiled.

For the past few months, they had moved out of the base to begin a new life elsewhere. Moving out of the base had been extremely therapeutic. Though they loved their teammates dearly, living around them all the time could sometimes get too cramped, particularly when Rattrap was around.

Besides, they had a new life now, living freely and openly with nature. There wasn't much more that they could ask for.

… save the knowledge of what was going on with their friends right now.

"Think Cheetor's doing okay?" asked Airazor.

"Mmm," Tigatron purred. "Cheetor is growing up at a rate that we could not have expected. I believe on Cybertron he will have the opportunity to grow into a fine Maximal."

"I wonder what happened with Rattrap and Depth Charge," Airazor sat back. "We can only guess how much havoc Rattrap caused on DC's ship."

"Let us not even go there…" Tigatron chuckled quietly.

"Our friends should be back safe on Cybertron," Airazor confessed. "But there's just one more thing I'm concerned about."

Tigatron's ears perked up, sensing what was wrong with Airazor.

"You don't mean to say Tigerhawk?" he asked her.

"Yeah… he's out there somewhere," Airazor folded her wings.

The two stood side by side, looking up into the stars.

* * *

_Nexus Zero._

"Guard duty is boring," Sekmet declared, waving his staff for emphasis. "By the gods, how many centuries must it take before we rise in rank?"

Two Vok guards stood guard next to a large asteroid floating in the dead of space. Around the steroids, several smaller pieces of stone rotated around it like a ring. In truth, the asteroid was actually a prison, designed to hold the deadliest of criminals. Both Vok warriors were in a corporeal form, as was the requirement for this job.

"Don't forget," Ramses warned. "This is our sacred duty. And let us not be reminded of what happened the last time this prisoner terrorized the Vok populi."

"So it happened a few millennia ago," Sekmet yawned. "What's it got to do with me?"

"Don't take this lightly Sekmet!" Ramses warned. "You weren't alive when Marduk nearly toppled the Order!"

"So?" Sekmet twirled his staff around carelessly. "Marduk's been imprisoned for at least ten thousand years. He's probably space debris by now."

Ramses frowned. Sekmet was just one of the latest recruits in guard duty. Many of them were young, headstrong, and impatient. They were eager to throw their weight around and act as if they were supreme in every way. Thankfully, however, the Council always kept them in line, albeit not without some minor problems.

"I want to do what Akkad and Mashu do…" Sekmet unleashed a powerful energy blast from his staff which destroyed a nearby meteorite. "Influence civilizations… fight epic battles… maybe destroy an entire planet!"

"Err, I wouldn't be so quick to jump into such things…" Ramses put a hand on Sekmet's shoulder.

Sekmet lifted his body into the air telekinetically and floated onto a second slab of stone. In the distance he could see a comet heading towards a planet.

"Hmm, that comet could hit at any moment," Ramses pointed out. "Perhaps now is the time to call central command to await further orders."

"Forget that!" Sekmet held his staff tightly. "I'll blow it up with one shot!"

"Sekmet, no!" shouted Ramses, but it was too late.

Sekmet unleashed a massive discharge from his staff which struck the comet and exploded on contact, sending pieces of it flying everywhere.

One of the pieces of the comet flung straight into the asteroid that they were guarding. Soon, a sizable section of the rock began to crack.

"What have you done?" Ramses growled.

"I, uh…" Sekmet was at a loss of words.

More and more crevices opened up on the asteroid, revealing a green glow within.

"Ramses to central command!" Ramses yelled, sending a telepathic wave to the Vok Council. "We have an omega-level situation! Repeat… we have a—"

The final few words Ramses had were immediately cut off as the asteroid exploded in a flash of light.

"Uh oh," Sekmet murmured.

"Finally," a black aura emerged from the rubble. "After ten thousand years I'm freeeeee!"

"Stop right there!" Ramses held his staff.

Before either Sekmet or Ramses could do anything, a dark mist enveloped them, shrouding them in the eternal blackness of space.

* * *

Try as he might, Tigatron could not sleep that night. He got up silently and stood up from the makeshift bed he and Airazor slept on. Something was bothering him and he could not explain what it was.

Without making a sound, Tigatron left the cave that he and Airazor lived in. He transformed to beast mode and bounded into the forest. Whenever he had trouble sleeping he usually went on a midnight run. That was his way of getting things off his chest, and possibly scoring a midnight snack at the same time.

He glanced across the trees as he ran, taking note of the cool night air and the various sounds made by insects and owls.

Continuing his run, Tigatron contemplated in his mind everything that had been going on in his life lately.

He and Airazor had seen virtually no action for the past few months, save the hunts they went on. The Predacons had not bothered them and they had come across no life-threatening or apocalyptic scenarios like they had in the past. Everything was peaceful and he could not ask for a better life, especially considering he and Airazor were together now.

Suddenly, a twig broke and Tigatron stopped. Something was amiss.

A galloping sound soon echoed through the undergrowth, attracting Tigatron's attention.

Tigatron braced himself for what was to come.

"Whoever you are, show yourself!" Tigatron growled.

"Is that any way to greet the master of these woods?" the figure showed himself.

He was a dark figure clad in misshapen bronze armor with various fur pelts hung across his shoulders. His face was largely unseen, hidden behind a skull he wore on his head which bore antler horns on both sides. Through his sleeves, the only visible parts of his body were the bony hands which shown through his blackened sleeves.

"Who are you?" demanded Tigatron.

"My name is unimportant," the rider on the house told him. "For I have lived for eons… ever since the gods from the sky bestowed upon me eternal life."

Immediately Tigaton put two and two together. This person, whoever he was, had come into contact with the Vok a long, long time ago. The nature of his relationship with the Vok was unclear though.

"I have come to warn you of the dangers that await you," the figure told him. "Fire will rain from the sky upon the arrival of the dark one… the greatest threat to the balance of this world shall soon be upon you!"

"What?" demanded Tigatron.

"Beware of the dark one…" the rider warned ominously. "For none shall escape his fiery wrath!"

"Who is he?" pressed Tigatron.

"You shall see…"

Tigatron's vision blurred as a sudden shock took over his body. When he opened his eyes once more, the earth around him was charred and blackened from what appeared to have been a brutal and punishing war. The ruins of cities lay across great distances and bones littered the ground.

Cautiously, Tigatron transformed to robot mode and took out his gun. He had no idea what the stranger had done but it was best to be prepared for anything.

"Is this… Earth?" Tigatron looked around.

He stepped over dried vegetation. Though it was already malnourished and dead, Tigatron could still tell what kind of fern species they were. This was Earth alright.

"Tigatron to all units" he opened up his com-unit. "Is there anyone there?"

He received static in response.

"Repeat, is there anyone out there?" he asked again.

The response was still the same.

"By the Pit…" Tigatron shook his head. "What has happened here?"

"T-Tigatron…"

Tigatron looked down. "Airazor!"

Airazor was not the only one there. Optimus, Cheetor, Rattrap, and Rhinox were also there, all of whom lay on the ground, lifeless.

"We tried our best…" Airazor moaned. "But we failed."

"Airazor, no!" Tigatron held Airazor tightly. "What has happened?"

There was nothing more that could be done. The life left Airazor's optics as her spark left her body. It floated briefly in the air before ascending into space.

"Aaaaagh!" Tigatron howled.

"Hah hah hah hah hah!"

Tigatron turned around with his gun trained on the newcomer. It was a brown velociraptor standing on both hind feet.

"You did this!" Tigatron roared.

"Oh, it was not I!" the raptor exclaimed, pointing towards the sky.

Tigatron spun towards the sky but an enormous blast of flames struck him, engulfing his entire body.

* * *

The next thing he knew by the time he opened his eyes, Tigatron was on both knees panting in exhaustion. The blackened earth was no longer there and the cool, crisp night air filled his nostrils once more.

Standing there as well was the horseman. His black steed snorted while the rider looked at Tigatron enigmatically.

"What you saw was a glimpse of what is yet to come," he told the striped Maximal. "Visions of a future that will occur."

"Can… can this future be stopped?"

"That I cannot say," the rider replied. "In many ways we make shape our own destinies but at other times, the future is already set in stone."

"Then at least tell me this!" Tigatron insisted. "Who is this _dark one_?"

"All you need to know is this," the stranger explained. "He is coming soon. I would advise that you be prepared when he does."

Tigatron was greatly puzzled but the horseman seemed to understand his confusion. Reaching into his sleeve he took out a small bottle and handed it to Tigatron.

"Perhaps this will be of use in your upcoming battle."

Before Tigatron could question the horseman any further, he was distracted by the voice of a loved one.

"Tigatron?" Airazor came out of the undergrowth. "Who were you talking to?"

"You didn't see him?" Tigatron turned around to gesture towards the horseman. "He's right here—"

The horseman was gone.

"Well… not anymore," Tigatron scratched his head.

"What were you doing out here?" asked Airazor.

"I was out for a night stroll until I met a certain stranger," Tigatron admitted. "He told me certain things I think you should know about."

"Yes?" asked Airazor.

Tigatron opened up one of his compartments and placed the bottle in there before explaining everything to Airazor.

* * *

"Psst, hey Scorponok!"

Scorponok woke up from his desk. He had fallen asleep already? He could've sworn that he was still at work covering the costs of Megatron's company.

He turned around. Terrorsaur and Waspinator were there.

"Oh, it's you two," Scorponok yawned. "Whaddya want?"

Terrorsaur looked around cautiously. Nervously, he lowered his voice to talk to the gray Predacon.

"There's something you need to know," he whispered to Scorponok.

"Yesss, Waspinator and Terrorsaur have theory!" Waspinator said just a little too loudly.

"Pipe down you!" Terrorsaur elbowed Waspinator.

"Okay, okay!" Scorponok urged the two to settle down. "What is it?"

"Well, I was just thinking," Terrorsaur whispered. "You ever notice how we never see Dinobot or Dynamo together?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Scorponok demanded.

"I think they're both one and the same," Terrorsaur replied.

"What?" Scorponok asked.

"Plenty of evidence for theory!" insisted Waspinator. "Whenever Dynamo shows up for group meetings, Dinobot never there. Whenever Dinobot here, Dynamo never show up!"

"So you think Dynamo is Dinobot, huh?" Scorponok stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"There's no other explanation!" Terrorsaur nodded.

"Well, is that's the case, we're just going to have to find out tonight, aren't we?" Scorponok asked, with a gleam in his eye.

* * *

"So this dark one will arrive and begin a process of destruction which threatens all life on earth?" asked Airazor.

"That's what he told me," Tigatron affirmed. "But who could this dark one be?"

"It can't be Tigerhawk," Airazor whispered. "He's changed… hasn't he?"

"Hmm, I truly do not know," Tigatron admitted hesitantly. "We have not seen him for quite some time to know what he has been going through."

In the distance, a small comet was seen by both of them.

"Funny, I don't think the forecasts had any shooting stars for tonight's stormy skies," Airazor noted.

"Wait a minute…" Tigatron observed as the shooting star drew closer and closer.

Suddenly Airazor realized it too. "It's entered into the atmosphere!"

Helplessly, Tigatron and Airazor watched from the distance as the comet came crashing down in the distant mountains.

"Let's go," Tigatron looked at Airazor.

Airazor nodded and followed Tigatron.

* * *

From the crater he had created, Marduk emerged. As of now, he was still just a bodiless entity, floating about the air, observing the chaos he had just unleashed. All around him, the flames of the forest fire burned brightly. It had been such a long time since he had had the opportunity to cause such havoc.

The last instance where he had this much fun was during his uprising against the Vok's ruling class. He nearly succeeded too. If Akkad hadn't stopped him in time, he would be ruling the Vok and by extension, most of the civilized galaxy.

But the past was the past. Here and now was what he needed to concentrate on, especially if he was to carve a new future for himself. The good times were coming back indeed.

"So this is Earth," he looked down.

As Marduk recalled, Earth had been the pride and joy of Akkad several eons ago. It would bring him great pleasure to destroy the one planet that the Vok had worked so hard on.

"Stop!" a voice called out.

His curiosity piqued, Marduk turned to the arrival of two interlopers. Before him were a falcon and a white tiger, both of whom appeared to be the source of that sound. Was it possible that the animals on this planet had speech patterns?

"And who might you be?" he demanded.

"I am Tigatron and this is Airazor," Tigatron introduced himself. "Are you one of the Vok?"

Marduk was surprised. Just how did this creature recognize him? Hadn't the Vok abandoned the Earth project a while ago?

"Yes…" he answered. "And you two are locals, I presume?"

"Actually, we're not native to this place," explained Airazor. "But it's just as home to us as it is to the humans."

"Ah, I see," Marduk exclaimed. "It's such a pity then…"

Tigatron looked at Marduk suspiciously.

"Such a pity that your adopted homeworld must die!" Marduk finished.

"What?" Tigatron demanded.

Marduk scanned the vast oceans, forests, tundras, plains, and marshes with but a thought and found a suitable lifeform to entertain himself with.

The ethereal skull glowed brightly, taking on a form of his own. With his limbs out stretched Marduk transfigured himself into a corporeal body, that of a lion's.

He leaped down on all four and grinned at Tigatron and Airazor, revealing a row of razor-sharp teeth. His body was covered from head to toe in black fur while piercing red eyes distinguished his eyes from that of all other lions. At seeing such a sight, both Airazor and Tigatron were visibly surprised and shocked.

"Is it me?" Airazor asked. "Or can this guy scan a beast mode faster than we can?"

"For my own amusement, I've decided to bring myself down to your level," explained Marduk. "It makes things so much more fun that way."

Tigatron growled angrily. "You wish to threaten us and our home? So be it!"

Marduk, now in his lion form, charged and Tigatron did the same.

The two of them slashed at each other in mid-air before landing on their feet and charging one another again. They ripped into each other with tooth and claw once more before separating.

After deciding that toying with his prey would be more succulent, Marduk slammed into Tigatron with a headbutt that sent him skidding across the ground. Before Tigatron could get up, Marduk attacked once more.

Fortunately, Tigatron saw it coming and flipped himself over, leaping over Marduk and bouncing off a tree. He used his elevated to fly down and tackle Marduk, taking them both to the forest floor.

Marduk was the first to get back to his feet but Tigatron pounced up quickly, striking the black lion across the face with a powerful blow.

Immensely angered, Marduk roared and struck back with his paw, sending Tigatron flying back.

He was a Vok, the natural lord and master of this universe. Nobody was going to stand in his way, not even others of his kind. Who did this pitiful animal think he was challenging the might of a deity?

Marduk bellowed again. This time was different. A sonic wave of power erupted from his strong jaws and hit Tigatron dead-center. Tigatron dug his claws into the ground but to no avail. Finally, the powerful blast sent him crashing into a nearby tree.

"Agh…" Tigatron groaned.

"Tigatron!" Airazor, still in falcon mode, swooped down.

Marduk saw her coming and simply batted her aside with his tail.

"Now to finish this," he declared.

Marduk lifted his mane up again and unleashed a second sonic roar. Tigatron leaped into the air as did Airazor.

"Tigatron, Maximize!"

"Airazor, Maximize!"

In midair, both Maximals transformed to robot mode and opened fire. This caught Marduk off guard to such a degree that he stood there with jaws agape as Maximal firepower pummeled him and threw him into a boulder.

"Leave this planet at once!" Tigatron ordered. "And do not come back!"

"So… it appears that you can also change your form at will," Marduk remarked.

"Didn't you hear him?" Airazor warned. "I think it's time you started packing."

Marduk sobered up quickly and turned his attention back to the matter at hand.

"It appears that you truly aren't native to this planet after all," he commented. "From whence do you hail?"

"Hmph," Tigatron snorted. "Like we'd tell you that."

"No matter," Marduk observed. "It's time I finished this."

The Vok criminal leaned back miraculously as both hind legs transfixed themselves into an anthropoid stance. His arms arched back into a jointed humanoid position while a golden armor soon covered his entire body. A horned helmet now decorated his head as a pair of wings grew out from his back.

"What the…" Airazor took a step back.

Marduk noted her movement and raised both hands, sending a powerful blast of blue lightning at her, catching her on the spot.

"Airazor!" Tigatron howled.

He attempted to pull her out of the lightning cage but the potent electricity sent a jolt through his system and knocked him back.

As Tigatron stood up, he noticed Marduk behind him.

"Let her go!" Tigatron hissed.

"I think not," Marduk smiled.

Tigatron threw a punch which Marduk caught with one massive fist. He squeezed until the joints in Tigatron's hand began grinding together, causing great pain to the Maximal tiger.

"Aaagh!" Tigatron was forced down on both knees.

Soon, Marduk got bored. He lifted Tigatron up and threw him into the air. He opened his jaws again, this time sending a searing energy blast which engulfed Tigatron completely, exploding on contact.

* * *

"Wakey wakey!"

No response.

"I said wake up!" Marduk splashed a pail of water on Tigatron and Airazor.

"W-Where are we?" demanded Airazor.

"I've decided not to destroy you yet," Marduk informed her. "Out of the goodness of my heart I've seen fit to spare you for the moment."

"And we're supposed to thank you?" Tigatron glared at the Vok.

"Gratitude would be greatly appreciated," Marduk replied. "But I want something else from you, information only you can provide."

"Whatever you're trying to do, we're not squealing," Airazor shot back.

"Then if you do not chirp like the songbird you are, I may be forced to clip those wings!" Marduk threatened.

At hearing that, Tigatron got in front of Airazor protectively.

"Tell me where I can find more of your kind," Marduk demanded. "How many more of you are on this planet? Where is the location of your home planet?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Airazor spat.

"I would," Marduk told her. "For the longest time, we the Vok have been without equal for eons. But judging from the two of you, there may be some advanced civilizations in this cosmos yet."

"Get to the point," Tigatron told him.

"Tell me the exact location of your planet," Marduk responded simply.

"In a pig's eye!" Tigatron growled.

Marduk raised a finger. A small focal laser erupted from that fingertip and sent Tigatron crashing against the other side of the cage.

"You forget who it is that you're speaking to," Marduk warned. "I will be back within one hour. And I expect your answer by then."

* * *

"You summoned me?" Dynamo asked as he stepped inside the Predacon meeting room.

All the Predacons were there, save one. At the front of the table was Scorponok. Terrorsaur, Waspinator, Ravage, Thrust, and Tankorr sat there as well. The only member who wasn't there was Dinobot.

"As a matter of fact, I did," Scorponok nodded. "Have a seat."

To the side, Terrorsaur snickered. His plan was working out good so far.

"Wait a minute," Scorponok said, as if just realizing something. "We can't start the meeting just yet!"

"Is something the matter?" asked Dynamo.

"We'll need all members here!" Scorponok announced. "Think you can call Dinobot in from patrol?"

The expression on Dynamo's masked face remained unreadable.

"I will tell him," Dynamo finally said. He opened up his com-link and whispered something indiscernible.

* * *

"I don't know what these bars are made of," Airazor continued prying on the bars of their cage. "But they're tougher than tyronium…"

"Tigatron to base!" Tigatron tried to speak into his com-link. "Is anyone there?"

It was no use. Something was jamming their signal.

"Slag it!" Airazor punched one of the bars angrily.

Tigatron put a hand on Airazor's shoulder. They were trapped and within the course of one hour, there was no telling what Marduk would do.

"Marduk is one of the oldest living Vok in existence," a voice remarked.

Tigatron immediately recognized it. "You!"

The horseman he had met earlier reappeared. Still Tigatron could see no expression through his hooded appearance.

"Since the beginning of the order, Marduk has been there during its very establishment," the horseman remarked.

"And what exactly does it have to do with the here and now?" asked Airazor.

"He is a being of immense power older than several star systems," the horseman explained. "Because of his vast power and knowledge, his hubris is equally as immense."

"Hmm, does that explain why he's here on earth?" asked Tigatron.

"Marduk was originally one of the founding members of Vok civilization," the horseman replied. "Over time, the rigors of his duties became a chore to him. He became increasingly power-mad and dangerous, to the Vok and to all other sentient beings alike. The time came when a civil war erupted amongst the Vok where the soldiers led by Marduk were defeated and Marduk himself was imprisoned."

"How did he get free then?" inquired Airazor.

"Perhaps there are some things even the Vok cannot do," the horseman answered cryptically.

"If that's true, then tell us Marduk's weakness!" insisted Tigatron. "He must have one!"

"Yeah, doesn't he have something we can use against him?" added Airazor.

"I will tell you only this," the horseman responded obscurely. "Sometimes even the smallest of forces can overcome the largest."

"What's that mean?" Airazor was confused.

"Marduk believes he is unstoppable," the horseman answered. "That notion can be proven to be false."

Without another word, the horseman drew a sword and cut open the lock on Tigatron and Airazor's cage with one swift chop. He disappeared as mysteriously as he had appeared, slinking back into the shadows.

The cage door swung open.

"Let us make haste!" Tigatron told Airazor. Immediately the pair ran off to confront Marduk.

* * *

"Flee you cowards, flee!" Marduk unleashed blast after blast.

Right now he was having his fun near a small rural fishing village near the coast. The populace of this village was one of the more traditional peoples of the region, not having much contact with the outside world. They fled like mice and that was what pleased Marduk the most.

"Really, is there nothing that can stand in my way?" Marduk cupped both hands together and fired another energy blast which razed the town hall.

He turned around and overturned a vehicle with yet another energy blast. The car flipped over sideways and caught fire.

Out of pure maliciousness, he sent a distant blast towards one of the fishing boats, setting it on fire. Slowly, the boat sank underneath the water.

"This is just too fun!" exclaimed Marduk.

Because he was fully committed to his leisurely destruction, Marduk did not notice Tigatron sneaking up from behind him.

Tigatron leaped down on Marduk's back, digging his claws into the Vok's back and biting down viciously on his neck.

"Hraaah!" Marduk howled in surprise and pain.

With one hand, Marduk grabbed Tigatron and threw him off into a barrel of water. Tigatron smashed through the barrel but got back up quickly and bore his teeth ferociously.

To the side of the alien's neck, Tigatron could see that he did some degree of damage. His teeth had pierced the neck of Marduk, leaving quite a puncture wound with a green energies flowing out of it.

"You'll pay for that!" Marduk snarled.

Marduk waved a single hand across his wound, causing it to disappear and heal instantly.

In the very next second, several miniature missiles slammed into him from behind. Airazor was behind him, firing one salvo after another.

Marduk whirled around and blasted Airazor aside with blue lightning. Tigatron leaped up at him but Marduk simply batted Tigatron aside with a back-fist.

Tigatron transformed to robot mode and fired a few shots which struck Marduk but did no damage. Marduk returned fire by floating into the air and sending an orange blast straight towards the Maximal.

The white tiger rolled out of the way and returned fire. As he did, he also backed away, leading Marduk away from the fallen Airazor.

He quickly took refuge behind a log cabin and entered through the back. Soon enough, Marduk's approaching footsteps made Tigatron aware of his presence.

"There's nowhere to hide!" Marduk called out. "Surrender yourself!"

Tigatron cocked his rifle back, adjusting its power cell to maximum blast. He gripped the side bar, setting the energy cell to its ice blast mode.

"Over here!" Tigatron called out.

The next thing he knew, Marduk had smashed through the wall. By that time Tigatron was already perched on the top of the ceiling on several wooden plans that connected together. He fired a grappling cable from his wrist which wrapped itself around Marduk's legs. Due to his superior leverage from a higher ground, Tigatron yanked upwards and pulled Marduk off balance, causing him to fall.

Incensed, Marduk pointed up with one hand and sent another sizzling energy blast which forced Tigatron to leap off of his ceiling base. The Maximal tiger bounced off the floor and leaped out the window, rolling across the snow momentarily before turning around and training his gun on the target.

Marduk smashed through the entire cabin with two massive punches and stepped outside to face Tigatron.

"You're a clever one alright!" Marduk complimented the Maximal scout. "But nothing, especially not a primitive lifeform like you, shall stand in my way!"

Tigatron said nothing and took aim with his gun. A powerful blast of ice discharged from his gun, engulfing Marduk who raised both arms up to block it. Inch by inch, Marduk was covered by ice until he became completely encased in a giant chunk.

He saw Airazor flying above the now-frozen Marduk. Suddenly, he had an idea. He wasn't sure if it would work or not but he wasn't going to take any chances with a powerful rogue Vok criminal like Marduk.

"Airazor!" Tigatron called out. "Open fire!"

Airazor nodded and fired an arm-mounted missile which destroyed Marduk's body along with the ice, sending several pieces of the Vok flying in different directions in the ensuing explosion.

"Is it over?" asked Airazor.

"We'll find out soon enough," Tigatron replied hesitantly.

The chunks of ice containing Marduk's body parts began rumbling ominously. Soon, the pieces of ice floated into the air and coalesced together in a whirlwind. From the skies, a powerful bolt of lightning flew down and engulfed the whirlwind. By the time everything had cleared, Marduk was in a much larger, more fearsome body. Twin serpents surrounded his armor while his mane flowed even longer. His bat-like wings stretched out to even larger proportions while his eyes glowed with a deep red hue.

"I am a living god!" Marduk thundered. "You have no chance at all of destroying me!"

Tigatron began to tremble at this point. He had thrown everything he could against this creature and still it wasn't enough.

"Any last words?" demanded Marduk.

"_Perhaps this will be of use in your upcoming battle."_

Suddenly, Tigatron recalled what that mysterious horseman had told him. He gave him a small jar of some kind. It seemed almost useless up until now. But there may have been deeper reasons why he now possessed it.

"_Sometimes even the smallest of forces can overcome the largest."_

There was an idea in the back of Tigatron's head. It was crazy enough that it could actually work. What more could he do at this point?

"It's clear that your power is supreme," Tigatron finally admitted.

"What?" Marduk was caught off guard.

"You can take any form, can you not?" demanded Tigatron. "You can create any living matter, destroy any star system with but a thought, correct?"

"Yes, yes, that is true," Marduk answered proudly.

"Then shrink yourself down and place yourself inside this jar," Tigatron took out the jar the horseman had given him. "Prove your omnipotence."

"Why should I lower myself to such a cheap parlor trick?" demanded Marduk.

"Because either ways I've lost to my betters," Tigatron admitted ruefully. "Besides, if you could break out of the ice I encased you in, a jar should be no laughing matter."

"Very well then," Marduk smiled. "I will grant your final request before I destroy you."

Tigatron opened up his jar and waited patiently. Marduk, through another whirlwind, shrunk himself to a much smaller size and entered into the jar. Immediately Tigatron shut the lid down, encasing the jar with a strange glowing power.

"What is this?" demanded Marduk. All his powers suddenly felt as if they were leaving him.

Angrily, he punched the side of the glass but it did not shatter.

"No!" he cried. "You tricked me!"

"Maybe you're not as much of a big shot as you think you are," Airazor joked, poking the glass of the jar lightly.

"So, you were able to overcome Marduk after all," the horseman appeared from out of the trees on top of his steed.

"It was no easy task," Tigatron sighed. "But it looks like he won't be hurting anyone now."

"Let me out!" screamed Marduk.

"Silence!" the horseman thundered.

"That voice…" Marduk became silent.

Tigatron and Airazor recognized it as well. Knowing now that there was no more point in hiding his identity, the horseman got off and immediately transformed into a lighter, more ethereal form.

"So it was you all along, Akkad," Tigatron noted.

"Yes, I will be taking this fugitive back to face justice," Akkad told them. "In the meanwhile, I offer you a chance to return to Cybertron."

"R-Really?" asked Airazor.

"Yes," Akkad told them. "I realize now that brute force and the threat of retaliation are not hallmarks that we the Vok should be embracing anymore. Henceforth, the conditional pact we made has been nullified. All of you are free to return to Cybertron whenever you want. I can take you there if you wish."

Airazor and Tigatron looked at each other. Finally, they clasped each other's hands tightly.

"Thanks but no thanks," Airazor smiled. "Tigatron and I are already home."

"Yes," acknowledged Tigatron. "Though I am a Maximal, my soul is that of a tiger."

"Very well then," Akkad chuckled. "I wish the two of you luck."

"Will the dark one face trial?" asked Tigatron.

"Marduk will stand trial, yes," admitted Akkad. "But he is not the dark one whom I mentioned earlier."

Suddenly the air around them became silent and ominous. Tigatron bristled inwardly. If Marduk wasn't the evil one that Akkad had mentioned, then who was?

"Who is he?" asked Tigatron.

"I cannot say," Akkad floated into the sky with Marduk was his prisoner. "All you need to know for now is that the future is what you make of it."

In a final burst of light, the two Vok vanished, leaving Tigatron and Airazor standing there gaping. For some reason, the atmosphere was more chilly than usual.

* * *

"Well, where is he?" demanded Scorponok.

Dynamo did not answer. Everyone at the table was becoming progressively impatient.

"Looks like someone's in trouble," Waspinator whispered to Terrorsaur.

At this point, Terrorsaur couldn't help but stand up and gloat. He turned around and directed an accusing finger towards Dynamo.

"I knew it!" Terrorsaur laughed. "Haha! I knew it all along that you were Dinob—"

Before Terrorsaur could finish his sentence, the front door opened up to reveal none other than Dinobot. The pteranodon's mouth dropped right open after seeing Dinobot there in the flesh.

"By the Pit!" Dinobot snarled at Terrorsaur. "What are you babbling about, you sniveling saurian?"

"Ah… I… I…" Terrorsaur began to babble.

"D-Dinobot is not Dynamo?" Waspinator stammered.

"No, why would I be?" demanded Dinobot.

Dynamo, at this point, relaxed both arms and laughed.

"You actually thought I was Dinobot?"

"If… if you're not Dinobot, then who are you?" Terrorsaur began to pry again.

Scorponok had had enough of Terrorsaur's crackpot theories at this point. He could be a patient 'bot but up to a certain point, the stupidity of Predacons like Terrorsaur could be infuriating.

"That's enough Terrorsaur!" he snapped. "Quit prying into Dynamo's personal life and sit down!"

"But!" Terrorsaur protested.

"I said sit!" Scorponok ordered. Terrorsaur finally sat down reluctantly. Next to him, Dinobot hissed at him, causing Terrorsaur to inch away from the raptor out of fear.

Finally satisfied with having restored order, Scorponok got up and turned on a projection on the main table to begin their new point of discussion.

"Now gentleman," he grinned. "Let's get back to business, shall we?"

A/N: As an aside, Prowler is based off Prowl from Animated and Sonata is based off of Jazz. Clampdown is also loosely based off of Lockdown from the same show.


	49. At Cybertron's Core

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_At Cybertron's Core_

"Be sure to give my ship a good polish," Tarantulas ordered the two maintence 'bots. "I want it to be spotless the next time I see it!"

After Tarantulas left, the two cleaning 'bots took a good look at the ship which belonged to Predacon spy.

"How long do you reckon it'll take?" one maintenance 'bot asked the other.

"About one or two megacycles," his partner replied. "You wanna start with the engines?"

The two of them walked over to the main engines and opened up the hatch. The one with the equipment set down his tools and crawled underneath the ship to get a good look.

"Hand me the wrench, would you?"

"Sure," his partner replied.

The partner turned away briefly but was interrupted by a muffled scream.

"What was that?" he turned around.

Nobody was there anymore. His co-worker had vanished.

"Who's there?" he demanded.

Without warning, four metal tentacles erupted from underneath the ship and from it, crawled out a large metal orb. The four tentacles were attached to it, pulling it out from the ship's underbelly.

"What are you?" the maintence 'bot took a step back.

His reply came in the form of a blow which knocked him clear across the room.

"At last!" Sentinel declared, surveying the shipyard around him. "I've arrived!"

* * *

"Officer?" Kairen got off her motorcycle and rushed towards an injured Maximal. "What's your status?"

"That thing… got inside!" the Maximal guard replied. "It's already destroyed our central grid!"

"I'm going after it!" Kairen declared.

"No! That creature is too powerful!" the officer protested.

"Don't worry sir," Kairen reassured him. "I've already called for backup."

Kairen set down the injured officer and took out her gun. She kicked down the door to the central electrical plant and went inside. She opened another door and stepped inside a different chamber, this one filled with nuclear pylons and power grids.

She recognized the place, though she did not come to an area like this often. It was one of the central mainframes of Cybertron, with a tunnel that led to the very core of the planet itself.

Around her were injured guards and scientists alike, all of whom had been badly damaged by the creature that broken in.

Carefully, she stepped past them with her gun slung over her shoulders. Finally, she came into the central mainframe. There was a large tunnel with a hole so black that it looked like an endless abyss. This was one of the channels leading to the spark of Cybertron.

"Who would want to go down to Cybertron's core?" she asked herself.

From behind her, she heard a clanking noise.

Kairen turned around and fired. The shots bounced off a large metal orb with four tentacle-like limbs attached to its sides.

The creature flung two tentacles at her which she dodged and fired back again. Another tentacle was sent flying at her which she deflected aside with a spin kick. Before she could return fire, another of the tentacles struck her and pinned her to a nearby wall.

"Is this the best that Cybertron can send me?" Sentinel glared at her with his red optic.

"Who are you?" demanded Kairen.

"I am Sentinel!" declared the being. "And my ascension is at hand… but only after I've completed my download into the core of this planet!"

Callously, he threw her aside.

"You are of no further concern," he told her as a hatch opened up on his side to reveal a missile launcher.

The missile fired and flew straight towards her. Before it could hit its target, an energy disc struck it from the side, triggering an explosion in mid-air.

From the air, Depth Charge, with Rattrap on his back, and Cheetor flew down and transformed to robot mode.

"No, I had not expected you to be here!" Sentinel began backing away.

"You okay?" Cheetor asked Kairen.

"Never better," she smiled.

"What're you doing here?" demanded Rattrap. "Ain't Cybertron a little out of 'yer range, Sentinel?"

From underneath Sentinel a small rocket pack blared up, levitating him into the air. Though the Maximals from earth were here, it would still not deter him from fulfilling his ultimate goal.

"I have but one purpose in mind," Sentinel informed them. "And it has nothing to do with any of you!"

Without another word, he flew down and launched himself into the abyss and disappearing underneath the darkness.

"How the heck did Sentinel get here?" demanded Cheetor.

"Is Sentinel his name?" asked Kairen.

"Yeah, he was a computer program that went rogue when we were on earth," explained Rattrap. "I didn't think he had 'da means to make it 'ta Cybertron."

"He said… something about completing a download into the core of Cybertron," Kairen informed them.

Cheetor's eyes widened, suddenly realizing what was at stake.

"You mean—" he gasped.

"It means we don't have any time to waste," Depth Charge uncrossed both arms. "We have to get down there before Sentinel does! Cheetor, you and Kairen alert the authorities! Rattrap and I will go down to stop him!"

"Got it," Cheetor transformed to beast mode and flew into the air. Kairen leaped onto his back and the two flew off.

"What now?" asked Rattrap, after the two had left.

"We go down," Depth Charge replied plainly.

"Down there?" Rattrap did not like the looks of the abyss. "How're we gonna—"

Depth Charge picked Rattrap up by the scruff of his neck and held him tightly.

"The old fashioned way," he confirmed.

"Oh man… don't tell me 'yer gonna juuuuuuump!"

In mere seconds, Rattrap's cries were little more than echoes as the two leaped into the darkness of the tunnel.

* * *

It was only at the very last second before they hit the ground that Depth Charge activated his rockets, slowing their descent.

"Whew, cut it a bit closer why don'tcha?" Rattrap breathed heavily.

At this time, the tunnel leading downwards had ended and the two Maximals were standing before a new set of chambers with almost a maze-like quality. There was no telling which way Sentinel had gone. The rogue supercomputer could have made it to the central core of Cybertron for all they knew.

"Slag!" Depth Charge snarled. "Which way did he go?"

Rattrap transformed to beast mode and began sniffing around.

"You smell 'im?" asked Depth Charge.

"He went 'dat way!" Rattrap pointed towards the left entrance before them.

* * *

"So Rattrap and Depth Charge went by themselves?" asked Solaris Prime.

"Yes sir," Kairen reported. "Understandably so because of the extreme situation they were facing."

"I see," Solaris Prime picked up his Matrix Blade. "Then we shall go there with a platoon of soldiers to face the threat of this Sentinel."

Kairen bowed and headed out. Before Cheetor could do the same, Solaris stopped him.

"Tell me, has Depth Charge also pulled stunts like this while on earth?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," Cheetor admitted. "But he helped our team out a lot."

"Would it surprise you if I told you that Depth Charge also disobeyed my orders in the past?" asked Solaris.

"Not at all," Cheetor replied. "Though this time I'm surprised Depth Charge took Rattrap with him instead of going solo."

"Depth Charge _is_ changing," Solaris stroked his chin contemplatively.

"He is?" asked Cheetor.

"Indeed," Solaris smiled. "But for now, let us concentrate on preventing Sentinel from reaching his goals."

* * *

"This place really is a dump," Depth Charge wandered through the corridors with a spare flashlight he had in his compartments. "Just the kind of place you'd like."

"Hey, I'll have you know I can make 'dis place real comfy and cozy give or take a few megacycles!" Rattrap protested.

"With what?" Depth Charge asked. "Scrap and garbage?"

"Yeah, well I'd like to see you do better!" Rattrap shot back.

"I don't need to," Depth Charge returned. "I don't wallow in a garbage heap."

"Yeah, tuna-breath?" Rattrap exclaimed. "Then maybe you'd like to explain why you smell like fresh sardines all 'da time?"

Finally, Depth Charge let Rattrap have the last word. They still had a mission going on and he wasn't about to let a little feud like this stop them.

"Incoming!" Depth Charge suddenly perked his head up.

Five guardian drones were headed their way. These drones were responsible for security on different levels of the planet where there was a shortage of Maximal workers. And who could blame those Maximals. Some jobs on the planet were considered so low-brow that there weren't many Transformers who wanted to take them, such as maintenance of the lower levels of Cybertron's surface. And hence, the need for these drones existed.

The five drones lined up neatly before Depth Charge and Rattrap. They all shared the same dull gray color scheme with a rounded head and a simple body shaped like an upside down triangle. Below them was a propulsion unit which kept them afloat in the air. Each of the drones raised their arms as if to halt the two Maximals.

"Enemies detected on Sector Three of Cybertron," the drones spoke simultaneously.

"What 'da heck?" Rattrap exclaimed. "We're Maximals here!"

"Prepare to exterminate!" they echoed all at once.

"It's no good," Depth Charge took out his gun. "They've gone haywire."

"Yeah, and I think I know 'da cause," Rattrap gulped, realizing that Sentinel was at the bottom of this.

All of them fired at once. Rattrap's shield appeared on his wrist, deflecting one of the shots as he stepped back.

Depth Charge used his wing to cover both of them and fired back. Rattrap also returned fire and by the time it was over, all five drones lay on the floor in a heap.

"Yeah, Sentinel was here alright," Rattrap remarked.

"A brilliant observation," a voice emerged from one of the damaged drones.

From the wreckage, a small holographic projection emerged from the destroyed drone. It was Sentinel's new form.

"By the time you have encountered these drones, I will have gone further into this planet's structure, leaving you straggling behind," Sentinel's projection told them.

"Aw slag, he wanted 'ta distract us the whole time!" Rattrap facepalmed.

"I would suggest that you make peace with your maker," Sentinel told them. "For I will become that maker itself once I download my programming into the heart of Cybertron!"

The projection disappeared, leaving behind a very worried Depth Charge and Rattrap.

"You know what to do," Depth Charge looked at Rattrap in acknowledgement.

"Yeah," agreed Rattrap.

Both Maximals immediately transformed into vehicle mode and sped down the tunnels to reach the rogue supercomputer.

* * *

"This is strange," Sentinel crawled through the corridors. "I thought by now I would have reached the core."

He was still travelling through the tunnels. By his recent calculations, it could take megacycles, if not days before he finally reached Cybertron's core. And he didn't have enough time if the Maximals were already alerted to his presence.

"Halt!" a dozen more guardian drones appeared. "In the name of the Maximal High Command!"

"You are of no concern," Sentinel told them contemptuously.

He fired several darts that penetrated their hides. Once inside, the darts released several nanites which took over their programming in a matter of seconds.

"We obey only Sentinel," the drones finally intoned.

"That's better," Sentinel walked past them. "Should any Maximals come, eliminate them."

He entered into another chamber, this one much bigger than the other ones he had gone into.

It was exactly what he was looking for. To his left was the non-functional body of a much larger guardian drone, this one with legs. At the center was a singular bullet train.

Sentinel crawled over to the train and read the inscription on it. It was in ancient Cybertronian but he understood it well enough since he had the language programmed into his core consciousness. The words were very simple.

_To Cybertron's Core._

Again he glanced back at the body of the guardian drone. It was similarly shaped to the smaller guardian drones except this one had to massive legs and a mega-cannon on its left arm. The drone was much stronger than the body he had now. And despite its size, it could still fit inside the bullet train.

Without delay, Sentinel walked over to the drone and opened up its circuitry. He planted a chip into its main console and opened up a tube on his body, connecting it to the chip he planted on the much larger drone.

In mere kliks, the download was complete. Sentinel stretched out his hand to test out his new body. It would serve its purpose for now. After all, why gloat about this body when he would become a living planet soon enough?

An explosion behind the closed doors alerted him. From the sounds of it, the Maximals had arrived and were fighting his reprogrammed drones.

The door blew off its hinges as Depth Charge and Rattrap entered.

"You're not going anywhere, Sentinel!" Depth Charge warned.

"Yeah, you're gettin' off 'dis place!" Rattrap added.

"You fools are too late to stop me!" Sentinel rushed inside the train.

He grabbed the train's lever and pulled down, starting its engines up. Very soon, the train blasted off into the lower tunnel.

"He's not getting away that easily!" Depth Charge narrowed his eyes.

* * *

Sentinel looked down at the timer on the train. According to it, he would arrive there within ten more cycles. It was a good enough time limit. Even if Depth Charge and Rattrap caught up with him, it would take the other Maximals much longer. And he was fairly certain those two Maximals could be contained with the right amount of planning.

Suddenly the train shook.

Stepping back from the controls, Sentinel looked up as a hole was blasted open on the roof.

Depth Charge leaped down, followed by Rattrap. The first thing Depth Charge did was to attack him head on.

Sentinel aimed his mega-cannon at Depth Charge and fired. However, Depth Charge kicked his arm, sending the blast upwards, making yet another hole on the train's ceiling.

The blue Maximal slammed his fist into Sentinel, pushing him back. He struck again and again, staying on the offensive. As Sentinel swung back, Depth Charge leaped over Sentinel, kicking him in the back of the head and sending him stumbling forward where Rattrap caught him with a sweep kick, knocking Sentinel over.

"It's finished," Depth Charge stood over Sentinel with his gun.

"I don't believe this!" Sentinel's voice gave way to anger.

"Believe it," Rattrap pointed a gun directly at Sentinel's head.

Sentinel saw his opportunity. Without warning, he grabbed Rattrap and placed the smaller Maximal right in front of him. Depth Charge saw this and pulled back his gun, not wanting to shoot the rat.

With Rattrap firmly in his grasp, Sentinel pointed his fist at Depth Charge and fired. Like a rocket launcher, his fist flew off his hand and slammed into the larger Maximal's chin, sending him flying back. After its initial punch, the hand sailed back to Sentinel's wrist, reconnecting.

The rogue computer grabbed Rattrap and threw him aside.

By the time Depth Charge came to his senses, he felt something being planted right into his chest.

It was Sentinel's mega-cannon which let loose a blast of blue, sonic energy that struck Depth Charge head-first and sent him crashing into the main controls.

"Ugh…" Depth Charge slid off the controls, falling to the floor.

"Warning," the train's computer warned them. "Control of this vehicle has been lost. Collision course will result in one cycle and counting."

"Aw slag," Rattrap cried.

Either Sentinel heard what was going on and still chose to ignore it, or he didn't hear it at all. He grabbed the prone Depth Charge by the neck and lifted him up, opening up his mega-cannon for another shot.

Rattrap saw this and returned fire with his pistol.

Several of the shots slowly chipped away at Sentinel's armor, forcing him to take notice. Sentinel shot back with his mega-cannon, which Rattrap promptly dodged. This time, Rattrap's pistol sent a blast that knocked Sentinel on his back.

He ran up to Depth Charge but the blue Maximal waved aside help.

"Someone's gotta stop this train," he told Rattrap.

"I'm on it!" Rattrap nodded.

As the train sped on, Rattrap went to the main controls to try to fix it.

Depth Charge, on the other hand, was tackled from behind by Sentinel. The blue Maximal was thrown against the wall by Sentinel who knocked him down yet again with a punch across the jaw.

"You're really starting to piss me off," Depth Charge wiped away the mech fluid near his chin.

Sentinel answered with a blast from his mega-cannon. Depth Charge saw it straight away and used his wing as protection, deflecting the blast through one of the windows.

"Oh man, oh man," Rattrap was panicking in the meantime. "How do I stop 'dis thing?"

"Better do something quick!" Depth Charge shouted, struggling against Sentinel.

"Quit rushin' me!" Rattrap shot back. "I know what I'm doing?"

"Then do it faster!" Depth Charge blocked an incoming strike by Sentinel with his tail spear.

"Hey, you try workin' under pressure!" Rattrap shouted.

There was no other alternative. The train was nearing its exit point and it wasn't slowing down one bit. With no other recourse, Rattrap did the only thing he could. He broke open the control panel and blasted it from the inside.

The train came to a grinding stop. Thankfully it did not crash and explode but the momentum of the stop threw both Depth Charge and Sentinel out of the train through the front window. Luckily, Rattrap ducked down as he saw both bodies plummeting through the glass.

Now that the carnage was over, Rattrap got out of the door. Both the fallen bodies of Sentinel and Depth Charge were there.

Depth Charge was sprawled across the floor on his chest. Slowly, he managed to get up and eyed Rattrap as if he wanted to make mincemeat out of the rat.

"Cut it a little closer next time, why don't you?" Depth Charge brushed off the debris from his body.

"Hey, be grateful I saved 'yer slippery skidplates!" Rattrap protested.

"I'll think about it for later," grunted Depth Charge. "Right now we have Sentinel to take care of."

Just as Depth Charge spoke those words, a powerful blast struck him in the chest and pinned him against the wall. Rattrap was next as Sentinel blasted him away.

"You will not be allowed to interfere with my plans," Sentinel warned them.

Before Depth Charge or Rattrap could get up, Sentinel blasted open the ceiling above them, sending tons of rubble crashing down on them.

* * *

"Is this where they were?" asked Solaris.

"Yeah, they went down there," Cheetor confirmed.

An entire squadron of troops had been brought along for this mission. In a case as dire as this, more manpower was needed.

"Before we go, what can you tell me about this Sentinel?" asked Solaris Prime.

"Well sir, according to Rattrap, Sentinel is a sentient Maximal computer program gone rogue," explained Kairen. "He was created on earth but somehow made it back here."

"He was created on earth, was he?" Solaris glanced at Cheetor for an answer.

"Well, yeah," Cheetor admitted. "We built him but the Preds did something to his programming that screwed him up."

"Which would apparently explain why he's trying to download his consciousness into Cybertron," concluded Solaris. "Tell me, what are his particular weaknesses?"

Cheetor did not even have to hesitate before answering.

"His overblown ego."

* * *

"You okay?" Rattrap asked after pulling the rubble off his leg.

"Never been better," Depth Charge got up and brushed off the dust.

They had no idea how long they had been out but they were quite certain it was long enough for Sentinel to have gotten away. Right now they were at the center of Cybertron and the road to the core mainframe of Cybertron wasn't too far away.

"You know," Depth Charge commented. "You'd think for all that money you won at the casinos, you'd buy us some better equipment for underground excavations."

"Well, eh," Rattrap said nervously. "That's kinda too late now."

"Why?"

"Well," confessed Rattrap. "I blew away all that money last night."

"You what?" Depth Charge demanded.

"Hey!" Rattrap exclaimed. "It was a great night and I was havin' lots a' fun!"

"You… you gambled away fifty thousand credits?" Depth Charge's voice rose.

"I'll have you know that my winning streak was still going strong until some upstart took it from me," explained Rattrap.

"You really should've quit while you were ahead," Depth Charge shook his head.

"Meh, ya gotta learn to live a little," Rattrap replied.

"Maybe," Depth Charge agreed reluctantly. "But for now, let's just concentrate on finding Sentinel."

* * *

"Amazing!" Shokaract marveled. "I never thought a sparkless robot was capable of such ambitions."

"This one is apparently," Prowler commented.

Shokaract, Tarantulas, Prowler, and Rampage were in his private chambers, watching the monitor on the screen. Due to his extensive spy network, Shokaract's servants had installed surveillance cameras in many levels of Cybertron, including the least known of places like the underground. That way, any activities of interest would be reported back to Shokaract as soon as possible.

"Sentinel was created on earth," Tarantulas explained to Shokaract. "Though he is but a computer program, his mind is most sentient. I'm just surprised he made it onto my ship without me finding out."

"I see," Shokaract nodded. "Why would he want to control Cybertron so badly?"

"He believes he is a superior lifeform," Tarantulas went on. "To him, all organic life and Transformers alike must either be destroyed or absorbed into his being. Cybertron, being the hub of technological achievement, would be the perfect base from which to build his new empire."

"Not bad for a metal shell without a spark," Shokaract turned around. "Rampage, Prowler, come with me."

"Why?" demanded Rampage.

"We're going to see how this all plays out." Shokaract told them.

Prowler and Rampage looked at each other briefly. Prowler merely shrugged and followed Shokaract.

Rampage stayed here he was briefly before following. Tarantulas, however, saw the ambiguous look on the behemoth's face. He knew what it was. It was the look of treachery. And given enough incentive, Rampage would turn against Shokaract. In fact, it was only a simple matter of time.

"Perhaps there is more fun to be had in this line of work," Tarantulas smiled inwardly and went back to his research.

* * *

"Stop where you are!" more drones began appearing.

Sentinel had been counting on this. Seeing more guard drones there was no surprise. These ones, however, were aerial 'bots shaped with stingers. From the stingers, several lasers erupted.

In retaliation, Sentinel opened up a small gun he had taken with him. He opened fire, shooting out more radio controllers that attached themselves to the aerial drones. In no time at all, they stopped their assault and stood down.

"We obey only Sentinel," they echoed simultaneously.

"Ya just don't give up, do ya?"

Sentinel tilted his head to the side to see Rattrap and Depth Charge there again. Why did those two continuously attempt to stop him? Didn't they realize that they were only mere impediments in his quest?

"I have no time to deal with the likes of you anymore," Sentinel told them, walking towards the hallway that led to the core mainframe. "Drones, dispose of these two."

The drones encircled Depth Charge and Rattrap across the air, unleashing an electrical net that trapped the two in place, rendering them paralyzed.

"Aaagh!" Depth Charge and Rattrap shouted, barely being able to move from their immobilization.

"Now, onward to my destiny," Sentinel said from afar as he finally entered into the central mainframe.

The supercomputer pushed down in front of a button on the side to close the gate down on the hallway.

"Aw slag!" Rattrap shouted. "He made it in!"

"Can't… move!" Depth Charge growled.

"Yo Depth Charge!" Rattrap called out. "I think I know a trick but 'yer gonna have 'ta help me."

"I'm listening…" Depth Charge grunted.

"Got a belly bomb wit' me," Rattrap explained. "Ya gotta… get it!"

The hatch on Rattrap's arm compartment opened up to reveal the belly bomb.

Luckily, Depth Charge was very close to Rattrap. Using every last mechanical fiber of his body, he ignored the pain and reached over to grab it.

"Now… press down on 'da green button!" Rattrap instructed.

At this point, even moving a finger was difficult. But somehow, Depth Charge still managed to do so.

He pressed down on the green button on Rattrap's belly bomb, unleashing a surge of electro-magnetic energy which countered the electrical force field they had been trapped in. The new wave of energy surged into all the drones, shorting them all out in mid-air. Finally, they fell to the ground lifelessly, releasing the electrical field that had held Rattrap and Depth Charge in place.

"Whew!" Rattrap panted. "Now 'dat was a close one!"

Depth Charge took a brief moment to rest before getting up again. He was tired but he couldn't wait around for too long. If Sentinel downloaded his core consciousness into the mainframe of Cybertron itself, he would become invincible.

"You catch your breath?" Depth Charge asked Rattrap.

"Yeah, never been better," Rattrap got up as well. "Now let's go!"

* * *

"I'm beginning to sense a lack of trust here," Rampage told Shokaract without warning.

The two of them were sitting in the monitor room, watching Sentinel's action through Shokaract's underground surveillance drone. Prowler stood there on the side with both arms crossed.

Shokaract was not surprised. He had expected this issue to pop up sooner or later. The issues of trust still hadn't been fully ironed out between himself and Rampage.

"You haven't been letting me in on your plans lately," Rampage said in a bemused tone. "Is there a particular reason for that?"

"Not particularly," Shokaract answered calmly. "I've just been too busy lately to really share secrets with anyone."

Prowler reached up and used a pair of fingers to push his sunglasses up. This was becoming more and more interesting.

"You haven't been sending me on missions lately," Rampage reminded his "brother."

"Why should I?" asked Shokaract. "I thought you hated being ordered around."

"I do," Rampage agreed. "But I also like the kind of jobs I do."

"Well then," Shokaract smiled. "Why didn't you tell me that already?"

"You didn't ask," Rampage replied.

Prowler listened intently. Clearly not everything was peachy between the two.

"Oh, and just as a reminder, I hate being upstaged," Rampage brought up another topic.

"Hmm?" Shokaract tiled his head to the side in a questioning manner.

"You sent them," Rampage pointed a finger at Prowler, "to finish off Depth Charge and the others."

"That I did," Shokaract nodded.

"I could have finished off the tuna and his Maximal buddies," Rampage glared at Shokaract. "Instead you sent those bunglers after them!"

Prowler's shades flashed dangerously. Rampage was _really_ pushing it this time.

"Well then," Shokaract diffused the situation by getting up. "It's settled. By the time Cybertron is under my control, you, Rampage, will be by my side to join in its conquest."

With that, Shokaract left the room, leaving Rampage and Prowler alone there.

"Yes… I will," Rampage promised Shokaract ambiguously.

* * *

"The time is nearly complete!" Sentinel raised both arms into the air. "It is from these hallowed halls that godhood will be within my grasp!"

From his top wrist, a connector appeared. It would be this plug that he would inert his whole being into the core of Cybertron itself.

"Now onward… to victory!" Sentinel declared.

From behind him, the gate exploded open and from the smoke, an energy disc erupted forth and struck Sentinel.

"Agh!" Sentinel fell onto his back.

"Step away from the mainframe!" Depth Charge pointed both guns at Sentinel.

"Do as he says!" Rattrap also had his gun trained on Sentinel.

"You pathetic fools!" Sentinel told them. "You do not realize the paradise that I would bring onto the universe!"

"What paradise?" Rattrap spat. "One where everyone bows before 'yer supreme Sentinel mighty-ness?"

"You have such a crude way of putting things, vermin," Sentinel told Rattrap derisively. "Perhaps under my reign, you will learn your place at long last."

"Your reign?" Depth Charge raised an eye ridge.

"Yes, under my ascent to godhood, I will begin a new empire of machines which will consume all in this galaxy!" Sentinel declared. "One by one, we will assimilate every planet and every solar system, bringing planet after planet under my supreme reign!"

"Ya know, you've really lost it 'dis time," Rattrap shook his head.

"I agree with the rat," Depth Charge wasted no further time and opened fire.

Sentinel took the two blasts head on, first making sure to cover his connector cable and ensuring it doesn't get damaged. The force of the explosion rocked his entire body, throwing him into a wall.

"You will not stop me!" Sentinel yelled. "None shall stop me!"

The sentient robot got up but Depth Charge planted his boot right into Sentinel, sending him skidding back across the floor.

"P-Perhaps you are acting rashly," Sentinel said with a tone in his voice that bordered on pleading. "Allow me to access Cybertron and I will have you serve by my side. Surely one as skilled as you could be a valuable asset."

"You call 'dat begging for mercy?" Rattrap had to hold back laughter at the way Sentinel was behaving. "Man, you make Starscream look humble!"

"Yes, perhaps you're right!" Sentinel opened up his chest to reveal five tentacles that launched out and attached them to Depth Charge's chest.

The tentacles hummed to life with electricity and sent a powerful surge into the blue Maximal's circuitry. Depth Charge cried and fell to his knees.

Rattrap ran forth but Sentinel launched his fist once more like a rocket with an open hand, catching Rattrap by the neck and pinning him to the wall.

"Yeah, and 'yer nothing more than a schemin' snake in 'da grass, just like Starscream!" Rattrap spat, trying to pry Sentinel's hand off.

Sentinel pointed his mega-cannon at Depth Charge, firing another blast which knocked the Maximal away.

Very quickly, Rattrap got to work. Though he was pinned against a wall by Sentinel's hand, he pried open the lid that contained the control panel. Reaching inside, he grabbed some wires and began re-arranging as fast as he could.

In the meanwhile, Sentinel was edging closer and closer towards the central core of Cybertron.

A large metal ring lay at the core with machinery surrounding it. At the center of it was a blue wave of energy spiraling upward. It was here that the energy of this core powered the entire planet and gave it life.

"At long last!" Sentinel stretched out both arms. "I will become a living god!"

He opened up the connector cable on his own arm and clutched the modem itself on the machines surrounding Cybertron's core. After doing that, his connector cable moved closer and closer towards its target. Once he entered the cable, he would be able to download himself into all of Cybertron.

"No you don't!" Depth Charge wrapped both arms around Sentinel from behind. After a brief struggle, Sentinel broke free of the grip and backhanded Depth Charge away with his mega-cannon.

Sentinel turned around. "Do you Maximals ever give up?"

"Not as long as our circuits are still cranking!" Rattrap declared from the side. "Oh, and here's a nice gift-wrapped present for ya's!"

In his hand, Rattrap held the fist that Sentinel had sent towards him as a rocket. Rattrap pressed down on a button in its controls, allowing it to spin to life. The fist launched towards Sentinel in the same fashion that it did to Rattrap, in the position of an open palm.

Except this time, there was a belly bomb attached to the hand's open palm. The mechanical hand slammed into Sentinel's chest, gripping itself and the bomb attached to it tightly onto the sentient robot.

"No!" Sentinel cried.

"Three… two… one!" Rattrap counted down.

The bomb that was now attached to Sentinel's chest exploded, searing off an enormous chunk of his body. Sentinel stumbled forward, badly damaged.

"Have… to make it!" Sentinel cried.

The connector cable opened up on his mega-cannon. It was the only option he had left. He stumbled forward to the nearest controls.

"Back off!"

Depth Charge, now recovered from his initial wounds, leaped into the air and came down, kicking Sentinel in the back, knocking him down.

Though damaged, Sentinel got up once more and swung at Depth Charge. Depth Charge grabbed Sentinel by the arm and threw him overhead, far away from the core.

"This cannot be!" Sentinel cried. "My dreams shall not be dashed!"

"Sorry," Depth Charge held up both his guns. "They just did."

Rattrap and Depth Charge opened fire simultaneously. The missiles and energy blasts tore away what remained of Sentinel's armor until his body was reduced to wreckage.

"You…" Sentinel sputtered before shutting down.

His near-lifeless body finally stopped moving.

"Whew!" Rattrap fell down on his skidplates. "Crisis averted!"

"Yeah, that was close," agreed Depth Charge.

"There they are!" a voice from down the hall cried.

Solaris Prime soon appeared before them with his troops at hand, along with Cheetor and Kairen.

"It seems to me the situation has been taken care of," he said dryly.

Cheetor smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, no thanks to fishface," Rattrap pointed his thumb at Depth Charge.

"Hey!" Depth Charge shouted in protest. "I'll have you know I did most of the work!"

"Says who?" Rattrap got up. "I was 'da one who got us 'dis far!"

"Whoa guys," Kairen butted in, attempting to remedy the situation. "Can't we just say you both saved Cybertron?"

"I would've at first," Depth Charge told her. "But this garbage eater had to take all the credit for himself."

"That's 'cause I earned it!" Rattrap declared proudly.

"Just forget about it," Cheetor told Kairen, smiling. "They'll never change."

"I can see why," Kairen shook her head in disbelief.

"Ya know, if you weren't so moody all the time, you might actually have a nice social life!" Rattrap growled.

"So I can gamble away all my money?" Depth Charge's eyes did not waver. "No thanks!"

"Hey, at least I don't smell like rotten tuna!"

"Can't get much worse than smelling like the garbage heap!"

"You wanna bring it on, ya overgrown sea turtle!"

"I would," Depth Charge reminded Rattrap. "But need I remind you of our size difference? I'd hate to pick on kids half my size."

"Don't flatter yerself!" Rattrap mocked. "You're just a big guppy in a small pond!"

"Bring it then, tough guy," Depth Charge taunted.

"Why I oughta!" Rattrap charged the blue Maximal.

Before Rattrap could even reach him, Depth Charge reached out with his much longer arm and held the smaller Maximal back by his forehead. Rattrap's arms flailed in the air angrily, trying to reach Depth Charge.

"Quit playin' and fight like a man!" Rattrap shouted.

"Hah!" snorted Depth Charge. "You're gonna have to do better than that!"

"I'll… leave everything else to the pickup crew," Solaris almost face-vaulted. "Have Sentinel's body brought back to the labs."

"Yes sir," Kairen saluted.

"Haha," Cheetor laughed, watching Depth Charge and Rattrap bicker back and forth. "I could sit here and watch this all day."

"Yeah, this is better than some of Cybertron's best soap operas," Kairen agreed.

"Got any popcorn for this?" Cheetor asked. "This could go on for quite a while.

"What's popcorn?" she asked.

"Oh whoops," Cheetor slapped his head, realizing she wasn't well-versed in Earth terminology. "Forget it. My bad."

* * *

"Solaris told us to examine this," the head engineer at the lab briefly soaked his hand in energon sanitizers. "But it doesn't look like anything more than a pile of scrap to me."

"Well, you know the Prime's orders," his partner told him.

"Yeah," the engineer sighed. "Anyways, let's get started."

Before either of them could get to work, a knock on the door was heard.

"Who's that?"

In the next split second, the door was kicked open as Rampage marched in. Hissing in sadistic pleasure he leaped across the room and landed in front of the two. Without hesitation he grabbed them both by the neck and lifted them up on high.

"Hello prey!" Rampage growled.

"Enjoy yourself, Rampage!" Shokaract called out cheerfully. "As for me, it's time to dissect this strange creature."

Shokaract walked over towards the lab table that held Sentinel's body. He opened up a panel on the now-destroyed Sentinel's head. His spark hummed to life and projected a flash of light onto the body.

"Come on now… where is it?"

Finally, he found it. Reaching inside, he pulled out Sentinel's control chip which had been installed into this drone's body. It was still intact.

"Just what I was looking for…" Shokaract's grin widened.


	50. Paradise Lost Part 1

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Paradise Lost Pt 1_

"It has begun," Shokaract told Rampage. "Moments from now, I will give the signal and the conquest will commence."

Both Shokaract and Rampage stood atop the spire of the Maximal Senate. At the very top of the spire was a pad shaped in the likeliness of a circle. Below was a Senate meeting that had just begun. Little did any of the Maximals below realize what was about to come.

"Why attack now?" asked Rampage. "I thought you wanted to hold this off until later."

"I did" confessed Shokaract, holding up a small chip. "But when I scanned the memories of this Sentinel, I came across images of a small planet in a galaxy beyond ours."

"You're not talking about Earth, are you?" Rampage inquired.

"Yes, Earth," Shokaract confirmed. "It is a small planet, albeit abundant in organic life and natural resources. More importantly, it is a nexus of great power!"

From what he had scanned of Sentinel, Shokaract had found databanks of various runes that gave off residual cosmic energies, as well as a full-scale invasion of the planet by unknown creatures called the Vok. Also, he discovered the memories of a god-like being named Tigerhawk who descended to Earth and nearly destroyed it. All these and more he found out through a cursory scan of Sentinel's memory files.

"Once we conquer Cybertron, earth shall be next!" Shokaract declared.

"Ha!" intoned Rampage. "Don't make me laugh. It's light years away!"

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong," Shokaract replied. "You see, Sentinel's original plan had been to install his consciousness in Cybertron's core. Despite his failure, it was such a brilliant plan that I just had to adopt it for myself!"

"How do you plan on doing that?" demanded Rampage.

"The Darkspark is capable of many things," Shokaract reminded the crustacean. "For you see, the Maximal Senate is one of the central buildings on this planet which shares an underground nucleus connection to the mainframe of Cybertron's core. With the Darkspark, I can easily instill my will across the entire planet in a matter of moments."

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Rampage. "Why not get this show on the road?"

"You read my mind, Rampage," smiled Shokaract.

Shokaract leaped into the air and transformed into a cannon. He landed on the floor, with three support claws holding him to the ground. After charging up, he fired a red blast clear into the air, which exploded a litany of fireworks.

"Let the final battle begin!" shouted Shokaract. "Let Cybertron be consumed by fire!"

* * *

"General Strika," Jetstorm hovered into the war room. "General Obsidian."

"Greetings Lieutenant Jetstorm," Obsidian gestured for Jetstorm to join them. "Congradulations on your new promotion."

"It's an honor to join Cybertron's finest," Jetstorm bowed.

Strika and Obsidian were the only ones in the war room aside from himself. Jetstorm put both hands on the table and leaned forward. He had no legs to stand on and relied on a hovering mechanism beneath his jet-like body to keep him afloat. Obsidian was of the same design, though he resembled a copter more than a jet. Strika, on the other hand, had the vehicle mode of a Cybertonian tank and did not rely on flight.

"Lieutenant Jetstorm," Obsidian warned. "Slouching in this manner is not the proper conduct in which Vehicons should carry themselves!"

"Come on!" Jetstorm insisted. "Give me a break! It's my first day with this new job!"

"Yes, and it shall be your last!" a voice through the inter-com told them.

"What was that?" Strika took out her rifle and snapped to full alert.

From the air vent above, a small bomb dropped down on their table. It unleashed an electro-magnetic pulse which immediately shorted out the circuitry of all three Maximal generals.

Obsidian was the final one to fall to the floor. Not yet unconscious, he watched as several Predacon commandos entered into the war room.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"That's not your concern," Tarantulas walked in, with Serpentine by his side. "All you need to know is that there's going to be some changes around here."

Serpentine lowered her crystal staff and sent a jolt of power into Obsidian, electrocuting him into stasis lock for good.

"We've taken out the top Vehicon generals, sir," one of the Predacon commandos told Tarantulas. "Shall we dispose of them?"

"No," Tarantulas told them. "These three may be of some use to me yet."

"But they could be dangerous," Serpentine warned him.

"Perhaps," Tarantulas acknowledged. "But they are also skilled and useful warriors."

"Shall we take them prisoner?" asked the commando.

"Yes," Tarantulas replied. "But have their bodies sealed within stasis pods and put away for safekeeping."

"Alright, sir," the commando bowed.

* * *

"For the last time, Rattrap!" Depth Charge growled. "Wake up!"

"Whoa… what?" Rattrap fell off his bunk. "Did I win 'da lottery?"

"No, but in case you didn't notice, this city is under siege!" Depth Charge glared at Rattrap.

"Oh… uh, how'd that happen?" Rattrap asked.

"Cheetor can fill you in," Depth Charge told him.

The next thing they knew, Cheetor bounded into their chambers on all fours. The look of urgency on his face was enough to snap Rattrap out of his drowsiness and focus on the more important matters at hand.

"It's happening almost everywhere!" Cheetor warned. "Shokaract's troops are taking over this city!"

"He's launchin' a full scale invasion?" Rattrap was taken aback.

"Yeah," Cheetor sighed. "Just take a look."

Rattrap walked towards the window and glanced through it. The streets were filled with hoards of Predacon tanks and swarms of Seekers flew through the air towards the Maximal Senate building.

"Oh boy," Rattrap muttered. "This ain't good."

* * *

"Everyone!" Senator Ventrix told the near-panicked Maximal Senators. "Maintain order!"

"How can we when we're under attack?" another senator spoke out. "We haven't had a conflict like this for eons!"

Despite the efforts of Ventrix Prime, there was little he could do to maintain the public order. In all the centuries of peace they had, he did not expect a conflict of this magnitude to arise again.

"We'll be slagged if we stay in here!"

"Going outside's no better!"

"What do we do?"

"What about Solaris Prime? He can help us!"

"If any of you think Solaris Prime will come save the day," Shokaract appeared suddenly behind Ventrix. "Think again."

"You!" Ventrix Prime spun around.

Shokaract was not alone either. Yarkon, Steelhide, Captain Skorn, Rampage, Prowler, Sonata, and Clampdown were with him.

"What do you want, Shokaract?" demanded Ventrix.

"Do you really have to ask?" Shokaract grinned, revealing his teeth.

"Whatever happens, we will not give in to your terrorist demands!" Ventrix raised a fist.

"What demands?" asked Shokaract, grabbing Ventrix Prime's fist and twisting it. "The one about having no less than total control of Cybertron or the one about having Solaris Prime's head served to me on a silver platter?"

"You'll get neither!" Ventrix shouted, despite the pain.

"Don't worry," Shokaract threw Ventrix aside. "After I'm through with this planet, I'll have everything!"

"What do you plan on doing?" demanded Ventrix.

"You'll see," Shokaract told him as his minions howled with laughter. "You'll see."

"Sir, what are you orders?" Captain Skorn asked Shokaract.

"You, Skorn, will accompany the triple-changers on the left flank of the Maximal Senate," ordered Shokaract. "As for the rest of you, stand here and guard this place."

"At once my lord," Skorn nodded.

* * *

"You!" Blitzkrieg ordered. "Cover me as I handle these puny Maximals."

Blitzkrieg was the central commander of the Triple-Changers who could alternate between two vehicle modes. Unlike the other Triple-Changers, his armor was clad with a shade of purple and gray, whereas his footsoldiers were simply green. He, in particular, could transform into both a tank and a jet.

As the Maximal soldiers returned fire, Blitzkrieg lowered both his arm cannons and fired back, consuming the enemy in a steady stream of lasers.

"Flee you Maximal cowards!" Blitzkrieg howled with delight. "Run like the insecticons you are!"

"Hey gruesome!"

Blitzkrieg turned around just as Cheetor drove a fist into his midsection. The Triple-Changer stepped back in sudden pain and shock.

"What are you?" he demanded, having never seen a Transmetal Two in his entire life.

"Your worst nightmare!" Cheetor growled.

"Whoever you are, I will squash your servos!" Blitzkrieg shook both fists in the air.

"Bring it on!" Cheetor gestured.

Driven to anger, Blitzkrieg transformed to his tank mode and opened fire with both cannons. Cheetor flipped away to avoid the shots and grabbed his main two cannons, lifting Blitzkrieg up in an impressive display of strength and throwing him across the ground.

Blitzkrieg transformed back to robot mode and fired once more after getting up. Despite firing off one shot after another, he was unable to keep up with Cheetor's impressive speed. The young Maximal closed the gap with the Predacon Triple-Changer and drove multiple fists into Blitzkrieg repeatedly. Blitzkrieg staggered back and swung his fist at the Maximal's head but Cheetor ducked under and leaped overhead.

After flipping over Blitzkrieg, Cheetor waited until his opponent turned around and hammered Blitzkrieg with a punch in the mid-section so relentless that the Predacon coughed out mech-fluid.

"Ack!" he stepped back.

"Want some more?" Cheetor demanded.

In great shock, Blitzkrieg looked around him. His battalion of soldiers was slowly but surely being overwhelmed by the Maximal security forces and Depth Charge and Rattrap played no small part in helping to defeat them. He was not certain how the other battalions of the Wayward Sons were doing in other parts of the city but he knew for certain that he had met his defeat here.

"Better to live and fight another day!" Blitzkrieg howled and transformed into a jet, blasting off.

He did not manage to get very far. In an instant, Cheetor was atop of him, slamming a fist down into his circuit panel, destroying it utterly. With a sputter, Blitzkrieg fell back down to the ground, crash-landing near the Maximals.

"That's one down," Kairen informed them. "But the remainder of the city is still under siege by Shokaract's forces."

"Where do we go from here?" asked Cheetor.

"I'm betting Shokaract is headed to the Maximal Senate building," Depth Charge told them. "Something tells me we should go there next."

"Agreed," Kairen told them. "We'll need to make it to that building first."

Kairen looked at her Maximal security division.

"Alright guys, are you ready to give us backup?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am!" the soldiers saluted.

"Good, then let's go," Depth Charge transformed to flight mode and flew off with Cheetor and Rattrap following him closely from behind.

* * *

"Your evil acts will not come to pass!" Solaris Prime sliced down another soldier coming at him.

In the heart of his office, he had been attacked by nearly fifty of the Predacon Elite Guard. Skilled though they were, they could not defeat him, especially considering he held the Matrix Blade.

But there was most likely another purpose to these Elite Guardsbots coming in. It was very possible they were here to act as a distraction to prevent him from taking command while the rest of the city was under assault.

Two more of the Elite Guard charged him with electro-staffs in hand. Solaris blocked their attacks by holding his sword up and knocked them back with a surge of energy from the blade.

As they got up again, Solaris quickly slashed through both of them. Within moments, both Predacons fell to the floor.

"That is the last of them…" Solaris huffed.

"Bravo, bravo," a clapping sound from Solaris emerged.

"Shokaract, I should have known you wanted to keep me distracted," Solaris Prime turned around.

"What's wrong?" taunted Shokaract. "Afraid centuries of Maximal rule will finally end?"

"It will not have to fall," Solaris reminded the renegade. "So long as the spark of the fallen and the light of the Matrix shine upon us."

"And what makes you think the Matrix still shines on you?" Shokaract snarled, revealing his sharp teeth. "Especially after all the things you've done?"

"If you're referring to what we did to you," Solaris told Shokaract. "Then I'll have you know what I've regretted your creation since then."

"Hah hah hah hah ha!" Shokaract laughed, losing all the professionalism he had previously conducted around his own troops. "What's the problem with you Primes. You can't help but try to play Primus!"

"Yes, we do seem to have that complex, don't we?" Solaris did not budge.

The tension between the two was so sharp that even the slightest molecule in the air did not escape their heated glances. Shokaract's Darkspark glowed, coalescing into a sword which Shokaract held in his left hand.

"Everything I did, I did to help the Maximals!" Shokaract growled. "Despite all the good I'd done, you still saw fit to exterminate me!"

"You knew too much!" Solaris Prime shot back. "And more importantly, I saw the darkness in your spark! We all did!"

"I was your assassin!" Shokaract replied angrily. "What did you expect me to do? And I came from a piece of Protoform X! Did you really expect otherwise?"

"With you, there was too much collateral damage!" Solaris pointed out. "Innocent Maximal civilians were caught in the crossfire in your assignments against the Predacons."

"They were in the wrong place at the wrong time," Shokaract smiled. "They had to be silenced."

"Which is also the reason we had to get rid of you," Solaris Prime told him. "If you had been allowed to exist any longer, you would have eventually turned on us."

"That is true," Shokaract acknowledged. "Even back then, I had bigger ambitions."

"Then there is nothing to regret," Solaris held his own Matrix Blade.

"Perhaps not with me," Shokaract informed him. "But what about Depth Charge? You subjected him to your super soldier experiments to make him into what you wanted. But it wasn't good enough for you, was it? He lived his life based on the lies you fed him. Should it really come as a surprise that he hates you?"

"No," Solaris said regretfully. "But Depth Charge is nothing like you. In him beats the spark of a Maximal. And he's proven it many times over, despite the hardships he's had to endure."

"Then I shall have to subject him to even more!" Shokaract hissed.

"Not unless I put an end to you once and for all!" Solaris held his blade over his head.

"So be it!" Shokaract charged.

* * *

"We're at the main entrance!" Depth Charge shouted.

Quickly, he raised his guns and fired, taking out two Predacon Elite Guards who were at the front entrance. From behind him, Cheetor and Rattrap were also wading through legions of soldiers.

"There's too many!" Rattrap held back the hands of one Predacon eager to scrap him.

From behind the Predacon, Kairen clocked him over the head with her gun, flooring him.

"Too many, you say?" she asked jokingly.

"Hey, I could've handled him!" Rattrap insisted.

"If you say so," she smiled and immediately went back into the battle.

"Eh, dames these days…" Rattrap muttered.

At the moment, the Maximal security forces were quite evenly matched against the Wayward Sons of Cybertron. All that soon changed as a green blast from above took out a large section of the Maximals.

Hovering in the wind was an airship piloted by Captain Skorn. It was shaped in the likeness of a stasis pod, though there were two wings to the side and at the very bottom, twin laser cannons were mounted to the tip.

"Die, Maximals!" he screamed, sending several more blasts at the Maximal forces.

"We gotta take this guy down!" Cheetor growled.

"I agree," Depth Charge nodded.

Soon enough, the ship spotted them and opened fire. Depth Charge and Cheetor both dove in different directions to avoid the blast. Taking out his tail spear, Depth Charge took careful aim and threw it. The spear flew through the air and lodged itself into one of the laser cannons of the ship.

Skorn attempted to fire once more but the lodged spear blocked the blast, triggering an explosion in the engines which sent his ship hurtling to the ground.

From the wreckage, Skorn emerged slightly disoriented. He saw the Maximal forces before him and took out his rifle.

"You'll never take me alive!" he told them.

Cheetor leaped out from behind him and sent him flying forward with a swift kick. As Skorn was thrown forward, Depth Charge used one of his manta wings to bat Skorn to the side. The Predacon captain landed near Rattrap who quickly slipped a pair of stasis cuffs on him.

"Sorry buddy," Rattrap told him almost joyously. "We just did!"

"We'll handle the rest!" Kairen told Rattrap, Cheetor, and Depth Charge. "Go inside and make sure everyone inside is safe!"

The Maximal trio didn't need to be told twice. They ran through the gates towards the gleaming Maximal Senate building.

* * *

"Tarantulas," Steelhide demanded. "Where were you and Serpentine?"

Ever the late arrivals, Tarantulas and Serpentine had arrived together several cycles after the coup on the Maximal Senate had occurred. They were supposed to have been there for the overthrowing of the Maximal Imperium but Tarantulas had been delayed briefly by his kidnapping of the Vehicons.

"I was occupied," Tarantulas lied. "There were too many Maximals in the way of Serpentine and myself."

"Hah!" Rampage snorted, leaning against the wall. "A likely story."

"What was that?" demanded Tarantulas.

"Anyone with half a processor can tell you're lying," Rampage pointed out. "You were out there spinning your own webbed agenda."

"Do not test me, you mammoth malfunction!" Tarantulas growled. "Or I will be forced to use your spark for my next surgical procedure!"

That struck a nerve with Rampage. The very words of Tarantulas suddenly reminded him of the way the Maximals had experimented on him. He recalled the way they had tortured and electrocuted his spark, in addition to inflicting great pain on it all in the name of science… that was not an insult he could let slide.

"You're mine now, spider!" Rampage stomped towards Tarantulas menacingly.

"Hey, back off!" Yarkon insisted. "Shokaract needs all of us together to complete this mission!"

"And you're going to stop me?" Rampage gave Yarkon a death glare.

"Err…" Yarkon backed away nervously.

Before Rampage could get close to Tarantulas, the main entrance door was immediately knocked down. Before them were Cheetor and Depth Charge.

"You again!" Tarantulas howled.

In vehicle mode, Rattrap sped out from behind Cheetor and Depth Charge, transforming in mid-air and lunging at Tarantulas, tackling him to the floor.

Serpentine spun around with her staff and fired a mystical blast from the piece of the Darkspark given to her by Shokaract. Depth Charge and Cheetor leaped out of the way to avoid it. The first thing Depth Charge did was soon as he got clear of the blast was to take out both his rifle and missile launcher and open fire on Rampage.

Rampage held both arms together and stood firmly his ground as the blasts struck him. When the smoke cleared, he emerged having shown no injuries.

"Was that the best you could do?" Rampage chuckled. "Ho ho ho!"

Serpentine swung her staff at Cheetor who ducked underneath it. She struck at him again and again, only for him to block both attacks with his arms.

"Give it up, eight legs!" Rattrap held one arm down on Tarantulas' throat.

"Filthy vermin!" Tarantulas hissed. "I'll have you bathed in cyber-venom for this!"

With a burst of strength, Tarantulas grabbed Rattrap by his chin and shoved him off. He went over to Rattrap and took out his gun, pointing it at the Maximal's head.

Cheetor witnessed this just as he dodged another energy blast by Serpentine. With the realization that he had to save his friend, Cheetor leaped over Serpentine, grabbing her cloak by her head and twisting it around her, successfully blocking her line of vision. The next thing he did was grab her by her cape.

Spinning around and around two times to gain momentum, he let loose and threw her, sending her body crashing into Tarantulas just before he could shoot Rattrap.

"Omph!" Tarantulas and Serpentine both fell to the ground in a heap.

"You're going down!" Steelhide raised a fist, alongside Yarkon.

"Stay back, both of you!" Rampage ordered.

"But…" protested Yarkon.

"Disobey me and I shall feast on your still-pulsating spark," Rampage gave his final warning.

At this point, both Steelhide and Yarkon decided it was most likely a good idea to do as Rampage commanded.

"The three of you are mine!" Rampage howled.

"Hoo boy," Rattrap gulped as Cheetor and Depth Charge got into a fighting stance.

Rampage charged at them with both arms outstretched. The first thing he did was knock both Cheetor and Depth Charge over like they were bowling pins.

"Hah hah!" Rampage chuckled. "Pathetic!"

The next thing he did was grab Rattrap and lift him directly into the air.

"You'll be the first to go!" Rampage threatened. "We're going to be having rat-on-a-stick for dinner tonight!"

A laser blast came out from the side and struck Rampage. The blast did not hurt at all, but it made Rampage take notice. Senator Ventrix stood there with a laser pistol, with smoke coming out of its hole.

"Put him down, you monstrosity!" he ordered.

Rampage threw Rattrap aside and stomped towards Ventrix Prime.

"What do we have here?" he sneered. "A brave soul willing to present himself as a sacrificial lamb?"

"Do your worst, monster!" Ventrix replied bravely. "But I won't stand aside and allow you to prey upon others!"

"This will hardly be enjoyable at all," Rampage took out his tri-barrel missile launcher and aimed it at Ventrix Prime.

"Back off, ugly!"

Cheetor leaped across the air and side-kicked Rampage in his head, forcing him back. Rampage caught himself from falling and aimed his missile launcher at Cheetor, firing off a salvo. Cheetor immediately realized the great danger the missile posed to everyone in the room and leaped up with a high kick that sent the missile spiraling through one of the windows and exploding outside in the air.

That distraction was all Rampage needed. With an open arm, he clotheslined Cheetor straight into the ground. He lifted Cheetor back up by the neck and squeezed down hard. As Cheetor fought back against the pressure, Rampage lifted his entire body up and body-slammed him into the floor with tremendous impact.

"Ugh…" Cheetor began to see stars at this point.

Raising one foot, Rampage prepared to stomp down on Cheetor. Before he could do so, Depth Charge flew right into him, slamming against his back and sending Rampage stumbling forward.

"This is getting old, Depth Charge," Rampage mocked. "Face it, you'll never defeat me!"

Depth Charge answered back by firing two missiles at Rampage. Rampage punted both missiles aside with his hands but Depth Charge flew right into him again, slamming him back even further.

"I'll admit, old friend," Rampage acknowledged. "You're getting better at this."

"Shut up!" Depth Charge slugged Rampage across the jaw with a clenched fist.

Rampage rolled with the punch and stretched out both arms menacingly.

"You're going to pay dearly for that," he warned.

A sudden kick to his back took Rampage by surprise. He glanced back to see Cheetor behind him in a fighting stance again.

Depth Charge used this momentary distraction to his advantage. Seizing his rifle, he slammed the butt of that very rifle into Rampage's head.

Before Rampage could recover from the blow, Cheetor leaped above Rampage, clasping both hands together and striking the back of the behemoth's head with all his might.

But just as quickly as they had attacked him, Rampage recovered from the blows just as swiftly as he had been injured.

"Is that the best you can do?" Rampage growled, raising both arms in the air for emphasis.

"Oh man, what does it take to stop this guy?" Cheetor groaned.

"Everything we've got," Depth Charge warned the younger Maximal in a sober tone of voice. "Don't expect a walk in the park with X."

* * *

Solaris Prime raised his shield as Shokaract brought his sword down repeatedly. So far, Shokaract was the one going on the offensive while he was defending himself.

"This is getting old, Solaris!" Shokaract howled. "Surrender already!"

"And allow Cybertron to be overrun by your evil?" Solaris pushed Shokaract back with the Matrix Blade. "I think not."

In anger, Shokaract attacked once more. Being the far calmer duelist, Solaris side-stepped Shokaract and slashed him across the side, sending sparks flying. Shokaract turned around and thrust his sword forward which Solaris Prime blocked once more. Again and again, Solaris cut into Shokaract, sending sparks and pieces of machinery flying everywhere.

"Agh…" Shokaract took a step back.

"You forget who taught you everything you know," Solaris reminded Shokaract. "You're still as undisciplined and as careless as ever."

"Perhaps," Shokaract maintained his composure while catching his breath. "But I have something you don't."

It was then that the wounds on his body began to heal. In no time at all, they had completely sealed up.

"I've already attained immortality."

Solaris braced himself as Shokaract attacked once more, this time more fiercely than before.

Soon, he was forced further and further back. Shokaract spun around and slashed open Solaris Prime's mid-section, exposing the circuitry of the Maximal.

"Ugh!" Solaris clutched his side.

Shokaract saw his opening and slashed his sword upwards, cutting another large gash through Solaris Prime's chest, exposing his spark this time.

"Die!" Shokaract raised a hand.

One blast of red Darkspark energy was all it took to send Solaris Prime into the wall before crumpling down in a heap.

* * *

Almost casually, Rampage caught the next punch that Cheetor threw and head-butted him away.

Cheetor fell on his back from the force of the blow and got up groggily. He'd already lost count of the time he and Depth Charge had spent trying to stop Rampage. True he was able to hurt Rampage, but Protoform X was simply too tenacious and durable to fall down to any knockout blows.

Almost helplessly, he watched as Rampage clobbered Depth Charge with a backhand that sent him flying back as well.

"This isn't looking good," Cheetor spat.

"Tell me about it," Depth Charge got back on one knee.

"Hey guys," Rattrap got up next to them. "I think I got a plan!"

Quickly, he whispered something silently to both Cheetor and Depth Charge. After he had completed his words, the two Maximals nodded in agreement.

"You can strategize all you want!" Rampage called out to them. "But nothing can stop me! Not pain and not fear of death!"

"Wanna bet?" Cheetor shot back.

"Care to take another shot at it?" taunted Rampage.

"You ready?" Cheetor looked at Depth Charge.

Depth Charge nodded to signal the attack. Both Maximals lunged at Rampage at once. Before Rampage could lay a blow on the blue Maximal, Depth Charge flew right over Rampage and placed him in a headlock. As he did so, Cheetor quickly rained over a dozen punches into Rampage's chest and stomach in rapid succession.

While Depth Charge and Cheetor were keeping Rampage occupied, Rattrap went over to the unconscious body of Tarantulas and took his cyber-venom dart gun from him. The chance he was about to take was great, but he may not get a better chance than this.

Rampage grabbed Depth Charge and hurled him off. The next thing he did was take a swing at Cheetor who promptly ducked. Extending the claws on both hands, Cheetor slashed Rampage across the chest again and again until a deep wound was made, exposing his spark.

"You'll pay for that!" Rampage bellowed.

Cheetor quickly avoided another punch, grabbing that arm and twisting it behind Rampage's back. Soon, Depth Charge joined the fray and grabbed the other hand, twisting it and forcing Rampage to his knees with Cheetor's assistance.

"Hurry Rattrap!" Cheetor called out.

"Can't hold him down for much longer!" Depth Charge growled.

"Hold still, guys!" Rattrap pointed the dart-gun he had stolen from Tarantulas carefully.

With a burst of power, Rampage threw both Depth Charge and Cheetor off, sending the two Maximals in opposite directions. Cheetor struck the wall head-first while Depth Charge's body slammed into one of the columns in the Senate.

By now, the slash wound on his chest made by Cheetor began to close up slowly. Rattrap, however, had already gotten the distraction time he needed. He fired off a cyber-venom filled dart that entered right into Rampage's wound and directly into his spark, just as the wound closed up completely.

"Urgh!" Rampage clutched his chest.

By now, the cyber-venom coursed through his spark, sending violent spasms across his body.

"What have you done to me?" Rampage fell down to both knees.

"Looks like 'yer spark ain't so invulnerable after all," Rattrap taunted. "Courtesy of 'da latest prescription by Doctor Rattrap."

Finally, the cyber-venom in the dart had traveled through all parts of his entire spark. It then spread rapidly throughout Rampage's entire internal processors, sending him into stasis lock for good.

Cheetor looked down at the fallen Rampage's body.

"Looks like he's down for the count," commented Cheetor.

"Is he… dead?" asked Ventrix Prime who walked up to the body of Rampage.

"Nah, just in stasis," Depth Charge replied.

"In the meantime, we need to get you guys outta here," Rattrap told all the Maximal Senators.

"Agreed," Ventrix Prime nodded.

Soon, Rattrap was the one standing near the emergency exits heralding 'bots out of the entire building.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Rattrap announced. "Walk, do not run, to 'yer nearest exits!"

As soon as the crowd was gone, Depth Charge snapped a pair of stasis cuffs on Rampage just for good measure.

"And stay down!" Rattrap gave Rampage a kick for extra good measure.

* * *

At this point, Solaris Prime had already lost the fight, though he was still standing. Shokaract cut through his mid-section again like hot butter and spun around, sending Solaris crashing to the ground with a side-kick.

"Stasis lock non-functional," Solaris Prime's computer warned him. "Loss of spark imminent."

"So this is what you were planning," Solaris breathed heavily. "You are fighting to kill."

"Yes, and I wanted to have some fun along the way," Shokaract reminded him. "But now that playtime's over, the curtain falls on you now and forever!"

Without another word, Shokaract placed one hand out and blasted Solaris square in the chest with a blue energy blast, sending his limp body crashing against the wall.

"Shokaract, sir!"

Shokaract turned around impatiently. Before him were Steelhide and Yarkon. Both were panting profusely and looking quite nervous at that.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Rampage disobeyed your orders," Yarkon explained. "He was defeated by the three Maximals and now they're making their way up here!"

"I see," Shokaract stroked his chin. "In any case, the two of you will make do."

"What do you mean?" asked Steelhide.

From his utility compartment, Shokaract reached inside and hurled two globs of green chemical compounds, both of which attached themselves to Steelhide and Yarkon.

"W-What is this?" Steelhide dropped to his knees howling in pain.

"It's called Angolmois," explained Shokaract. "To try to explain its properties would take up a megacycle's worth of lectures. In short, it brings out the feral savagery and darkness in one's own spark."

"Hraaaah!" Yarkon yowled, his body growing larger and veins of green mech fluid pumping visibly through his body.

"Whoa!" Rattrap rushed into the room with Cheetor and Depth Charge beside him. "What 'da heck?"

The two Predacons, now deranged and feral, attacked the Maximals on sight. Yarkon slammed into Rattrap while Steelhide tackled Cheetor. Yarkon kicked Rattrap to the side and then threw his wrecking ball, catching Rattrap and smashing him into the wall.

"Now it's just you and me," Shokaract told Depth Charge.

As Rattrap fell down unconscious, Cheetor struggled against Steelhide who was now much stronger and faster than before. Steelhide grabbed Cheetor and threw him into one of the girders of the building. As Cheetor fell, Steelhide struck him across the face, knocking him back. Tackling the Maximal once again, Steelhide pinned Cheetor to the wall.

"Get… off!" Cheetor growled, kneeing Steelhide off. Before Steelhide could retaliate, Cheetor clenched his fist and struck the feral Predacon with all his might. Again and again, Cheetor pounded Steelhide with both fists until a final blow knocked the Predacon on his back.

"Rattrap!" Cheetor cried.

Yarkon stood before the downed Maximal, raising his wrecking ball in the air, preparing for the kill. Instantly, Cheetor flipped over Yarkon and landed in between the fallen Rattrap and the feral Predacon. Just as Yarkon struck down, so did Cheetor who turned around immediately and thrust his hand right through Yarkon's spark chamber, piercing his spark with a fatal blow.

"R—agh!" Yarkon gave one final whimper before the color in his eyes and on his body faded completely.

Without another word, he fell to the floor, dead. Before Cheetor could fully process what he had done, Steelhide tackled him from the side. The two wrestled on the floor momentarily before Cheetor head-butted Steelhide to disorient him, then flipped him over and used both feet to kick him, sending the Predacon crashing through the window.

"Hraaaaaaah!" howled Steelhide as he fell.

Finally, Steelhide hit the metal pavement beneath in a thunderous explosion. When the ashes cleared, his now-gray body was seen by everyone, including Cheetor who peered down from the top. He, too, was dead.

"You just don't give up, do you?" Shokaract demanded.

Depth Charge ducked a sword slash by Shokaract and in the next split second, met Shokaract's blade with his own tail sword.

"Never have, never will!" Depth Charge declared.

Shokaract slammed his elbow forward, which Depth Charge blocked with one arm. The blue Maximal took the opportunity to throw a punch in return which Shokaract caught. Shokaract knocked down Depth Charge's fist with his free hand and attempted to backhand his opponent, to which Depth Charge blocked by raising his tail sword. Having grown progressively more frustrated, Shokaract ducked down and slammed a closed fist into Depth Charge's mid-section, forcing the Maximal back.

With a cry of rage, Shokaract charged at his enemy with his sword raised high in the air. As Shokaract brought them down, Depth Charge criss-crossed both his missile launcher and his tail spear in the air, catching the blade. In retaliation, the former security officer of Omicron slammed his boot into Shokaract's chest, sending his opponent back a few steps.

"Not bad," Shokaract told his nemesis. "But I didn't make it this far so you could succeed!"

Crossing both arms together, Shokaract screamed inhumanly as a red blast of energy surrounded him. By the time he was done, he uncrossed both arms, growing larger and bulkier in size. His face stretched out, growing more angular. A large horn grew to full scale on his head, crackling with purple electricity while two shoulder blades flipped out on his arms. Shokaract was now larger and stronger than before.

"Whoa, what did he just do to himself?" Cheetor gave pause, as did Rattrap.

From the edge of his horn, Shokaract sent out a scalding blast of energy which froze Rattrap in place. Moving almost as quickly as Cheetor could, Shokaract moved in front of Rattrap and backhanded him away.

"Cheetor, watch out!" Depth Charge shouted.

With two fists, Shokaract drove them both into Cheetor, one after another. Cheetor gasped and fell to his knees. The fight had not entirely left him, however, as the young Maximal clasped Shokaract's knee. Unmoved, Shokaract brought his elbow down on Cheetor's head, knocking his body down for good. To further add insult to injury, Shokaract slammed a massive boot down on Cheetor's back, raising a painful cry from the Maximal cheetah.

"Back off!" Depth Charge blasted Shokaract two times with his laser rifle.

Shokaract shrugged the blasts off and fired back with his own salvo of energy. Depth Charge avoided one of the blasts but was quickly knocked down by one of Shokaract's punches.

"I promise you this will hurt," Shokaract stomped forward towards his rival.

Depth Charge got up and threw a punch, only for it to be caught by Shokaract. The terrorist leader crunched down on the Maximal's hand until the joints on Depth Charge's hand were shattered.

"Aaaagh!" Depth Charge shouted.

Shokaract connected a backfist across Depth Charge's chin, sending the Maximal into the air, flipping two times before falling down. Firmly, he planted his foot down on the fallen guardian.

"Anything you'd like to say?" he asked.

"Yeah, eat slag!"

From behind Shokaract, Cheetor crept up on him slowly. Finally, he pounced. Shokaract saw it coming, however, and spun around with a wheel kick which struck Cheetor and sent him flying back.

"Now for you," Shokaract grabbed Depth Charge by the throat and lifted him up.

"Shokaract!" Prowler leaped into the room through one of the shattered windows. "The energy key has been made ready!"

"Really now?" Shokaract threw Depth Charge aside.

"Yeah, it's fully functional now," Sonata confirmed.

"Excellent," Shokaract announced. "In that case, I will begin my ascent! Nothing else matters now!"

"What about these Maximals?" asked Clampdown.

"Deal with them however you see fit," Shokaract told them, floating into the air and out of the window. "As for myself, I have bigger things to move on to."

Prowler glanced over at the heavily injured Maximals lined up on the ground.

"Let's take care of the cat and the rat first," he told his companions. "Save Depth Charge for last."

Sonata and Clampdown began humming. Telekinetically, they lifted Cheetor and Rattrap up, then threw them out of the room into the energon banquet hall which connected them.

"I'll be back for you," Prowler told Depth Charge. "After we're done with your friends."

After Prowler left the room along with Sonata and Clampdown, Depth Charge managed to get up, holding himself unsteadily with both feet.

"Got to… stop them!" Depth Charge panted.

His entire body was in pain by now and if he took any more abortive actions, he might wind up in stasis lock… or worse.

"Depth Charge, wait!"

Depth Charge turned around. "Solaris Prime?"

"Don't bother," Solaris told him while lying on the ground. "You cannot win on your own."

"You expect me to sit back and watch them die?" demanded Depth Charge.

Solaris Prime coughed. He himself was now on the verge of death.

"I… I'm sorry," Depth Charge corrected himself, realizing just how badly injured Solaris was.

"Do not be sorry," Solaris reached out and took Depth Charge's hand, giving him the Matrix Blade. "Take this."

"But… I'm not worthy!" Depth Charge protested.

"You've proven your worth already," Solaris replied, drawing on his last breath. "More that I could have ever done in all my solar cycles! Think of this Matrix Blade as my final act of repentance for all that I've done… to you and those who have been harmed by my ambitions."

Depth Charge closed his eyes. "Thank you."

"Now use it," Solaris Prime's voice was barely a whisper now. "Use it to right my wrongs and bring justice back to Cybertron…"

The color finally left Solaris Prime's body as his spark left his body, floating into the outer reaches of space while Depth Charge watched.

"Yes," Depth Charge turned around, allowing the full powers of the Matrix Blade to soak into his body, healing him and granting him more power than he had ever experienced in his whole life, "I will."

_To be continued._


	51. Paradise Lost Part 2

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Paradise Lost Pt 2_

"Omph!" Cheetor grunted as he was thrown onto the ornate floor with the Autobot symbol in the center.

As he looked up, Rattrap landed a few feet away from him. Prowler, Sonata, and Clampdown were floating in the air nonchalantly, grinning. Again, Rattrap was lifted into the air and pinned to the wall where four metal brackets were pried from the floor and bound the small Maximal's hand and feet to the wall.

"You're really something, you know that kid?" Clampdown said, almost as a compliment.

"Yeah, if you had any training in processor-over-matter, you'd be a real champ," Sonata commented. "I don't think I've seen any Transformer move as fast as you."

"Which is why we're giving you a chance," Prowler finished. "Since Sonata and Clampdown have insisted on playing this little game, they will battle you without the use of their powers."

"What?" Cheetor was dumbfounded.

"You heard that right, kid," Clampdown reiterated. "No powers this time. It's been a while since anyone could go toe to toe with us."

"Alright then," Cheetor rose slowly.

Right now he had an opportunity. If they really did want to play fair, then he definitely had to take down Clampdown and Sonata while he had the chance. And possibly even Prowler as well, if he got lucky.

Sonata ignited his laser sword as the three blades popped out of Clampdown's knuckles. The two attacked simultaneously but Cheetor quickly dodged the blows and grabbed them by their heads, flipping over them gracefully.

Clampdown attacked next, slashing at Cheetor left and right. The young Maximal dodged all of the Predacon's blows and backflipped away with a handspring. Clampdown followed it up with a stabbing attack which Cheetor caught with one hand. Quickly, Cheetor slammed the claws into the wall, trapping Clampdown in place. Without hesitation, the Transmetal cheetah struck Clampdown across the face two times before spinning around him and elbowing the back of his head, causing Clampdown to vault forward and slamming his forehead into the wall. Cheetor grabbed him by the back of the head yet again and slammed his face once more into the wall.

With a roar, Cheetor lifted Clampdown up and body-slammed him into the floor.

"Hmph, not bad," Prowler noted.

Sonata was next. Swinging viciously, Sonata slashed at Cheetor again and again with his laser sword, the blue blade becoming a blur in his ferocious assault.

The Maximal leaped over another swing by the blade and leaped onto the wall. Sonata soon followed up, stabbing at Cheetor. Fortunately, Cheetor saw it coming and leaped off the wall, landing on one of the desks. Sonata pulled out his blade from the wall, coming down and splitting the desk open, just as Cheetor leaped away again.

This time, Cheetor moved on the offensive. Just as Sonata came in close, Cheetor leaped up, knocking Sonata back with a front snap kick. Before Sonata could recover, Cheetor was on him in an instant, twisting his hand from behind and forcing him to release the laser sword he held in his hand. Cheetor grabbed it and spun around, slamming the blunt metal end of the laser sword into the back of Sonata's helmet.

"Ugh…" Sonata fell down.

"Now it's just you and me," Cheetor held the laser blade menacingly and turned to Prowler.

"Correction," Prowler grinned, cocking an optic. "Now it's just you and you."

Before Cheetor could figure out what Prowler meant, his own circuitry began acting against his will. Suddenly and without warning, he had lost control of his entire body.

"No!" cried Cheetor as he began holding the laser blade close to his own throat.

"This… is the true power of processor-over-matter," explained Prowler while holding both his hands in the air to perform his telekinesis. "The ability to exercise my will on whomever I choose."

Cheetor fell down on both knees through the invisible force that was controlling him. He could only look on in horror as his hands held the laser blade across his throat.

"Now, I believe a beheading is in order," Prowler smirked.

Before Prowler could telekinetically force Cheetor to strike, a blast from behind struck him and sent him stumbling forward. This forced Prowler to inadvertently let go of his telepathic hold on Cheetor.

"You!" Prowler growled, turning around.

"Yeah, me!" Rattrap held his pistol with both hands.

"You'll pay for that, vermin!" Prowler allowed two cyber-ninja stars to appear in his hands.

At this point, Rattrap was in no position to dodge any attack. The initial assault by Shokaract had already left him badly damaged and he did not have a speedy healing factor like Cheetor did. Raising his pistol to fire in itself was exhaustive enough as it was. All he could do now was stand there panting as Prowler threw the ninja star, directed right at Rattrap's spark.

Rattrap had no regrets, however. He did what he could to protect Cheetor and it would cost him his life.

Unexpectedly, a blue blur appeared in front of Rattrap and deflected the ninja star.

"No!" Prowler growled, as Sonata and Clampdown got up and stood by his side. "Impossible!"

"Oh, you better believe it," Depth Charge replied, surrounded by a blue aura.

"This isn't happening!" Clampdown jaws went wide open.

"Is that the Matrix Blade he's holding?" Sonata took a step back.

"Get him!" ordered Prowler.

"Hyaah!" Clampdown attacked first.

Depth Charge leaped up while Clampdown was in mid-air. He slashed through Clampdown's chest and head with a vertical strike before landing gracefully. Clampdown landed on both feet but quickly fell as his body went limp.

With a spectacular outburst of light, Clampdown's body exploded, leaving behind nothing but flames and ashes.

"Whoa," Sonata whispered.

"Clampdown!" Prowler shouted.

"Who's next?" Depth Charge asked.

"You'll pay!" Sonata ignited another laser blade and attacked.

Sonata swung but Depth Charge blocked. The two crossed blades four more times before separating.

Depth Charge jumped up, catching Sonata with a knee in his chin. Sonata flew back but flipped over and landed on his feet. By that time, though, it was too late. Depth Charge stabbed the Matrix Blade right through his spark.

"Yaaaah!" screamed Sonata.

A second explosion engulfed both of them this time. By the time the smoke had cleared, Depth Charge stood there among the flames.

"I don't believe this," Prowler murmured.

"Now would be a good time to flee," Depth Charge warned Prowler.

"I think not," Prowler told Depth Charge ruefully, taking out both his ninja stars. "My comrades are dead so now I'll have to see this through to the end."

"So be it," Depth Charge acknowledged.

Prowler bounced off the wall and slashed at Depth Charge with both ninja stars. Depth Charge blocked the attack and flipped up, kicking Prowler across the head and knocking him to the floor.

Unfettered, Prowler got up again. He threw one of the podiums at Depth Charge telekinetically but the blue Maximal sliced it apart with the Matrix Blade. Next up, Prowler threw both his ninja stars which Depth Charge also destroyed, one after another. Depth Charge rushed at him, slashing down.

Immediately, Prowler rolled away from the attack and telekinetically summoned Sonata's laser sword. He held it in both hands, awaiting Depth Charge's next move.

The two glared at each other momentarily before attacking once more. At once they struck each other.

After the attack, Depth Charge lowered his sword and stood up straight, turning around to face Prowler.

"It's over," Prowler said at last.

The top part of Prowler's body separated from his bottom half, falling to the ground. Both segments of his body then erupted in a spectacular explosion.

"Whoa," Cheetor exclaimed.

"Yeah, 'whoa' is right," Rattrap complimented. "Nice moves ya got, fishface."

"Thanks," Depth Charge told them. "But we're not out of this yet!"

* * *

_On Earth…_

"What could the Predacons be planning down there?" Optimus asked himself.

Right now, he was on a reconnaissance mission, spying on a contingent of Predacons he had seen flying over to an island in the Pacific. The island seemed vaguely familiar from what he could remember but he could not fully recall what had happened here.

"Optimus to Rhinox," Primal opened up his com-link while watching Scorponok and Waspinator land at the ridge of the now-dormant volcano. "Do you read?"

"Loud and clear," Rhinox spoke through the intercom. "What's your status?"

"I'm currently observing Predacon activity," Optimus replied. "Seems like they're up to something big."

Optimus Primal blinked momentarily. By the time he opened his optics again, there stood the four Pali Mystics before Scorponok and Waspinator.

"Those Mystics!" Optimus exclaimed. "They've survived somehow!"

"But how?" asked Rhinox. "I thought they were destroyed."

Optimus continued watching as the Mystics began chanting. From the volcano, a large rock formed from hot magma emerged from the volcano and floated towards the Predacons and the Mystics.

"They've got something," Optimus told Rhinox. "A piece of rock. I'll go down there and check it out."

The Maximal leader tilted his head out from the boulder he was hiding behind. Terrorsaur and Waspinator lifted the magma rock into the air and flew it away, presumably back to the Predacon base.

"This does not concern you," a voice from behind him rang out.

A blinding flash of light and Optimus was on the floor, paralyzed from head to toe. He had been hit with a paralysis beam of some sort and it was preventing every one of his circuits from performing their basic functions.

Dynamo stood over Optimus, his mask gleaming in the air. Contemptuously, he walked away from the fallen Maximal.

Several minutes later, the beam wore off and Optimus got back up again. But by then, the Predacons were already gone.

"Well that's just Prime," Optimus muttered.

* * *

"Are you watching this?" Shokaract looked down at the gathered crowd. "In mere moments, I will remake Cybertron in my image!"

Down below, murmurs of apprehension scattered amongst the crowd. Ventrix Prime and Kairen stood side by side nervously.

"Is there nothing we can do?" Ventrix asked.

"It's not over yet," Kairen told him.

Shokaract unleashed a blast of dark energy into one of the central keyholes of the Senate building, engulfing it in the Darkspark's rays and transforming it from a once, gleaming tower of Cybertron's civilizational splendor into a dark fortress that stood erect. On all four sides of it were metallic rooks, shaped in the likeness of claws. In the center was a tower which was much larger than the four others, leading almost into the sky.

Finally, Shokaract stopped harvesting his new citadel with the Darkspark's energy and turned his attention back to the crowd.

"This one goes out to all of you!" he declared.

A ball of purple energy formed in Shokaract's hand. Sneering down at the crowd, he threw it at them.

The energy blast was stopped on its tracks, however, when Depth Charge appeared before it. The blue Maximal deflected the shot with a backhand and sent it back at the visibly surprised Shokaract.

Sizzling across the wind, the ball of energy struck Shokaract in mid-air, knocking him back.

"You!" Shokaract hissed. "I thought Prowler took care of you already!"

"Not quite," Depth Charge replied. "You can ask him all about it once you've joined him in the Pit!"

Depth Charge lifted the Matrix Blade high into the air and brought it back down, unleashing a blue beam from the tip of the sword which hit Shokaract dead-center and sent the Transformer smashing into the center tower of his citadel.

The next thing Depth Charge did was clasp his sword tightly and fly after Shokaract, entering the hole in the wall where Shokaract's body had crashed through.

"We gonna go in too?" asked Rattrap in robot mode, who rode atop of Cheetor.

"No, this is his fight," Cheetor replied. "If we see Depth Charge needs help, we'll go. But for now, it's in his hands."

"Well DC," whispered Rattrap. "The ball's in 'yer field, so you'd better learn 'ta pitch!"

* * *

As soon as Depth Charge entered in the tower, he found himself on a winding staircase leading up top. Right above him was Shokaract, whose Darkspark was glowing with either anticipation or anger.

"I've come too far for you to ruin my glorious ascent!" Shokaract snarled. "I promise to do everything in my power to strike you down!"

"Have you always been this delusional?" asked Depth Charge. "Or did being thrown into that black hole really unnerve you?"

"Raaagh!" Shokaract summoned his own sword through his Darkspark and attacked.

Depth Charge blocked the initial attack and struck back, forcing Shokaract against the wall. The blue Maximal held on until Shokaract pushed him off. Shokaract swung back, nearly taking Depth Charge's head off.

The two opponents blocked and parried, progressing up the staircase while engaged in their mortal combat.

The next move performed by Shokaract was a blinding flash of light which emerged promptly from the Darkspark, blinding Depth Charge momentarily. Shokaract took advantage of this by slicing Depth Charge across the chest, sending sparks flying out and injuring the former guardian in the process.

"Aaagh!" Depth Charge screamed.

With a spinning front kick, Shokaract kicked Depth Charge across the head, knocking him down from the staircase. Depth Charge fell down initially but caught himself in mid-air and retaliated with a spinning energy disc from his chest that exploded on contact with Shokaract, knocking him on his back, the power of the Matrix Blade having enhanced its power.

Depth Charge flew back up and swung the blade down. Shokaract brought his own sword up just in time as metal clashed against metal.

"Eat slag!" Depth Charge growled.

Shokaract had no witty comeback. He was concerned only with the destruction of his enemy first and foremost.

With a grunt, Shokaract forced Depth Charge off of him and leaped over the Maximal. He landed neatly behind Depth Charge and struck back with a spinning maneuver that connected the blunt end of his sword against the Maximal's chin.

Depth Charge staggered back, dazed from the blow. Shokaract struck him across the chest again and again with his own sword, damaging Depth Charge more and more with each blow. He paused for a second only to open his mouth, unleashing a red beam of energy, crackling with electricity, which exploded against Depth Charge's chest. After that, Depth Charge fell to the floor, clutching his wounds.

"This was hardly a fair fight," Shokaract commented.

"Yeah, for you!" Depth Charge sprang back to Shokaract's surprise.

The blue Maximal lashed out with his foot, kicking Shokaract in the head. Again, he struck out with his other foot, this time sending Shokaract spiraling back with a well-placed blow in the terrorist leader's chin.

Depth Charge leaped back to his feet and slugged Shokaract in the face so hard, the charismatic rogue was thrown into the wall.

"Had enough?" Depth Charge asked in a cocky tone.

"Rrrr…" Shokaract snarled.

The center of his chest began to glow dangerously as electricity crackled around Shokaract in mid-air.

Noting the change in the atmosphere, Depth Charge steadied himself, preparing for the worst he was about to be thrown.

In a flash, Shokaract vanished.

"Huh?" Depth Charge looked around.

Suddenly, Shokaract's massive fist crashed into Depth Charge's chest. And for good measure, Shokaract slammed his knee into the Maximal's stomach, causing Depth Charge to keel over.

Shokaract grabbed Depth Charge by the head and with a cry, slammed him through the main tower with such force that the Maximal's body flew right into one of the four towers situated in the periphery.

"Die, Maximal scum!" Shokaract created a massive ball of red energy and threw it.

The energy blast travelled through the air, hitting its target just as Depth Charge raised his head. The ball exploded as it hit the tower, engulfing both the smaller tower and Depth Charge in the explosion.

"No, Depth Charge!" Cheetor cried, having been watching from a distance.

"DC!" Rattrap shouted in unison.

"Rowr!" Cheetor hissed at Shokaract. "You're mine!"

* * *

Having no more need to worry about any threats to his well-being, Shokaract flew directly to the top of his central tower. At the very top was a machine at the center. It was distinguished by three claws facing the sky while a smaller console lay at its bottom. The magnificent contraption was the power core which energized his fortress and gave him access to all of Cybertron.

"Yes," Shokaract produced the Sentinel chip he had retrieved some time ago. "With this chip, I shall gain access to earth's location. And after my coup in Cybertron is over, Earth shall be next!"

Before Shokaract could insert the chip into the console, a shot rang out and destroyed it as he held it.

"No!" Shokaract cried.

"Sorry 'ta spoil 'yer surprise!" Rattrap held his gun in the air. "But you ain't goin' nowhere!"

"Slag you!" Shokaract turned around, preparing to annihilate the Maximal spy and saboteur.

"Heads up!" a second voice announced.

Cheetor leaped through the air and planted both feet into Shokaract's jaw, sending the wielder of the Darkspark careening back.

"Agh!" Shokaract cried.

"Depth Charge did his part," Cheetor told Shokaract. "We'll take it from here."

"You have no idea what you've just gotten yourself into, whelp!" Shokaract grinned.

Quickly, Cheetor spun away as Shokaract slashed at him with his sword. The Darkspark wielder attacked again, narrowly massing Cheetor with another slash.

Cheetor returned with a volley of punches which Shokaract blocked with his forearms.

* * *

"Is he in there?" Ventrix Prime asked, running up towards the periphery tower which was now reduced to rubble.

"I hope so," Kairen replied. "We have to do everything we can to find Depth Charge."

Soon, all of the Maximal security and construction 'bots were there, digging through the rubble.

Kairen herself lifted another piece of metal aside but was halted by a sudden blue glow from the center of the rubble.

In no time at all, Depth Charge emerged from it, with a blue aura surrounding his body, thanks to the power of the Matrix Blade.

"Are you okay?" asked Kairen.

"Yeah, couldn't be better," Depth Charge acknowledged.

"Is Shokaract still up there?" she asked.

"Speaking of which," Depth Charge looked up at the center tower which a bright explosion suddenly erupted.

"Will you need backup?" asked Kairen.

"Not for this one," Depth Charge told her. "Just get everyone as far away from here as possible."

"Got it!" Kairen saluted.

Depth Charge nodded, acknowledging her. He looked back up at the center tower, observing the scene from where he was at.

"Time for round two," Depth Charge flew up.

* * *

Cheetor ducked another energy blast flung at him by Shokaract before turning around to retaliate.

Shokaract, however, was on him instantly. The behemoth raised his sword and brought it down.

The young Maximal immediately caught the blade with both hands, preventing it from splitting him in half. Unfortunately, he was expending nearly all of his strength simply holding it back.

Shokaract howled in laughter, realizing he now had the advantage.

"Ha ha ha!" Shokaract chuckled. "Give in to your despair! Your horror!"

Cheetor attempted to hold the blade of the sword back as it inched closer and closer to his head.

Without warning, a large foot planted itself into Shokaract's equally massive chest, sending the tyrant stumbling back. As Shokaract lifted his head, Depth Charge stood there in front of Cheetor.

"You again!" Shokaract snarled.

"Let's finish this!" Depth Charge swirled the Matrix Blade around.

"I can see it in your eyes," Shokaract remarked to Cheetor, almost ignoring Depth Charge. "The innocence in your optics has left you. Steelhide and Yarkon are now dead, all thanks to you. If you had restrained your bloodlust, perhaps they would still be alive. You, Cheetor, are a murderer, just like myself and Rampage."

For a moment, doubt cast down on Cheetor's face.

"Don't listen to him Cheetor," Depth Charge gazed at Cheetor gravely. "You did what you did what you had to in order to protect yourself and your friends. You're fighting on behalf of those on Cybertron and Earth who can't fight this battle for themselves. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Cheetor's features became resolute again.

"Yeah," he said decisively. "I got it, big blue."

Seeing how he could cast no more doubt, Shokract slashed at Depth Charge, only for Depth Charge to counter and block the blade, pushing it to the ground. With a quick spin, Depth Charge raised one foot over Shokaract's sword and used his other foot to deliver a crunching wheel kick against the side of Shokaract's face.

Infuriated, Shokaract raised a hand and delivered another blast of energy which seared Depth Charge in the chest, throwing him to the floor.

Narrowly, Depth Charge rolled aside to avoid being impaled. The two warriors eyed each other before attacking. Depth Charge delivered a powerful blow into Shokaract with the Matrix Blade while Shokaract slashed through Depth Charge's armor in return. They cut and slashed into one another over and over again until both were heavily damaged and barely standing.

"T-This isn't over!" Shokaract breathed heavily.

"It is!" Depth Charge delivered a brutal roundhouse kick across Shokaract's head.

Shokaract returned with a backhand that sent Depth Charge reeling back as well.

"It's not over until I say it's over!" Shokaract threw his sword down and raised both hands to deliver a powerful beam of energy directed towards Depth Charge.

Depth Charge immediately raised his blade up to block the blast. The searing blast struck the sword, which managed to block and even deflect some of the beam. While the blast didn't annihilate him on the spot, Depth Charge had to stand his ground firmly as he was pushed back progressively by Shokaract's renewed assault. With every last effort exerted from his spark, he stood unyieldingly.

Then he noticed the spiraling claws in the center of the tower. It was the power chamber where the power of Shokaract's fortress lay.

"Cheetor, Rattrap!" Depth Charge shouted. "Destroy the machine on this tower!"

Without hesitation, Rattrap and Cheetor did was they were told, raining several shots in the machine, destabilizing it.

"No!" Shokaract shouted, his concentration broken.

Immediately, Depth Charge deflected Shokaract's blast back at him, blowing off his arm.

"Nyaaah!" Shokaract howled.

Depth Charge closed in on Shokaract, slicing through him again and again until the Darkspark wielder's circuitry hung out from his badly damaged wounds.

Powering up his sword for the finishing blow, Depth Charge waited until the Matrix Blade glowed yellow and was surrounded by electrical energy before bringing it down and cutting through Shokaract's entire body.

"Noooooooo!" Shokaract shrieked before falling down.

"It's about to blow!" Cheetor shouted.

"Let's get out of here!" Depth Charge grabbed Rattrap.

With the Matrix Blade in tow, Depth Charge flew off of the building with Cheetor and Rattrap closely behind him. In a spectacular explosion, the power chamber exploded, taking out the entire fortress.

* * *

Apprehensively the Maximals watched as the smoke cleared from the explosion. The last vestiges of the Wayward Sons of Cybertron had been captured and the war had been won.

Still, it did not stop the trepidation the Maximals felt at the current situation. With their faith in their own government and security shaken, they did not know what to expect from this point on.

From the skies, Depth Charge descended, along with Cheetor and Rattrap. Kairen was the first to walk up and greet them.

"You guys alright?" she asked.

"Doing just fine," Cheetor smiled.

"Is it over?" Kairen followed up with the question she had been anticipating to ask.

"Yeah," Depth Charge nodded. "It's over."

"That means we can party now, right?" asked Rattrap.

"I wouldn't say so yet," Ventrix Prime reminded them. "We still have to search for Shokaract's remains to ensure the safety of the planet first."

Suddenly, a hand crashed through the rubble. With a roar, Shokaract emerged, badly damaged but still functional. He was back in his original, smaller form. The power of his Darkspark also seemed to have faded slightly.

"Then look no further!" Shokaract bellowed. "For I still live!"

"Aw slag," Rattrap groaned. "What's it take to stop 'dis guy?"

"You pitiful worms shall all be destroyed!" Shokaract screamed almost incoherently.

"Stand back, all of you," Depth Charge told the other Maximals. "I'm going to finish this for good."

As the other Maximals backed away, Depth Charge raised his sword, intending to finish Shokaract off once and for all. But before he could strike, a mysterious third party appeared from behind Shokaract.

"Hello, brother," Rampage purred.

"Rampage!" Shokaract cried. "Help me! Together we can destroy these fools and—"

In a split nano-klik, Rampage pierced Shokaract's chest with his bare hand. He cackled gleefully, toying with Shokaract's internal circuitry before grabbing Shokaract's spark, which had bonded with the Darkspark.

"Y-You betrayed me!" Shokaract's optics widened.

"As I'd planned to all along," Rampage acknowledged and ripped the Darkspark out with such force that Shokaract's body fell to the floor in a heap.

Without delay, Rampage opened up his own spark chamber and forced Shokaract's spark, along with the Darkspark, into his own spark chamber. Black energy cracked around his body, preventing Depth Charge from getting close.

"Yes, yes!" Rampage cried. "This magnificent power… it's mine!"

With that, Rampage's spark chamber closed up after absorbing Shokaract's spark along with the Darkspark.

"Oh boy," Rattrap muttered.

"My spark is complete now!" Rampage howled. "It burns with the radiance of the Darkspark!"

"Primus help us all," Ventrix Prime whispered.

Without warning, a small ray of light emerged from Rampage's chest.

"What is this?" Protoform X was bemused.

This time, another beam of light pierced directly through Rampage's chamber.

"Agh!" Rampage screamed. "No! Do not do this to me!"

Soon, Rampage's body was lifted into the air. Bit by bit, rays of light penetrated through him until the behemoth was screaming in agony. Finally, a spectacular implosion of light blinded everyone.

By the time they opened up their optics again, Rampage lay on the floor, lifelessly. In the air was a bright white orb.

"I am the Oracle," the orb replied with a resplendent light. "The keeper of the Matrix and the Well of Allsparks."

"I don't believe this," Depth Charge looked on.

"I had once hoped to bring Cybertron back to an age of peace and equality before the division of Autobot and Decepticon, and Maximal and Predacon, took place," explained the Oracle. "I had hoped to accomplish such a task through a chosen one meant to bring balance back to this world through peace and kindness. This quest for unification led me to Shokaract, whom I had hoped would unite both factions. But Shokaract proved too corrupt and evil for such a task, taking the Allspark and twisting it beyond recognition to use for his own twisted ends. Now I see that such a task is beyond what I can accomplish, so long as Maximals and Predacons have the free will to choose their own destinies. And so I leave you now, to choose your own destiny and your own fate."

With its concluding words, the Oracle floated high into the sky but not before delivering a final warning.

"To those of you who have made yourselves home on earth," it decreed. "Know this, for your friends are in grave danger.

As a final point, the Oracle disappeared forever in a blaze of light.

"It's over," Cheetor said solemnly.

"Yeah," Rattrap agreed quietly.

The two friends looked over at Depth Charge who now stood erect over Rampage's body.

"Are you alright?" asked Kairen, walking up to the blue Maximal.

"X's spark," Depth Charge said, ignoring all other sounds in the air. "I can't detect it anymore… it's gone. It's finally gone."

The other Maximals said nothing amidst the silence. Cheetor patted Depth Charge on the shoulder in consolation.

* * *

"I don't know what to say," Kairen said. "You guys have done such a great service to Cybertron."

"Yes," Ventrix Prime nodded. "It won't be the same without you."

The five Maximals stood on top of a landing pad where several Maximal soldiers were lined up behind them on the pad's bridge. Depth Charge's ship was there, polished up and fixed with the latest high-tech engineering and transwarp drive.

"If what the Oracle said is true, then Optimus and the others are in trouble," Cheetor told them. "We have to go back and check up on them."

"Yeah," Depth Charge agreed. "Besides, Cheetor will probably need me to help pilot him back to earth."

"Are you okay, Depth Charge?" asked Kairen.

"I am…" Depth Charge admitted. "It's just that I never thought Rampage would be gone one day, leaving me to my own devices."

"Well, maybe you can begin a new life," Kairen smiled warmly. "Let go of the old baggage and embrace the future."

"Thanks," Depth Charge replied sincerely.

"You don't have to come along if you don't want," Cheetor said to Rattrap. "I know you wanted to return to Cybertron the most."

"Well, truth be told… yeah!" Rattrap admitted.

"If you want to stay, stay," Depth Charge told Rattrap directly. "You've earned it."

"Aww slag… it's just 'dat…" Rattrap fumbled his fingers together.

The two other Maximals looked at him questioningly.

"Alright, alright!" Rattrap finally broke down. "I'll go wit' ya's!"

"You sure?" asked Depth Charge.

"Yeah," Rattrap responded ambivalently. "It's just 'dat even though I wanna stay here… you guys are my friends. And I can't abandon my friends."

"Then it's settled," Depth Charge noted.

"Well," Cheetor looked at Kairen and Ventrix Prime. "I guess this is goodbye."

"Yeah, I'm really going to miss you guys," the femme-bot replied sadly.

"I'll miss you too," Cheetor told her genuinely.

The two of them embraced in a hug momentarily before letting go. Kairen then walked up to Depth Charge as Ventrix Prime shook the hands of Cheetor and Rattrap. Just as Kairen spread her arms, Depth Charge stopped her on her tracks.

"I don't do hugs," he told her.

"Well then," Kairen extended a hand. "Put 'er there, partner!"

Depth Charge smiled inwardly and low-fived her with a slap to the hand in a friendly gesture.

"Take good care of yourself," Depth Charge told her tenderly.

"Will do," Kairen smiled cheerfully. "Same to you, big guy."

"Ready, Rattrap?" asked Cheetor who headed up the bridge with Depth Charge.

"Yeah, I guess," Rattrap's shoulders sank dejectedly.

"Rattrap, wait!" Kairen rushed up.

"Eh?" Rattrap looked up at her.

"Here's one for the road," she told him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Rattrap smiled goofily after receiving the kiss.

"Yeah, yeah!" he chuckled. "Heh heh!"

"Come on, lover boy!" Cheetor called out jokingly.

"Before we go," Rattrap looked back at his two companions. "Can we do one more thing?"

"What?" asked Cheetor.

"Could I stop by at 'da Cybertron All-Stars Casino?"

By now, Depth Charge's patience with Rattrap had reached its end. He reached forward and grabbed Rattrap by the collar, yanking him into the ship.

"Bye guys!" Kairen waved goodbye as their ship flew into space.

* * *

"Are you certain you want to go to earth?" asked Serpentine who accompanied Tarantulas to his ship in the docking bay.

"I have no other choice," Tarantulas told her. "Shokaract's gambit has failed and if I stay, I make myself a target for the new Predacon regime. Besides, I still have unfinished business on earth."

As the two headed into their ship's ramp, they did not notice an unknown, green pulsating spark float into their ship. When it entered, the mutant spark immediately disappeared from their view, floating down the corridor to a hidden room.

"And with the added power of these Vehicon generals," Tarantulas gestured towards the stasis pods he had gathered in the main control room. "We can bolster the power of the Predacons on earth… under my leadership of course."

"You think of everything!" Serpentine smiled.

"Naturally," Tarantulas sneered.

"Why did you bring the corpse of Rampage along?" asked Serpentine, noting the giant stasis pod of Protoform X which Tarantulas had stolen from the authorities.

"My current body has run its course," Tarantulas admitted. "Once I return to earth, I shall insert my spark into a bigger, more powerful body! Rampage will do just fine!"

"I see," Serpentine said. "In any case, let me keep my earlier promise to you."

Serpentine took the piece of the Darkspark from her staff and broke it in two. She handed one piece to Tarantulas while she opened up her own chest plate to reveal her spark. Unhesitatingly, she thrust the Darkspark into her own spark, crying out in pain as it fused permanently with her very life-force.

"Aaagh!" she dropped to her knees.

"Are you alright?" asked Tarantulas.

"Yes… yes!" Serpentine stood up, feeling a new sensation pulsing through her circuitry. The power of the Darkspark is at my disposal!"

She looked at Tarantulas, expecting him to do the same with the Darkspark fragment he held.

"Aren't you going to—"

"Not now," Tarantulas took the Darkspark and put it away into his arm compartment. "I'm saving this for further studies. But anyhow, let's set the coordinates for earth!"

Without further ado, Tarantulas pressed down on the ship's buttons, sending their spaceship directly into warp space.

* * *

"You guys really think somethin' bad's going on down on earth?" asked Rattrap.

"If words coming from the Oracle are any indication," Depth Charge replied. "Then yes."

Finally, Depth Charge got up after the ship had entered into warp space. He pressed down on auto-pilot to let the ship go its own course in warp drive.

"At least we managed to do some good on Cybertron," Cheetor sat back on his chair lazily. "Who knows… we might come back again one day."

"Yeah, I wish…" Rattrap sniffed.

"What's with you?" Depth Charge looked at Rattrap bizarrely.

"What's wit' me?" Rattrap looked shocked. "I give up the chance of a lifetime to live 'da good life on Cybertron and you ask me what's wrong?"

"Suck it up," Depth Charge told Rattrap.

"Don't tell me to suck it up, ya slag suckin' rainbow trout!" Rattrap shot back.

"How many stellar cycles old are you again?" Depth Charge snorted. "Looks can be deceiving."

"Hey, don't push it, ya moody minnow!" Rattrap glared at Depth Charge who sat back down on his seat.

"Easy guys," Cheetor told them. "We've been through a lot so let's just get some rest."

"Yeah," Rattrap agreed. "But one more thing before I take a little rat nap."

Without warning, he leaped behind Depth Charge's chair, embracing the blue Maximal from behind.

"Rattrap," warned Depth Charge. "Get. Off."

"Robo-noogie!" Rattrap raised his hand high in the air and brought his knuckles down, rubbing them up and down Depth Charge's head.

"Rattrap!" Depth Charge's voice went up substantially.

* * *

"Everything's quiet now," Kairen looked at Ventrix Prime as they walked through the city.

Though badly damaged, the capital was currently under repairs by construction 'bots, Maximal security, and other engineering personnel. It would take a bit of work, but restoring the capital would still be workable.

"I hope those three remain safe," Ventrix Prime nodded.

"Me too, sir," Kairen agreed. "Cybertron won't be the same without them."

"Yes, we owe those brave 'bots our lives," Ventrix acknowledged.

Suddenly, from the skies, several Predacon ships emerged. All the other Maximals stopped what they were doing and looked up in shock. Soon, an entire armada emerged from warp space, appearing before them in droves.

"By the Matrix!" Ventrix Prime gasped.

From the largest starship, presumably the Predacon command ship, a holographic image emerged from its ports.

Two Predacons, surrounded by their bodyguards, were present. Kairen and Ventrix Prime immediately recognized them as Zaraxes and Azure, two high-ranking members of the Predacon Elite Guard.

Now, apparently, they had risen in rank even more, as evidenced by their new status.

"Greetings Maximals," Azure told them. "Surrender now and we just might spare you."

"Resist, and you will be shown no mercy," Zaraxes added.

From below, the Maximals stood there, unsure of what to do.

Finally, it was Kairen who broke the silence.

"Stand your grounds!" she told them. "We stand and fight together!"

Immediately, the Maximal soldiers went to their posts and to their spaceships in preparation for the dawn of a new Cybertonian Civil War.

Ventrix Prime reached inside his compartment and took out what appeared to be the Matrix of Leadership.

"A long time ago, Solaris gave this to me for safekeeping," Ventrix told Kairen. "Previously, I was tempted to use it during the Shokaract crisis but Depth Charge and the others managed to take contain the situation. I never thought we'd have any use for it until now."

Quickly, he handed it to her.

"Matrix of Leadership," she gripped the device. "Light our darkest hour!"

With that, she opened it.


	52. Clone Wars

**Beast Wars**

_Clone Wars_

From the distant skies, a spark appeared before the waiting Maximals. About an hour ago, Optimus and Rhinox had received a transmission from Cheetor, telling them that they were indeed coming back.

With them right now were Tigatron and Airazor who had come out of seclusion to greet the returnees. Both Maximals had also missed their wayward Maximals and were eager to await their homecoming.

Rhinox put down his binoculars and looked at Optimus.

"They're here," he said.

"Good timing too," Optimus nodded.

Within moments, the ship landed. Slowly, the door opened up as Cheetor and Rattrap leaped down.

"Hey guys," Cheetor waved.

"Cheetor, your Transmetal Two form," Optimus gasped.

"Yeah, I sorta got it back while on Cybertron," Cheetor admitted sheepishly. "It's permanent now."

"So how ya guys been?" asked Rattrap.

"We've been alright," Rhinox replied. "Couple of brushes with Predacons here and there but we're still functional."

"You have to tell us what happened!" Airazor exclaimed while Tigatron nodded next to her.

"Yeah, we'll be sure 'ta tell you all about it!" Rattrap told them. "As soon as I get my energon juice stacked away in 'da kitchen!"

"Umm… Rattrap," Rhinox began.

"Something 'da matter, big guy?" asked Rattrap.

"We kind of drank it already," Rhinox confessed.

"Oh," Rattrap's shoulders sagged.

"Sorry," Rhinox told him. "We didn't think you'd be coming back for it."

"And speaking of which, why did you choose to come back?" asked Optimus. "I thought you'd be happy on Cybertron."

"Well, we were," confessed Cheetor. "But the Oracle warned us that you guys were in danger."

"The Oracle?" Optimus was taken aback.

"Long story," Rattrap waved a hand in the air. "Listen, we'll tell ya all about what happened as soon as I head inside and get some snacks."

"Yeah," agreed Cheetor. "I could use some refreshments."

"Hey Depth Charge!" Rattrap called out. "You doin' okay?"

Depth Charge had his back turned to them, looking up into the sky. He was brooding again, rather characteristically. It didn't take a Cybertronian physicist to figure out something was on his mind.

"I never thought it would come to this one day," Depth Charge spoke. "Ever since I came online I was a weapon for the Maximal Elders to use and manipulate. Then X destroyed everything I came to know and changed my life permanently. And now he's gone. I don't know if there's anything left for me."

The other Maximals stayed silent out of respect until Rattrap broke the silence.

"Yeesh," Rattrap groaned. "I only asked how you were doing… not for 'yer life's story."

"Heh," Depth Charge chuckled. "You're as loud-mouthed as ever."

"You take that back, gill-face!" Rattrap threatened as Rhinox restrained him.

"Call me if you need anything," Depth Charge said to Optimus before transforming to flight mode and taking off.

"Did he just offer to help out?" Optimus looked puzzled.

"A lot's happened since our time on Cybertron," Cheetor explained. "Come on, we'll tell you all about it inside.

* * *

All four Pali Mystics strained themselves as they dug their heels into the ground. For several cycles they had been at work. At the center of the lab was a spark strung against a table. It was housed in a small spark chamber, having been used to keep the spark stable.

Maintaining their staffs, the Mystics continued pumping mystic energy into the spark but to no avail. Scorponok, Dynamo, and Dr. Drake were there, watching and waiting.

"It is no good," Ifrit finally stopped.

"What?" demanded Scorponok.

"We cannot revive this spark," Ifrit replied in a rushed, disgusted voice. "It is still dormant and nothing we can do will help it."

"Why?" asked Scorponok. "Are we missing something?"

"Please explain," Dynamo, in a calmer voice, asked.

"Our powers do not coincide with Cybertronian spirituality," explained Tengu. "In order to revive this dormant spark, another spark will be needed."

"One which contains the mystical essence of the Allspark or the Matrix itself," finished Golem.

"But how do we get such a spark?" asked Scorponok. "I don't think any of us have any connection to the Matrix, not even any of the Maximals."

"Then we cannot complete your master's resurrection," Frost put down his staff. "It is that simple."

Before Scorponok could say anything more, his cyber-bee came flying down and buzzed excitedly. Scorponok turned on its button to see images of Cheetor, Depth Charge, and Rattrap getting off their ship and greeting Optimus and the others.

"It appears that we have a reunion," commented Dynamo.

"Good thing too," Scorponok smiled. "Get your troops ready. We'll give 'em the homecoming bash of the century!"

"Yes," Dynamo agreed. "It is time."

"Dr. Drake," Scorponok ordered. "You go prepare the new body."

"Yes, of course," Drake bowed.

* * *

In the course of events, Depth Charge's ship was not the only Cybertronian cruiser that returned to earth. From the skies, a second ship came into the atmosphere, camouflaged from any earthborne military sensors.

"So this is earth?" asked Serpentine. "It's quite small."

"It has been my humble abode for quite a while," Tarantulas explained to her. "If I can make this dustball home, so can you."

"Speaking of which, when are you going to transfer your spark into the body of Protoform X?" asked Serpentine.

"Actually, now that you mention it," Tarantulas got up and put the ship on auto-pilot. "I may as well get it done now."

The rogue Predacon walked over towards the pod as Serpentine opened up the hatch to reveal Rampage's dormant body.

Before Tarantulas could open up his spark chamber, he and Serpentine were both knocked down by a rapidly pulsating red spark which appeared from out of the halls. Red electricity crackled around the spark as it sank into the body, slowly but surely assimilating itself into the core frame of Protoform X.

The next thing Tarantulas and Serpentine heard was a maniacal laughter. From the protoform, arose the menacing figure of Rampage.

"I'm back!" Rampage growled. "And better than ever!"

"Oh no," Serpentine took a step back.

Inwardly, Tarantulas cursed. He had missed the chance to gain a larger, more powerful body for himself and to add it all up, he had an insane killer with him in his very own ship right now. But he was not without his own tricks however.

"So, which of you wishes to provide nourishment for me first?" asked Rampage.

"I'm so sorry to cut this short," Tarantulas sneered. "But I'm afraid we'll have to do this some other time."

With that, Tarantulas pulled down on a lever to the side of the ship, opening up the hatch beneath Rampage's feet, sending both the behemoth and the stasis pod plummeting into the deep ocean sea beneath them.

"That about wraps things up," Tarantulas headed to the main controls to take an incoming transmission.

"Hey Tarantulas!" Scorponok greeted.

"Scorponok," Tarantulas acknowledged. "How are things?"

"Things are looking up," Scorponok replied. "How was Cybertron?"

"It could've been better," Tarantulas admitted.

"Say, think you could come back to base?" asked Scorponok. "Something big's going to go down and you'll wanna be there to see it!"

* * *

"Hooyah!" Cheetor leaped across the air, from canyon to canyon.

He had been cooped up in Depth Charge's ship for long enough and needed a good exercise. With him were Rhinox, Optimus, and Rattrap who were all amazed by his speed and energy.

In a spectacular display of acrobatics, Cheetor leaped fifteen feet into the air, somersaulted five times and landed neatly before the Maximal spectators.

Both Optimus and Rhinox couldn't help but clap. Rattrap, however, was less impressed.

"Showboat," the small Maximal joked.

"Hey," Cheetor ribbed. "You wish you could do the same! After all, who wouldn't want to have this physique?"

"Sure kid," Rattrap said teasingly. "We all wanna have pointy fangs and claws like you, don't we?"

"Incoming Maximal," Rhinox pointed towards the air.

"Greetings Cheetor!" Silverbolt flew down. "I heard you, Rattrap, and Depth Charge had returned."

"Hey bird-dog!" Rattrap exclaimed. "Good 'ta see you again!"

"The feeling is mutual," Silverbolt agreed. "I must ask. How was your sojourn on Cybertron?"

"We relaxed, knocked a few heads, and had a good time," Rattrap replied. "How's earth been? You been doing good 'yerself?"

"Why yes," Silverbolt exclaimed. "In fact, I have discovered a new purpose to life now."

"Oh, and that would be?" Rattrap's curiosity was piqued.

Before Silverbolt could say anything, a bright paralysis beam from up high came down and enveloped Cheetor, sending a jolt of pain through his body and shutting down some of his bodily functions.

"Aaaagh!" Cheetor cried before falling down.

"Cheetor!" cried Optimus.

The four remaining Maximals looked up towards one of the pillars around the canyon. At the top were two mysterious warriors, one of which was Dinobot with his drill-bit sword and the other, Dynamo.

"You!" Rhinox shouted. "We've encountered you before!"

"Yes, and you are Dinobot!" added Silverbolt.

"Correction," a voice from behind the Maximals rang out. "_We_ are Dinobot."

The Maximals turned around and gasped. At their rear them were three 'bots who looked almost identical to Dinobot himself. One was holding a chain whip, the other a metal staff, and the final one a pair of sai's.

"What?" Optimus cried. "How can this be?"

"Yeah, which one of you's is 'da real Dinobot?" demanded Rattrap.

"Warriors!" shouted Dynamo. "Battle formations!"

The Dinobot who stood next to Dynamo reacted to the command and leaping off the pillar and landing in front of the Maximals. The other three Dinobots duplicates quickly surrounded their quarry as well.

"That one has to be the real Dinobot!" Optimus pointed his mace towards the Dinobot with the sword.

"Tread carefully my friends," Silverbolt warned them. "I have encountered these four before and they are warriors of the highest caliber."

"Hoo boy," Rattrap groaned. "Will the real Dinobot please stand up?"

"Attack!" Dinobot pointed his sword at the Maximals.

At once the four began their ferocious assault. Optimus raised his mace again and again to block the attacks of the fearsome sword-wielding Dinobot as Rhinox thrust his arm into the air as the Dinobot with the chain whip wrapped his weapon around the Maximal scientist's arm.

Silverbolt leaped overhead as the Dinobot General with the sai's came down stabbing. As he landed on solid ground, however, the Dinobot with the metal staff vaulted himself into the air using his staff and kicked Silverbolt from behind, knocking the fuzor down.

Rattrap flipped his gun and fired several shots. The staff-wielding Dinobot spun his weapon rapidly in a circular motion, blocking all the shots. In return, the Dinobot with the sai's fired a beam of light from his eyes which made contact with Rattrap's chest and sent the smaller Maximal flying into the canyon wall.

"Rattrap, no!" Rhinox cried.

Having gained the upper hand in the tug of war, Rhinox swung his Dinobot opponent by the chain and threw him into the other two Dinobot clones, sending them all tumbling into the floor.

As all three Dinobots got up, they noticed Rattrap, Rhinox, and Silverbolt standing over them.

With cunning smiles on each of their faces, they went back into action without warning. One of the Dinobots swung his staff, knocking the gun out of Rattrap's hand while the other used his sai's to stab down at Silverbolt who raised a feather sword in time to block it. The third and final Dinobot ducked underneath one of Rhinox's punches and struck back, plowing his own fist into Rhinox's stomach.

In the meantime, Optimus was having his hands full with his Dinobot opponent. Dinobot veered left and directed a roundhouse kick which Optimus blocked with an elbow. Optimus had to duck again as Dinobot swiped at his face with open claws.

As the battle raged below, Dynamo looked down at the four Dinobot warriors and beamed with pride.

* * *

"What in the Pit is this?" demanded Inferno.

Around him were strange robots who all shared the same design patterns and beast mode. The only thing that differed were their weapons.

"So, this is the _Queen_ you seem so fond of?" the Dinobot clone holding up his stasis pod asked.

"Yes, and you will put her down at once!" declared Inferno, raising up his gun.

"I will," the Dinobot clone smiled nastily. "But only if you get through us first."

Inferno looked all around him. He was surrounded by at least twenty of these Dinobot warriors. The odds didn't look good, but he was never the type who liked to bet in favor of the odds.

"Then you will all suffer in the name of the Colony!" Inferno declared.

The ten Dinobot clones flexed their weapons eagerly and awaited Inferno's next move.

With an immense battle cry, Inferno attacked.

* * *

If there was anything Jack would've loved to have done, it would have been to invite the Maximals over to the high school graduation ceremony of himself and Luna. After four years they were finally going to end their phase of high school and move on to a higher learning. The football field was their current graduation spot, just as it had been for many former alumni before them.

A pity though, that their friends couldn't come. But then again, how do you exactly get a bunch of extraterrestrial robots to show up at your commencement suite without starting a stampede?

"In conclusion," the principal ended his speech. "Now that high school has ended, it is time for you to make your ways into a new life where the whole world awaits!"

"Hey Jack," Luna pointed into the distance. "Is that what I think it is?"

Jack strained his eyes a bit before he could make out the shapes in the distance.

"Oh no," he muttered.

"Greetings boys and girls!" a blue condor swooped down and sent the audience panicking. "We're here today for two very special birthday kids."

As people ran around everywhere, a bear, a dragonfly, an ankylosaur, and a dilophosaur walked calmly through the panicking crowds until they reached the podium where the Principal was. In an instant, they transformed simultaneously. The dragonfly into a purple 'bot with helicopter wings mounted on his arms. The bear into a large femme-bot whose face was covered with armored plating. And the condor into a sleek, jet-like frame with wrist-mounted machine guns.

"Who are you?" demanded the Principal.

"Obsidian!" announced the dragonfly.

"Strika!" the bear growled, pounding both hands together.

"Jetstorm!" the condor-like robot crossed both arms in a bow.

"Tankorr!"

"Thrust!"

At this point, Jack and Luna could only stand there gaping. What were Transformers doing at their graduation commencement?

Thrust leaped off the podium and walked towards Jack and Luna.

"We're here for those two," Thrust pointed at the siblings. "Jack and Luna, right?"

The twins were too dumb-folded to speak. Their friends, however, would not let them be taken so easily. Steve and Raj both leaped onto Thrust from behind and grabbed on to him to try to prevent him from taking Luna or Jack.

"Stay away from them!" Steve cried.

"Yeah!" Raj pounded at Thrust's armored plating. "Nobody takes our friends!"

"Amateurs," Thrust sighed and threw them both onto the grass.

"What do you want?" demanded Luna.

"The boss sent us for you two," Thrust explained. "Don't know why he wants a pair of kids out of the way, but orders are orders."

* * *

Truth be told, the other Maximals on the planet were doing no better. Tigatron and Airazor stood back to back, panting, as they watched themselves being surrounded by twenty Dinobot clones who stared at them menacingly.

"Where did all these 'bots come from?" Airazor huffed. "There's no end to these guys!"

"It would appear the Predacons sent them," remarked Tigatron who raised his rifle. "But we shall prove not to be easy prey!"

"I got your back, big guy!" Airazor smiled despite her exhaustion.

"Agreed my dear," Tigatron growled. "Now, let us show these reptiles what we are made of!"

* * *

"This plan of yours worked successfully," Tarantulas turned to Scorponok after viewing the monitor screen. "Lead an all-out assault on the Maximals and their allies."

"Thanks," Scorponok scratched his head. "Though you bringing back Obsidian, Strika, and Jetstorm was also smart. Reprogramming them into thinking they were Predacons was a stroke of genius."

"Yes, having some of the greatest military minds of Cybertron on our side can really help turn the tides, can't it?" Tarantulas said gleefully.

"And with the power of the Darkspark," Serpentine allowed the power from her spark to flow all around her in the room, "we shall crush the Maximals and this pitiful planet!"

Scorponok stared at her in fascination.

"Did you just say the Darkspark?" Scorponok stared at her.

"Yes, and its cosmic properties flow through my spark and mine alone!" Serpentine declared proudly.

"I see," Scorponok began to recall what the Pali Mystics had told him earlier.

Tarantulas could tell there was something going on in the mind of Scorponok. Events like this usually occurred when the scorpion furrowed his eye ridges and put his claw next to his chin. It was a common thing for Scorponok to do whenever he was deep in thought… as deep as could be for a 'bot like Scorponok.

"Tarantulas," Scorponok beckoned the Predacon rogue over to a nearby hall. "Could I have a word with you in private?"

"Yes, what is it?" asked Tarantulas, putting up an innocent façade.

* * *

Slowly but surely, the tide of battle was changing. The Dinobot clone with the chain whip lashed out and grabbed Rattrap by the wrist with his weapon. With a powerful tug, he sent Rattrap soaring towards him as he raised his arm, allowing Maximal's head to crash into it. Immediately, Rattrap fell down, out cold from the blow.

In the meantime, Silverbolt leaped up and kicked his opponent in the chest. The sai-wielding Dinobot crashed against a pillar and fell down.

"Stay down, reptilian filth!" warned Silverbolt.

Seeing the predicament his comrade was in, the chain-wielding Dinobot clone lashed Silverbolt against the back, forcing him on his knees. Then he blasted a huge rock on top of the pillar, sending it crashing down.

"Agh!" Silverbolt cried.

Silverbolt's opponent rolled away just in time but Silverbolt was not so lucky. The large rock came down and smashed Silverbolt into the ground, sending the hapless Maximal into stasis lock as well.

The two Dinobot clones looked at each other in acknowledgement before turning their attention to Rhinox.

Rhinox punched at the staff-wielding Dinobot but the Predacon was able to deflect several blows with his staff and slam the side of his weapon into Rhinox's head both times, causing the green Maximal to see stars. By the time Rhinox had opened his eyes, all three Dinobots stood before him, their eyes glowing with a malevolent emerald hue.

The three of them blasted Rhinox simultaneously, sending him crashing into the mountain wall with a thud. They stopped finally after a few seconds of maintaining the blast. By then, Rhinox collapsed onto the ground, instantly falling into stasis lock.

Even then, the three Dinobots would not be deterred from the fourth and final opponent, Optimus Primal himself.

Primal weaved through two slashes by the sword-wielding Dinobot and smashed open the Predacon's sword with one powerful blow. In fear at having lost his weapon, this particular Dinobot took a step back. Optimus took advantage of his momentary distraction to lay two powerful blows into his enemy, knocking the sword-less Dinobot down.

"Surrender!" Optimus told this Dinobot.

"Hah hah hah!" Dinobot began laughing.

If Optimus had wondered for one second what his opponent had found so funny, he found out without delay. The three other Dinobot clones jumped Optimus all at once, assailing him with a flurry of blows consisting of punches, kicks, and weapons. By the time it was over, the Maximal leader fell down unconscious from the sneak attack.

"Shall we dispose of them, master?" one of the Dinobots looked up towards Dynamo.

"Not yet," Dynamo replied. "For we are soon to have some company."

At about this time, Cheetor had recovered from the paralysis blast. He shook his head wearily and got up, glaring at all five assailants.

"I don't know who you are," Cheetor growled. "But you're gonna pay for attacking my pals."

The next thing that happened consisted of a spinning power disc from the sky which struck the ground beneath all four Dinobot duplicates, sending them flying in different directions. A large Transmetal manta flew down from the sky and transformed to robot mode.

"Good to see you here Depth Charge," Cheetor smiled.

"Pleasure's mine," nodded Depth Charge. "Looks like you guys found a good fight. Maybe Earth won't be so boring after all."

"What do you say we take care of these losers," Cheetor gestured towards the four Dinobots. "Then we can shake down Mr. Mysterious up there for answers."

Depth Charge looked up at Dynamo and narrowed his optics.

"Sounds good to me," he agreed.

The leader of the four Dinobots, though now sword-less, began the attack by charging at Depth Charge. Before the other three could move, Cheetor leaped down in the middle of the other three and struck them all down with a circular sweep kick.

Though he was without a weapon, the Dinobot leader punched at Depth Charge who caught the punch before it could hit him.

Depth Charge said nothing and threw Dinobot down onto the rocky terrain. Dinobot charged again but so did Depth Charge, catching this particular Dinobot across the face with a roundhouse kick which sent the upper front of the Predacon's body crashing right into the canyon wall.

Just as Depth Charge turned around, a burning sensation to his chest seared throughout his entire body. By the time he realized what had happened, he realized Dynamo had shot a blast right through his chest. He looked down to see a small burning hole drilled right through his upper body.

"You…" Depth Charge hissed.

"Your presence will not be required," Dynamo informed him.

The wound was not mortal, as it did not pierce his spark. But it was serious nonetheless. Depth Charge fell down, falling into stasis lock just as the other Maximals had.

As that happened, Cheetor caught two of the Dinobots by the hand and flipped them both on their backs. From behind him, the staff-wielder came up behind him with his weapon pointed at the Maximal's back. Cheetor heard him, however, and spun around, kicking his assailant while his weapon flew into the air. That Dinobot crashed against a rock and Cheetor rammed right into him, driving an open fist into this Dinobot's solar plexus to take him out.

Next, the sai-wielding Dinobot threw both sai's at Cheetor who barrel-flipped into the air and caught both weapons. He leaped up and slashed both weapons against that Dinobot's chest in a criss-crossing manner to defeat out that enemy. After a brief sputter of disbelief, the sai-wielding Dinobot fell.

Finally, the chain whip wielder was the only Dinobot left. The Predacon snarled viciously and threw his whip while Cheetor raised an arm up right in time. The whip wrapped around Cheetor's arm as Dinobot tugged. Immediately Cheetor used his greater strength to yank this Dinobot forward and hammer him into a coma with one punch.

"That's all of them," Cheetor looked at the fallen bodies.

"Yes, and now you face me," Dynamo stepped forth, a few feet away from Cheetor.

Cheetor looked at his fallen comrades, now with Depth Charge among them. For now they were alive, all having gone into stasis lock. But Dynamo still needed to be dealt with.

"Two questions," Cheetor snarled at Dynamo. "Who the slag are you? And what do you want?"

"All will be answered in due time," Dynamo told him. "As for now, show me what you are capable of, young one."

"Young one, huh?" Cheetor cracked his knuckles. "After I'm done, I'll be calling you the _crippled one_."

Dynamo merely extended both hands, revealing two outstretched hands with razor-sharp claws on both of them. His finger held a claw which was noticeably a bit longer than the others. He waited patiently for Cheetor to make the first move, which was obliged by the young Maximal.

Cheetor leaped at Dynamo, missing him narrowly with a punch. He did, however, smash open a large rock which Dynamo had stood behind. Again and again Cheetor punched at Dynamo who ducked and weaved through the blows with a blinding speed.

The Maximal cheetah took a step back to consider his next strategy. Dynamo was fast, as fast as a Transmetal Two perhaps. But Cheetor would not be deterred. He spun around and directed a spinning wheel kick at Dynamo's head which Dynamo blocked with one hand. The mysterious warrior held Cheetor's heel with one hand and threw him overhead. Cheetor flipped through the air and landed on both feet.

"Not bad, I'll give you that," Cheetor said almost contemptuously. Up until now, he had never met anyone whose speed rivaled his own.

"What are you waiting for?" Dynamo beckoned with both arms open.

Now more frustrated, Cheetor threw a punch which was caught by Dynamo. Dynamo quickly caught a second punch, crossing Cheetor's arms together. Struggling momentarily, Cheetor broke free and leaped down, planting both hands onto the ground while his lower body elevated upwards, spinning his body around and sending one kick after another into Dynamo. Dynamo raised both arms, allowing them to absorb both the blows.

After that, Cheetor got back on his feet and drove his fist into Dynamo's crossed arms, the impact pushing Dynamo back.

Cheetor was not the only one who was impressed. Dynamo grunted, realizing that Cheetor was no mere cub.

Suddenly, the front claws on Dynamo's hands extended, forming two scythe-like blades.

"Whoa," Cheetor took a step back.

Dynamo leaped into the air, his cape and heavy clothing billowing in the wind. He came down just as Cheetor narrowly avoided him, slicing open the boulder that Cheetor stood next to.

The mysterious warrior slashed at Cheetor three consecutive times as the young Maximal flipped away from those attacks. Without warning, an elongated tail arose from Dynamo's backside, with three jagged claws on the very tip. The tail spun around and cut Cheetor across the side of the face, drawing a loud yelp from the cheetah.

"Oh yeah?" Cheetor snarled. "Two can play at that!"

Cheetor used his own blade-like tail to slash at Dynamo but Dynamo grabbed it with both hands and swung Cheetor around two times before throwing him into the ground. Angrily Cheetor got up but Dynamo struck him in the chin with an uppercut, sending him flying back.

"This is _not_ going well," Cheetor groaned.

* * *

"Impressive," Serpentine looked at the giant marvel of robotics and engineering.

"Yes, our human assistant Dr. Drake helped to design this body," Scorponok told her.

In front of them was an enormous dragon-like body, draped in white sheets. The only part of it which was open was the spark chamber, with a gray spark inside, humming dimly.

"All we need you to do is to power it with the Darkspark," Tarantulas informed her.

"Very well," Serpentine agreed. "This should not be too difficult. Stand back, both of you."

Scorponok and Tarantulas did as they were told while Serpentine raised both arms and fired a concentrated barrage of energy into the spark, adding the Darkspark's lifeforce to it. Within mere kliks, however, Serpentine realized something was not right. This spark, whatever it was, was draining her of her life force… her spark.

"No!" Serpentine cried. "What is this?"

"You are providing nourishment for the master!" Ifrit and the other Mystics looked down upon her, blasting her simultaneously with their staffs.

"Nooooo!" screamed Serpentine, who felt her body and her spark being torn apart atom by atom.

Slowly, the spark within the body began to change color, returning to its normal blue tint. It glowed and crackled with electricity as a deep rumble emerged from the body.

"You betrayed me!" shrieked Serpentine, turning her head towards Tarantulas despite the excruciating pain.

"What can I say?" Tarantulas shrugged. "You should have known how deadly a spider's venom would be."

"Nyaaaaaah!" howled Serpentine as her spark was torn apart from the sheer power. Every last bit of the Darkspark's energy, in addition to her own lifeforce and the added power of the Pali Mystics formed together into a radiant ball of orange energy and entered into the spark within the massive body, bringing it to life at long last.

It was at this point that Serpentine's body collapsed, immediately turning to small shards of metal sand as it hit the floor. Her spark, now exhausted and drained beyond belief, dissipated into the air like a puff of smoke.

The white drapes from the massive creature fell as he came back to life.

"I… I live once more," he purred. "Yes… Yeeeesss!"

* * *

By now Cheetor was panting hard and drawing back from the battle. It seemed as if Dynamo was merely toying with him.

"What's the matter?" asked Dynamo. "Tired already?"

"Yeah right!" Cheetor launched himself towards Dynamo for another swift attack.

Dynamo side-stepped a punch by Cheetor and slashed him across the side with a sickle-like claw, drawing a cry of pain from the Maximal. Cheetor, in retaliation, stretched out his own claws and slashed at Dynamo several times. Dynamo finally caught one of them and struck Cheetor in the face with an open palm, sending the cheetah tumbling back.

"Rooowwwr!" Cheetor roared, leaping up at Dynamo.

The robed warrior caught Cheetor by the arm and judo-tossed him into the air. Fortunately for Cheetor, he used the momentum to flip around, bounce off a rock, and dive into Dynamo with a punch across the face which sent Dynamo stumbling.

At this moment, the Predacon death mask on Dynamo's face cracked. Finally, it split in two and fell to the ground in pieces.

"You dare do this to me?" Dynamo snarled furiously.

"Come on," taunted Cheetor. "Let's see that ugly mug of yours now."

Now Dynamo was through toying with Cheetor, he drove his fist into Cheetor's stomach, knocking the breath out of the Maximal. Before Cheetor could even get the chance to fight back, Dynamo struck his neck with an open hand and repeatedly sent a barrage of brutal strikes into the Maximal's chest and face. His final attack consisted of a vicious punch which knocked Cheetor right into a column of rocks.

Groggily, Cheetor stood up uneasily.

"I'm not done yet!" Cheetor growled.

"On the contrary," Dynamo stood up to reveal his face, which was still concealed by the shadows underneath his hood.

It was a brutish amalgamation of fangs and metal. To the right side of his face was a red eye while the other side consisted of a large optical visor of sorts. Cheetor could not make out all the details but it was not a pretty sight to say the least.

Dynamo swung his tail and struck Cheetor aside. Through his large optic, he fired a concentrated paralysis beam which froze Cheetor where he lay on the floor.

"This will all be over soon," Dynamo promised Cheetor, raising a gleaming claw in the air as he stood over the Maximal's body.

"Scorponok to Dynamo," his inter-com opened up. "Report back to base immediately. Stop whatever you're doing and come back."

"Why?" demanded Dynamo.

"The master has been resurrected!" Scorponok replied.

"Hmm," Dynamo stared down at the fallen Cheetor. "Very well."

Without another word, Dynamo left.

* * *

"Scorponok to all units!" Scorponok's voice broke through to Obsidian and Strika. "Return to base immediately?"

"But we haven't finished these brats yet!" Strika protested. Thrust held the two by the scruff of their t-shirts.

"Forget them!" Scorponok ordered. "We have more important things! Like our master's revival."

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Obsidian lowered his gun. "All units, report back to base!"

As mysteriously as they had appeared, the five Transformers disappeared into the woods behind the school, leaving behind two very scared young adults.

"Worst. Graduation. Ever!" Jack collapsed on his behind.

"Tell me about it," Luna breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

"What is causing them to leave?" Tigatron got up, panting.

"Whatever it is, it's probably big," commented Airazor.

The two of them had endured a ferocious attack by these Dinobot warriors and just as it seemed the Dinobots were about to finish them off for good, they had lowered their weapons and run off into the thickets. Something was not right.

"This can't be a good sign of things to come," Tigatron noted seriously.

Both Maximals clasped each other's hands, unsure of what the future would bring.

* * *

"Go ahead!" urged Inferno. "Finish it!"

After a grueling fight, Inferno had finally been overpowered by these Dinobot clones. He was being held down by two at the moment and one of them stood in front of him with a sword, ready to strike down.

Before they could run Inferno's spark through, they stopped. The leader of the Dinobot pack motioned for his troops. Immediately, they dropped Inferno and transformed to beast mode, bounding away from the confused Transformer.

* * *

"You guys okay?" asked Cheetor.

"We're alright now," Rhinox helped Silverbolt to stand up.

"What were those guys after?" asked Rattrap. "They didn't just give us a butt kicking for nothing."

Indeed Rattrap was correct. They were all wounded and heavily damaged from the assault by the Dinobot warriors and Dynamo. Even Cheetor himself was not unscathed.

"It appears that they were sent here to test us," Optimus noted.

"But 'fer what?" asked Rattrap.

"I dunno," Depth Charge finally stepped into the conversation. "But I can tell you right now… the Oracle was correct to tell us to come back to Earth. Something big is going down and it's not going to blow over anytime soon."

"I agree," Silverbolt looked at Optimus. "A matter of this urgency must require our utmost attention."

"Duly noted," Optimus nodded. "Cheetor, who was that mysterious stranger?"

"I dunno," Cheetor bristled at the thought of Dynamo. "But he was quick, just like a Transmetal Two. And packed just as much punch."

"So… whadda we do now?" inquired Rattrap.

"We wait and see," Optimus told his troops in a forthright manner.

* * *

The new Predacon lair had been fashioned to fit a much larger Predacon force and serve as their new base of operations. Scorponok had invested a lot of time and energy into building this which served as a testament to their renewed vigor and purpose.

A large foot stomped forth as the massive dragon stood out to meet everyone. He was a red monstrosity with occasional shades of purple in his armor. His skeletal wings stretched out, straddling a massive wingspan.

Hundreds of Dinobot clones stood there as well, bowing before him. Obsidian, Strika, Thrust, Tankorr, Jetstorm, Scorponok, Tarantulas, Terrorsaur, and Waspinator were there for the welcoming ceremony as well.

"It would appear that we have entered into a new phase of the Beast Wars," Megatron told them in a deep intonation.

"Of course, sire," Obsidian bowed his head along with the others.

"You can count on us to support you through thick and thin!" Scorponok added.

"Yes, I would expect nothing less," Megatron said amusedly.

To test out his new body, Megatron transformed to robot mode. He towered far above the others in his new body, noting the dragon cannon on his left hand.

He stepped forward, unknowingly placing his foot on top of the metal sand heap that was formerly Serpentine.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Uhh… sorry boss!" Scorponok apologized profusely. "I forgot to thoroughly clean this place for your arrival!"

Tarantulas chuckled as Scorponok rushed over to Megatron and began cleaning the sand away from his foot.

"Now," Megatron looked at his minions. "Which of you was the one who orchestrated my revival."

"I managed to help," confessed Scorponok, loathe to admit the truth but still unable take all the credit for himself. "But the one you should be thanking is Dynamo."

"On the contrary," Dynamo appeared at the entrance with his entourage of four Dinobot warriors. "Dynamo was not even my real name."

Megatron smiled. "So it was you who brought me back."

"Indeed," replied the robed stranger.

"Tell me, who are you?" asked Megatron curiously.

"Who am I?" Dynamo stood up.

With much gusto he used one clawed hand to grip his robes and throw them off with one singular motion. Before them all stood a large, erect Transmetal Two warrior, with sharp protruding fangs and claws. His helmet and face resembled that of the other Dinobot clones but only fiercer. There was no doubt that this was the true, original Dinobot.

"I am your humble servant now and forever," Dinobot bowed before Megatron respectfully.

"He was the real Dinobot the whole time?" Thrust whispered to Tarantulas, who only shrugged.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Terrorsaur told Waspinator. "You owe me ten energon cubes!"

Tankorr elbowed Terrorsaur to shut him up. "Pipe down, beakface!"

"This is brilliant!" Megatron stated. "To think that my contingency plan worked even after my supposed demise. A stroke of brilliance on my part, no doubt. But I must also give credit to you Dinobot, my ever-faithful servant!"

Dinobot ignored Scorponok's jealous gaze and kept his head lowered, not daring to raise it unless Megatron commanded it of him.

"There is much work to be done, all of you!" Megatron informed all of his soldiers. "The time is ripe for Predacon dominance! A new era of the Beast Wars has begun! One which will sow the seeds of the future no doubt!"

Then Megatron gazed down at Dinobot, noting his obedience and discipline.

"And I would also have you by my side!" he grinned. "Rise my powerful Transmetal Two servant… rise and stand proudly my faithful warrior… Dinobot!"

Obediently, Dinobot stood and gazed proudly at his master. A new era had indeed begun; an era in which he would serve both honor and master with unflinching resolve. That time was now.

A/N: _Yes, Dynamo was indeed Dinobot the entire time. As I've responded to some people before through PM, Dinobot will be included in my series and he would have a new origin and a new take on his character. This is it. Also, I decided to add Obsidian, Strika, and Jetstorm into the story with beast modes. Some people may not agree and I can respect those opinions. But my story isn't Beast Machines. It's a fan-written relaunch of BEAST WARS. And wow, how long has it been since I started this story? Three years? This entire series is basically a work in progress. Back when I started this series in 2006, I was still relatively new to fanfiction and I guess it shows in some of the early chapters. As for now? I'd like to think I've improved a lot but that's basically up to you to decide. _

_And alas, poor Shokaract. It turns out in the grand scheme of things he was only kind of a single story arc villain for my story. But I hope he played his role well and entertained people. Megatron's now back at the top of the pecking order and it'll be interesting to see how things turn out from here._


	53. Armor of the Sentinel Pt 1

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Armor of the Sentinel Part 1_

On command, the screen opened up. Backup files were now available for the user to see.

"So, this is what they've been doing on Cybertron," Tarantulas mused.

It was late into the night already. Tarantulas had snuck inside the Maximal base to ascertain their secret files and databanks on what the Maximals had done while on Cybertron. It was all part of his reconnaissance trip. This time he was not working under the revived Megatron. He was merely in it for himself.

"Surely there has to be something about the Darkspark," Tarantulas typed in a few more keys.

While on Cybertron, he had allied himself with a warlord called Shokaract. The ensuing reward of being in the alliance was a small crystalline piece known as the Darkspark. It was an artifact of great power Shokaract had bonded with his spark. Luckily, Tarantulas managed to obtain a small piece of that power. He had to find out all he could about it, even if it was from Maximal sources.

No such luck. The data logs Depth Charge had kept were short and to the point. It included nothing in-depth on the very nature of the Darkspark.

Tarantulas got up. He would have to chance his luck elsewhere.

Without even noticing, Tarantulas stepped right in front of a silent alarm.

"Intruder alert!" the sirens wailed. "Intruder alert!"

"Slag!" Tarantulas grasped his hand angrily. "Not now!"

Already he had disabled most of their alarms. Apparently he had overlooked one.

Just as Tarantulas turned around the corner of the cave, Rhinox stepped out.

"You!" he gasped.

Fortunately for Tarantulas, Rhinox had just gotten up from his slumber and wasn't in tip-top shape.

Taking a step back, Tarantulas fired two missiles from his shoulder guns before Rhinox could reach his own weapons. They struck Rhinox and knocked the larger Maximal against the cavern wall.

Tarantulas turned and fled. Now there would be more Maximals coming after him, especially considering the noise he'd just made.

Before Tarantulas could move, a smaller body collided into him and tackled him to the floor.

"You're gonna pay for what you did to my buddy!" Rattrap grabbed Tarantulas' throat with one hand.

"Get off me rat!" Tarantulas placed both feet underneath Rattrap and kicked him off.

Just as Rattrap got back to his feet and pulled out his gun, a single shot from Tarantulas' gun dispatched him.

"Two down," Tarantulas snorted. Then he ran outside as fast as his feet would take him.

He did not get very far by the time he had left the cave and entered into the night air. Before he could even transform to vehicle mode, a ferocious roar emerged from behind him.

Tarantulas turned around, facing the ferocious Transmetal Two Cheetor.

"What do you think you're doing?" demanded Cheetor.

"I don't have to answer to the likes of you!" Tarantulas raised his gun and began firing.

Cheetor ducked and weaved, avoiding each and every shot Tarantulas sent his way. He was a Transmetal Two now, with greater speed and agility than the great majority of Cybertronians.

"Too slow," Cheetor spun around and kicked the gun out of Tarantulas' hand. Then he backhanded Tarantulas to the floor.

"Omph!" Tarantulas hit the floor face-first.

"Cheetor, who was it?" Optimus came out finally.

"No worries Optimus," Cheetor grabbed Tarantulas by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up. "Just found myself a creepy crawler out for a late-night snack."

"And what a snack it would've been!" sneered Tarantulas. "If you Maximals hadn't interrupted me!"

"Why were you sneaking into our base?" demanded Optimus.

"I won't talk!" Tarantulas replied stubbornly. "And you won't make me!"

"Talk!" Cheetor gave Tarantulas a violent shake.

"Ugh!" Tarantulas almost felt his head snap back. "And if I don't?"

"Then I'll beat it out of you," Cheetor looked at Tarantulas with a dangerous glare.

"Cheetor…" Optimus looked at his young ward apprehensively.

"Do your worst," Tarantulas said scornfully. "Heh heh heh heh!"

Without warning, Cheetor used his other hand to grab Tarantulas by the skull, squeezing down and gradually putting more pressure onto the Predacon's head.

"S-Stop…" Tarantulas suddenly began to feel it. "What are you doing?"

"Just seeing how long you'll last before your memory circuits start caving in," Cheetor began to squeeze down harder on Tarantulas's head. "Maybe then you'll remember!"

"Yaaagh!" Tarantulas howled.

"Cheetor, stop it!" Optimus grabbed Cheetor's hand, trying to pry it off.

"What?" Cheetor smiled. "I'm just trying to squeeze some information out of him."

What happened next occurred so fast that the three Transformers did not even register it until it was too late. From underneath the cliff they were standing on, a small explosive device detonated, throwing Cheetor and Optimus off of Tarantulas.

Before the smoke cleared, Tarantulas looked up. It was a helicopter drone, being auto-piloted from a remote location. Two seats lay open within it.

"Come with me if you want to live," a voice from within the helicopter directed him.

"Like I have a choice!" Tarantulas leaped inside.

Ascending into the sky, the helicopter flew off into the distance.

When the smoke was completely gone, Optimus dusted himself off and beckoned Cheetor to follow him.

"Want me to chase 'im?" suggested Cheetor.

"No, we have to attend to Rhinox and Rattrap," Optimus stepped inside the cave, followed up shortly by Cheetor.

Cheetor only shrugged nonchalantly.

"_And_ we're going to have a serious discussion about this new attitude of yours," Optimus warned.

* * *

"Tell me Scorponok," Megatron ordered. "What has happened in the time I was gone?"

Megatron leaned against his throne chair, crossing both legs. With his new body, he was much larger and more powerful. Not to mention far more intimidating to boot.

It was almost as if Tigerhawk's punishing him had been a blessing-in-disguise. Now he was back and with much more strength and firepower than he originally had. He practically towered over all the other Predacons and the only one whose regality closely mirrored his own was Dinobot.

"As you already know," Scorponok pointed out. "We spent most of the time building your new body and recovering your spark. And according to Tarantulas' report, he made his way back to Cybertron for unknown purposes and so did the Maximals."

"So, that spider has attended a homecoming ball," noted Megatron. "I must question him about it later, yesssss…"

"Speaking of spiders," Scorponok pointed out. "Blackarachnia has defected. She's now with the fuzor Silverbolt."

"What?" Megatron snarled. "That treacherous she-spider would dare to cross me?"

"I hate to be the one to report this," Scorponok admitted. "But she and the fuzor appear to be in a relationship of some sort."

"A relationship, hmm?" Megatron's interest suddenly rose. "That is most fascinating."

"Master, if I may," Dinobot rose, bowing before Megatron slightly. "I would suggest a full frontal attack against the Maximals now to destroy them."

"Not just yet Dinobot, though I admire your enthusiasm," Megatron held up a hand. "We attack on my time."

"As you wish," Dinobot agreed.

"Scorponok, send one of your cyber-bees to monitor Silverbolt and Blackarachnia," ordered Megatron.

"On the double!" Scorponok saluted with one claw and disappeared.

"As for the rest of you, I would like a full account of what you did while I was on my… _impromptu vacation_," commanded Megatron.

Terrorsaur was the first to step forward.

"Oh great and powerful Megatron!" he huffed up his chest. "It was I who also played a crucial role in recovering your lost spark!"

"Yes, Waspinator did too!" Waspinator added.

"You did, did you?" Megatron raised an eye-ridge incredulously.

"Of course!" Terrorsaur saluted. "In fact, I— "

"You did nothing of the sort," Ravage interrupted.

"Yeah, you were resting your plump beak the whole time!" Strika accused.

"Is this true, Terrorsaur?" demanded Megatron.

"Well, I, uh…" Terrorsaur cleared his throat uneasily.

"It's our word against yours!" Obsidian glared at Terrorsaur.

"Let's hear the whole story then, shall we?" smiled Megatron. "In front of all these witnesses!"

Terrorsaur gulped.

* * *

In all his life, Tarantulas had never seen a laboratory so rich and complex in design.

To his right were communication stations and monitors, watching over a large portion of the city and next to the main monitor was a small robotic orb.

"Greetings Tarantulas."

Tarantulas was so busy admiring the handiwork of the lab's machinery that he scarcely paid attention.

"Attention!"

"Ah yes, you," Tarantulas turned around. "Sentinel, is it?"

"Correct," Sentinel acknowledged. "It is fortunate for me that I have summoned you."

"If it's gratitude you want, you can look elsewhere," Tarantulas replied dismissively. "I'm a free agent."

"I wish for you to build me a new body," Sentinel told him, ignoring the spider's snide tone, "an indestructible one which will aid me in my goals."

"An interesting offer but I'll pass," Tarantulas smirked.

"I have calculated this would be your reaction," Sentinel stated. "In exchange for your assistance, this laboratory will be granted to you as your new base. You shall be free to perform your operations without disturbance."

Cocking his head back, Tarantulas pondered over the offer. The labs he originally had on earth had already been destroyed and there was little chance Megatron would give him much freedom back at the Predacon base to perform his experiments without close supervision. Under the circumstances, the offer presented before him was most tempting.

"I remember how you managed to sneak aboard my ship without my notice," Tarantulas told Sentinel. "That was quite clever of you."

"While on Cybertron, I commandeered a new body in an attempt to download my essence into Cybertron's core," Sentinel explained. "A major setback occurred when the Maximals from Earth stopped me."

"Hah hah ha, they can be quite meddlesome, can't they?" Tarantulas laughed.

"Indeed."

"You know, I've decided to assist you after all," Tarantulas finally told Sentinel. "We both share a common goal, the destruction of the Maximals!"

"Then it's settled?" asked Sentinel.

"Of course," Tarantulas replied, staring at Sentinel's equipment around the room. "After all, what other brilliant mind on this planet can I rely on aside from my own? You help me, I help you."

* * *

"I don't know what's been going on with you lately, but your new attitude isn't helping," Optimus reprimanded Cheetor.

"Relax Optimus," Cheetor sat down on the seat with both feet on the table. "I've got everything under control."

Rattrap, Silverbolt, and Rhinox also sat there. Being a relative latecomer, Silverbolt had stumbled in on the group conversation just as he had returned from patrol. An awkward moment had thankfully been avoided as the Maximal knight sat down without another word.

"Cheetor, this is serious," Optimus Primal's features remained stern. "You attempted to torture Tarantulas into telling us information."

"So?" Cheetor shrugged. "As long as he spills the beans, right?"

Rhinox and Rattrap looked at each other uneasily. This conversation had just taken a turn for the worse.

"You're a part of this team, you know this isn't how we do things," Optimus pointed out.

"Depth Charge does it all the time," Cheetor pointed out truthfully. "You don't scold him like a new-born Protoform."

"That's because Depth Charge isn't technically a member of the Axalon crew," Optimus reminded Cheetor. "But you are, and I expect better behavior from you! Besides, interrogating opponents like that isn't like you, Cheetor…"

"I gotta agree with Optimus," Rattrap interjected. "You ain't been yourself lately, pussy cat."

"Alright Big Bot," Cheetor finally agreed half-heartedly. "Don't get your gears in a grind."

"Thank you," Optimus got up along with the other Maximals. "And to set the record straight, we're concerned about you, Cheetor. We just want what's best for you, that's all."

Cheetor stretched out his arms and yawned lazily.

"I gotcha," he said. "Well, may as well fly out on patrol now."

"Will you require assistance?" asked Silverbolt. "My wings have not yet tired and I could accompany you if you wish."

"Nah," Cheetor told him. "I could use some alone time. Besides, if I'm lucky, I could find that Blackarachnia babe and offer her a ride."

"How dare you!" Silverbolt's mood drastically transformed, taking a swing at Cheetor.

The young Maximal was not prepared for one of his own comrades striking him. Almost dumbly, he took the punch. After a few seconds of registering what had occurred, the emotion of surprise left Cheetor, only to be replaced with anger.

"The slag do you think you're doing?" Cheetor demanded, striking back with greater ferocity.

He grabbed Silverbolt violently by the throat and lifted him up. Silverbolt struggled under the cheetah's powerful grip but could not break free.

"Cheetor, put him down!" Optimus ordered. "Let us handle this!"

Unceremoniously, Cheetor dropped Silverbolt who immediately gasped for breath.

Now all optics were on Silverbolt and his unexpected reaction.

"Silverbolt," Optimus folded his arms gravely. "Do you have any excuse for attacking Cheetor like that?"

"Yeah, 'dat was uncalled for!" Rattrap added.

"I… I apologize for my abrupt and rash behavior," Silverbolt finally told them. "I merely feel that it is dishonorable to behave chauvinistically towards any female, even the enemy."

"Whoa, whoa, this coming from the guy who refuses to hit femmes because they're so dainty," Cheetor retorted. "Who's the real chauvinist here?"

"Cheetor, had you not gone through as much as you have recently, I would require that you give satisfaction!" Silverbolt glared daggers at the younger Maximal.

"Tough talk coming from a bird-dog who's about to get his wings clipped," Cheetor made an abortive move towards Silverbolt.

"Did I miss anything?"

All the Maximals immediately stopped what they were doing and turned to the front entrance where Depth Charge stood, leaning against the wall. Though he had his head leaning down and both arms crossed, it had been apparent that he'd been listening in for some time.

"You two done now?" Depth Charge spared a glance at the feuding Maximals.

"Just about," Cheetor snorted.

"I've got some news," the blue Maximal turned to Optimus. "Lately my sensors have been picking up not one, but _two_ spark signatures of Protoform X."

Optimus Primal was surprised, as were the other Maximals.

"But I thought you said Rampage was destroyed," Optimus responded with uncertainty.

"I thought so too," Depth Charge confessed. "But apparently not. How he even got back to Earth is a mystery to me."

"Is your scanner malfunctioning?" Rhinox asked. "I could run a diagnostic examination of it for you."

"No," Depth Charge shook his head. "I've scanned it myself several times. It's functional."

"You don't think Shokaract's back, do ya?" Rattrap looked at Depth Charge.

"I don't know," Depth Charge confessed. "But for your sakes, I recommend you keep an eye out. And be careful."

"Thanks," Optimus nodded. "We'll keep that in mind."

Depth Charge tilted his head as an acknowledgement. He transformed to flight mode and flew out of the cavern.

* * *

"What is this?" asked Sentinel. "I asked for an indestructible body, not this unwanted mass of liquid."

Tarantulas sighed. Sentinel had so little creativity and ability to think beyond certain norms despite his genius. It was no wonder he had past bodies repeatedly destroyed by the Maximals on multiple occasions.

In the past few hours, he had retrieved a stasis pod with a spark-less protoform inside. Despite a multitude of protests from Sentinel, Tarantulas managed to bring it back to the base to begin work on it. Thanks to some of the advanced technology in Sentinel's lab, he had been able to decipher how to best utilize the power of the small Darkspark fragment he possessed.

"You're just going to have to be patient," Tarantulas told Sentinel. "A liquid metal protoform is not something you want to rush."

Carefully, he removed the green gem at the middle of his forehead before a curious Sentinel. Holding up the Darkspark, which he had carved into the appropriate shape to fit into his head, he placed it where the previous gem had been.

"Ah, that's more like it," Tarantulas exclaimed.

He opened up the stasis pod and connected several tubes to the protoform.

"Are you ready?" he asked Sentinel.

"I should tell you that I have my doubts," Sentinel warned. "Do not betray me, Tarantulas."

"Oh, you have my solemn word," Tarantulas promised.

From his orb-like body, Sentinel's main connector cable attached itself to the stasis pod. With a press of a button, Tarantulas helped start the machine up. The stasis pod surged to life, downloading Sentinel's programming into itself.

"This had better work," Sentinel told the spider.

"Download complete," the pod's computer stated.

The small robotic orb which held Sentinel's essence powered down.

"Do you feel it?" Tarantulas asked.

"I… I feel it," Sentinel stated.

A large mass of liquid metal rose from the stasis pod, splattering across the floor.

"No! What is this?" Sentinel screamed.

Like goo, Sentinel spread across the floor. A few metal tendrils rose from his body but disappeared back into the liquid metal form as quickly as it had appeared.

"You tricked me!" Sentinel turned to Tarantulas. "This was not the body you promised!"

"Don't be a fool!" Tarantulas glowered. "With your liquid metal body, you're practically impervious!"

"I cannot even take solid form!" the glob of liquid metal that was now Sentinel quivered.

"Concentrate!" Tarantulas directed him. "Intellect alone is not enough! Use your willpower to take solid form!"

"I… I…" sputtered Sentinel.

The mass of protoplasmic liquid twisted itself around in the air. Several tendrils shot out, splattering against the wall. In the first few spasms, a face emerged from the liquid metal mass, only to disappear again.

"I feel it now!" Sentinel cried.

Now the liquid metal coalesced into a small metal biped. It had no distinctive form, save a head, two arms, a body, and two legs.

"So this is what it feels like?" Sentinel asked.

"Yes, you're practically invulnerable now," Tarantulas informed him, lowering his arm-guns.

Without warning, Tarantulas fired away into Sentinel, blasting away at him full force.

"Tarantulas, what are you doing?" demanded Sentinel.

Finally, Tarantulas stopped what he was doing. Several bullets were lodged into Sentinel's new form. A few holes had even been torn into Sentinel's chest.

But all too soon, the wounds healed up immediately. The bullets which were lodged into Sentinel were lodged out by his rapid healing.

"With your liquid metal body you can recover from any injury, regenerate any wound," Tarantulas explained. "Surely this is the body you wanted from me?"

"Yes, yes!" Sentinel raised both hands in the air.

"You can also take any form," Tarantulas told him. "This, too, requires concentration."

Sentinel was taken aback. He was no certain what Tarantulas meant by that.

"You mean to say I can transform into anything I wish?" he asked.

"Yes."

Focusing on his hand, Sentinel created a mega-cannon where his arm used to be. Taken aback, he unleashed a blast from that cannon which destroyed the wall in front of him in one blow.

"With your new powers, the sky is the limit," Tarantulas crossed both arms satisfactorily.

"You know, perhaps it is true what they say," Sentinel stretched his head towards Tarantulas.

The empty shape of Sentinel's liquid metal head transformed into a face that greatly resembled Tarantulas.

"Great minds think alike," Sentinel sneered.

* * *

Cheetor's new attitude was not the only thing which bothered Silverbolt. He was concerned also about Blackarachnia.

When he made his way to America, he had left Blackarachnia behind in Europe. As far as he knew, she was still back there right now. And he did not want anything unfortunate to fall upon her while he was gone, especially considering the last time they were alone when they had been assaulted by several Dinobot clones.

"Hey Rover."

Silverbolt spun around. "Blackarachnia?"

Blackarachnia landed neatly next to Silverbolt near the cliff he was standing on.

"How did you find me?" asked Silverbolt.

"I followed you, duh."

"We cannot be seen together like this!" Silverbolt protested. "If the Maximals found out you were here—"

"They won't, bone-brain," Blackarachnia reassured him. "I'm just here to pick up on some spare parts. I won't take long."

She leaned over and kissed him. Silverbolt held her tightly, though he realized that his meeting with her could only be brief. Finally Blackarachnia broke the kiss.

"Hey Silverbolt!" the familiar voice of Cheetor called out. He was just a few moments away from reaching them.

"Blackarachnia," Silverbolt turned to Cheetor's voice. "You must hide!"

As he glanced back, he saw that the femme-bot was already gone.

"Hmm, nevermind then," Silverbolt scratched his head.

"Yo Silverbutt," Cheetor walked up towards the fuzor. "Get your feathery hiney in gear. We're going out for a reconnaissance trip."

When Rattrap used such language, Silverbolt was used to it. But Cheetor was a different matter altogether. Normally when Rattrap talked in that manner, it was all in good humor. None of it was meant to demean him or put him down. But the way Cheetor said it was a manner in which he, Silverbolt, was the blunt of crude insults.

"Very well," Silverbolt frowned. "But there is no need to use such language around me, Cheetor."

"What's it to ya?" Cheetor glared at Silverbolt.

"Optimus was indeed correct when he described your behavior," Silverbolt pointed out. "What happened on Cybertron to cause you to act in such a way?"

"I grew up, that's what," Cheetor snapped, pushing back some painful memories. "And need I remind you that you threw the first punch earlier?"

"You were out of line!" Silverbolt pointed an accusing finger at the younger Maximal.

"How?" demanded Cheetor.

"I—" Silverbolt began, but quickly stopped.

If he mentioned Blackarachnia, it would mean exposing his relationship with her, the relationship which he worked hard to conceal from the Maximals.

"Cat got your tongue?" Cheetor sneered.

Snorting contemptuously, Cheetor transformed to beast mode and flew off. Reluctantly, Silverbolt followed him.

* * *

"Lousy slaggin' Megatron…" muttered Terrorsaur quietly. "Always gotta make me do the hard work…"

He and Waspinator were scrubbing the floors vigorously across the throne room. But they had a far bigger burden to bear. Megatron expected them to clean the entire Predacon base and make it spotless.

"Waspinator is getting tired…" his partner complained.

"Is that grumbling I hear?" Megatron rumbled.

Several feet away from the two sat Megatron on his chair. The foreboding Predacon tyrant sat there, crossing both legs. He was keeping a stern optic over them. All because of the fact that they did nothing to contribute to bringing him back from the edge of the abyss.

Megatron smiled. He was going to work the two until they made up for all the time they loafed around.

"No boss," Terrorsaur muttered, soaking his sponge into the vat of water.

"Waspinator never grumble…" the Predacon wasp buzzed exhaustedly. "Waspinator like work…"

"Good, because I want this entire base clean by tomorrow morning," Megatron warned them. "And Terrorsaur…"

"Yes?" Terrorsaur stopped scrubbing momentarily and looked up.

"You missed a spot," Megatron pointed towards a stain Terrorsaur had yet to clean up.

* * *

"Your new body also includes an advanced radar system," Tarantulas walked Sentinel through the process of familiarization. "It can detect any Predacon or Maximal within a hundred mile radius."

Currently, Sentinel had taken new form. He had taken the form of a cone-shaped satellite, monitoring all air frequencies. Tarantulas was there with him in the mountains conducting further field tests.

"I sense something…" Sentinel warned Tarantulas unexpectedly. "The Maximals are approaching!"

"What?" Tarantulas exclaimed.

"They are fast approaching," Sentinel told him.

Tarantulas took out his binoculars and towards the distance. The Maximals flew down from the air and landed in some nearby thickets.

"Well I'll be a Primal's uncle…" Tarantulas grimaced. "They _are_ here."

"Tarantulas," Sentinel suggested. "What do you say we conduct some further _field tests_, except this time with Maximal targets?"

"Hah hah hah!" Tarantulas cackled. "Sentinel, you've read my mind!"

* * *

"So what's 'da plan for today?" asked Rattrap.

"Rhinox has discovered a new batch of energon," Optimus pointed out. "He'll explain."

"I've found a raw batch in this area," Rhinox informed them. "Judging from my sensors, the amount in this area will be enough to repower the Axalon's turbo thrusters."

Though he hid it, Cheetor was thoroughly bored. Here was nothing more than a mining expedition for energon and he was supposed to be enthusiastic? There were so many better things he could be doing, like slagging Predacons.

"Here are your scanners," Rhinox handed different scanning equipment to each of the team. "When you find a batch, first alert everyone else."

"Gotcha," agreed Rattrap.

A rumble emerged from the ground, shaking the entire floor.

"Anything else we need to know?" asked Optimus.

"This place isn't supposed to be geologically unstable…" Rhinox held himself still, despite the trembling.

After a brief tremor, the ground stopped shaking.

"Was… was 'dat an earthquake?" asked Rattrap.

Abruptly, the ground beneath them burst open as a mound of liquid metal erupted into the air, spiraling around in a circle before coalescing together to form a single amorphous body.

"What the heck is that?" Cheetor growled.

"Greetings, my old friends!" Sentinel saluted.

He stood there with a smooth, streamlined body. Though he had arms and legs, there was no visible expression on his face.

"Sentinel, it's you again," Rhinox stepped forward.

"Yeesh, how many times do we gotta send you to the scrap heap before you get a clue?" Rattrap pointed his gun at the newly reformatted Sentinel.

"This time will be different," Sentinel promised.

Sentinel's mass expanded until he towered over the Maximals. Raising his massive fist, he transformed it into a hammer and brought it down, scattering them.

"Whoa, how'd he manage 'ta do that?" Rattrap exclaimed.

"Impressed?" Tarantulas stepped out from the trees. "I built his new body myself."

"Tarantulas!" snarled Silverbolt. "I should have known you were behind this!"

"Sentinel, destroy them!" Tarantulas ordered.

Sentinel looked down at them, transforming his hand into a massive plasma disrupter. With one blast, he knocked Optimus down from the sky.

"Agh!" shouted Optimus as he fell to the floor.

With another succession of blasts, he sent the rest of the Maximals scattering for cover yet again.

Hiding behind a tree, Rattrap and Rhinox drew their weapons.

"What 'da heck is Sentinel made of?" Rattrap fumed.

Rhinox took out both machine guns and reappeared from behind the tree, blasting away at Sentinel with hundreds of bullets. While he hit his target, he did not count on one thing…

Swiftly, the bullet wounds on Sentinel closed up as he absorbed all of the bullets which had been riddled into him. Turning to Rhinox, he fired back with a plasma shot which forced Rhinox into hiding once more.

"Judging from the looks of it, he's made of liquid metal," Rhinox analyzed the situation to Rattrap.

"Slag, 'dis is gonna be great…" muttered Rattrap.

Rattrap decided to try his luck. Transforming to vehicle mode, he sped towards Sentinel, dodging a hail of plasma fire. Several whip-like tendrils erupted from Sentinel's chest, striking at Rattrap at nearly every quarter. The Maximal rodent barely swerved to dodge the blows and slid underneath Sentinel, transforming back to robot mode. He took out one of his explosives and threw it at Sentinel who promptly caught it.

"What's this?" Sentinel looked at the item impassively.

The next thing he knew, an explosion engulfed that of his entire body.

Rattrap looked on hesitantly through the smoke. Abruptly, several tendrils erupted, one of them catching him across the face.

"Ugh!" Rattrap fell down from the blow.

An enraged Sentinel allowed four tendrils to emerge from his body, each of them grabbing one of Rattrap's limbs and dragging the Maximal close to him.

"You'll regret doing that," Sentinel told him.

With a quick twist of his wrist, Rattrap freed his gun hand from Sentinel's grip and brought the pistol directly at Sentinel's forehead, blasting a hole through it.

But just as quickly as Sentinel had recovered from the machine gun wounds, the hole in his head reconstituted itself in a matter of two seconds. Hissing angrily, Sentinel lifted Rattrap up and prepared to bring him down head-first into the ground.

Before he could do so, Cheetor kicked Sentinel in the neck, causing him to lose his grip on the smaller Maximal. Cheetor clenched both fists and punched Sentinel across the head two times. The third blow knocked Sentinel's entire body back several feet, splattering against a tree.

Soon, however, Sentinel's liquid metal body reformed itself again. He transformed both hands into laser pistols and unleashed several rapid-fire shots at the Maximals. Fortunate for Cheetor, he was fast enough to dodge them, but the others were not so lucky.

One shot struck Rhinox, knocking him clean on his back. The other shot hit Rattrap, taking him out on the spot.

From behind Sentinel, Silverbolt snuck up, firing two wing missiles.

Sensing the attack, Sentinel contracted his body together, making it as thin as a stick, causing both of Silverbolt's feather missiles to miss him and nearly hit Cheetor. With widened eyes, Cheetor leaped across the air, with one of the missiles clipping his shoulder.

"Raagh!" shouted Cheetor. "Are you blind?"

"Cheetor, I did not mean—agh!" Silverbolt quickly tried to apologize but was knocked aside by one of Sentinel's tendrils.

"Cheetor, it was an accident!" Optimus shouted. "Now concentrate on Sentinel."

Landing on both feet, Optimus mounted his missile launchers on his shoulders and began firing repeatedly. Sentinel braced himself as explosion after explosion from the missiles racked his body. By the time Optimus had run out of missiles, Sentinel leaped out of the flames and attached himself to Optimus Primal, throwing him to the ground, then lifting him up and hurling him into tree. As Cheetor attacked, Sentinel spun around and whipped Cheetor across the face, sending him crashing through the thickets.

As Optimus got up, he grabbed the tree which had been broken during his fall and brought it down on Sentinel, smashing him on the spot. But all in time, Sentinel's elastic metal body reformed itself and transformed into a satellite. The front tip of the satellite shot forth a powerful blast which struck Optimus in the chest, taking him out of the fight.

Tarantulas giggled in glee as he watched Optimus Primal fall. There were only two more left and it would be a matter of time before Sentinel took care of them.

"I don't care what you're made of," Cheetor got in front of Sentinel while Silverbolt stood from behind. "You're going down!"

Cheetor charged at Sentinel, intending to tackle him down. Utilizing his new body's natural elasticity, Sentinel opened up a hole in his body for the Maximal to go through. Cheetor dove right through that hole and crashed into Silverbolt instead.

"What are you doing?" demanded Silverbolt. "Sentinel is the enemy, not I!"

"It was a mistake!" protested Cheetor.

"Yes, you seem to be making many of those," Silverbolt pointed out.

"Gimme a slaggin' break!" growled Cheetor. "You saw what Sentinel did!"

"Ahem," Tarantulas' voice interrupted them.

"What?" Silverbolt and Cheetor turned around angrily.

One plasma blast from Sentinel erupted beneath their feet, knocking them both across the air. Silverbolt landed on his back while Cheetor skidded across the floor a bit before crashing into a rock.

"You really should be paying attention," Tarantulas giggled. "Hee hee hee!"

"These Maximals are fools," Sentinel landed in front of Tarantulas.

Tarantulas surveyed the battlefield. Thanks to their advanced new technology, they had won the engagement. It also helped that dissension within Maximal ranks aided them in their endeavors.

"It would be wise of us to finish the Maximals for certain," Sentinel told Tarantulas. "But first… hand me the piece of the Darkspark you hold."

"What?" Tarantulas was taken aback. "Why?"

"Because you will no longer need it," stated Sentinel.

"No, it's mine," Tarantulas warned. "Don't you get any ideas in that mundane processor of yours!"

"Ah, but I have," Sentinel replied confidently. "From the beginning I had counted on you to create an invincible body for me. And now I have no further use for you. But the artifact you hold interests me, arachnid."

"You were never planning to allow me access to your lab," Tarantulas realized. "It all makes sense now."

"Correct, and now you will hand over the Darkspark," ordered Sentinel.

"You'll have to pry it from all eight of my cold, offline legs," Tarantulas warned him.

"Gladly," Sentinel grew to a much larger size.

With one swift motion, Sentinel enveloped Tarantulas in a mass of liquid metal, completely absorbing the Predacon spider. His intention was to first smother the spider, then take the Darkspark from him once his spark had indeed gone offline.

"Heh heh heh…"

"What is this?" Sentinel cried.

Yellow electricity crackled around Sentinel's body as he felt his body slowly losing control of itself.

"Did you really think I'd build you a new body without inserting some fail-safes?" Tarantulas' voice emerged.

"You planned this all along!" realized Sentinel.

Inwardly, Tarantulas rolled his eyes. How could it not have been so obvious?

"Hmph, thought you could get away with cheating me, eh?" Tarantulas sneered. "Well this time Sentinel, the joke's on you!"

The electricity crackled all around them as Sentinel's new liquid metal body began fusing with the Transmetal body Tarantulas possessed. From that amorphous glob of metal goo, a head was the first to emerge, then followed up by the arms and legs.

"By the Matrix…" Silverbolt raised his head.

Before them was a new being. The primary color of his body was white, while thin black streaks ran across his chest and parts of his arm. The head was a grotesque sight. Four glowing red eyes lined the front. At the bottom, a gaping mouth with sharp teeth was complemented with a pair of mandibles.

"What did you do to yourself?" Cheetor demanded, getting up from his previous injury.

"I have gone through an upgrade," Tarantulas replied, spitting out acid as he talked. "One which will tip the balance of the Beast Wars in my favor…"

Both Cheetor and Silverbolt watched with horror and disgust as the acid from Tarantulas' new jaws dripped onto the ground, melting right through it.

"Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh…"

"This isn't good," Cheetor looked at Silverbolt.

"Hah hah hah hah hah!"

"No, it certainly is not," Silverbolt gripped his weapon, agreeing with Cheetor for the first time in that day.

From his back, Tarantulas sprouted eight spider-like limbs, lifting his bipedal body from the ground as he marched towards the two Maximals, stalking them as if they were prey.

"You know what I call Maximals who get caught up in my tangled web?" Tarantulas asked them jokingly.

Neither of them answered.

"I call them lunch…" Tarantulas smiled, allowing further drops of acid to fall out of his mouth.


	54. Armor of the Sentinel Pt 2

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Armor of the Sentinel Pt 2_

Cheetor and Silverbolt both stood still, nervously anticipating what Tarantulas would do next.

"Heh heh hee!" Tarantulas giggled.

Finally, Cheetor had had enough. He rushed forward, transforming to beast mode. With his jets activated, he soared into Tarantulas, slashing him across the side with his claws before landing and turning around.

Tarantulas looked down on the wound made across his side. In a matter of moments it was sealed up again.

"Ready to try your luck again?" he beckoned Cheetor with one hand.

Snarling, Cheetor attacked Tarantulas with several waves of punches. Just as quickly, Tarantulas dodged the punches, bobbing from left to right as Cheetor launched his furious attack.

Striking back, Tarantulas caught one of Cheetor's punches with an open hand, squeezing down on it and holding it in place. In reaction, Cheetor threw a punch with his other arm, which Tarantulas caught as well.

"The fusion with Sentinel and the Darkspark has made me practically invulnerable," Tarantulas explained to Cheetor.

From above, Silverbolt flew down grabbing Tarantulas from behind with a chokehold.

"Oh, you want to get in on the action too?" Tarantulas sneered.

Several spider legs erupted from the Predacon's back, lifting Silverbolt into the air.

"Agh!" cried Silverbolt.

With miniature pinchers, the spider legs clutched onto Silverbolt's body and threw him off.

From his side, Tarantulas materialized two extra pair of arms which he used to begin pounding Cheetor mercilessly in the stomach and chest.

The young Maximal howled in pain as Tarantulas laid in several heavy blows into him. Finally, the Predacon stopped and struck Cheetor aside with one of the spider legs from his back.

"Tarantulas!" cried Silverbolt, rushing towards his enemy once again.

"You again, Fido?" Tarantulas mocked.

He pointed his hand at Silverbolt. From his wrists emerged a small short burst of cyber-venom webbing. The webbing enveloped itself around the fuzor's ankles, tying him down and tripping him, causing Silverbolt to fall down chin-first on the floor.

"And stay down," Tarantulas snorted.

From behind Tarantulas, Cheetor slammed into him and sent him stumbling forward.

"Annoying feline!" Tarantulas fumed.

Tarantulas launched three of the liquid metal spider legs from his back. Cheetor dodged all three of the attacks and grabbed onto a forth leg which narrowly missed him. Using his natural limberness, Cheetor swung up, catching Tarantulas in the chin with both legs. Before Tarantulas could stumble back, Cheetor maintained his grip on that leg and swung Tarantulas' whole body over his head, bringing the Predacon spider back-first onto the floor.

"Ack!" Tarantulas sputtered.

"Had enough?" Cheetor smiled, allowing himself a moment of overconfidence.

"Hardly," Tarantulas replied.

Before the cat knew what hit him, Tarantulas unleashed a powerful dose of webbing which covered Cheetor's eyes with the flick of a wrist.

"Aaagh!" cried Cheetor.

Tarantulas lifted himself into the air with both hands and planted both feet into Cheetor's chest, kicking him down. Cheetor howled and got back up, ripping off the webbing on his eyes. A murderous glint now filled his optics.

Now much more nimble than ever, Tarantulas somersaulted over Cheetor, webbing him from behind. With a tug, he yanked Cheetor back, whirling him around in a circle before throwing him directly into a large tree.

Cheetor grunted in pain as he hit the tree but before he could move, Tarantulas shot several strands of cyber-venom web onto him, effectively webbing him to the tree. The strands of webbing were stronger than steel, giving Cheetor a difficult time in breaking out.

"Now for Silverb—"

Before Tarantulas could finish what he was about to say, Blackarachnia swung down from the trees and kicked him, sending him flying back.

"I was hoping to see you again, widow," Tarantulas stood up, dusting himself off.

Blackarachnia responded by shooting three cyber-venom darts into the chest of Tarantulas.

"Good to see you too, legs," she said sarcastically. "Hate the new look."

Tarantulas used one hand to brush off the darts she had shot into him. The cyber-venom in those weapons had barely made an impact on him. Whatever chemical properties they contained were absorbed into his new system without so much as a scratch.

He was glad the widow was here. There had been a lot that had gone unsaid between them and he was happy to clear it up here and now, especially if it involved tormenting the wretched female arachnid.

Taking a step back, Blackarachnia was incredulous.

"I pumped enough cyber-venom in that to take out a gestalt!" she pointed out. "You should be snoozing by now!"

"Foolish widow!" Tarantulas pointed out both arms and shot two strings of webbing past her, latching on to a log sitting on the forest floor.

With a strong tug, he pulled the log forward and slammed it right into her back, knocking her down.

As Blackarachnia tried to get up, this time Tarantulas webbed both her claws together.

"This is going to hurt you a lot more than it hurts me!" Tarantulas told her.

He grabbed onto his webbing and pulled, slamming Blackarachnia into a nearby tree where Cheetor had been tied up. This time too he webbed Blackarachnia up.

"Beloved, no!" Silverbolt cried.

At this point Cheetor was still chewing his way through the webbing that Tarantulas had encircled him with. Had his ears been deceiving him? Did Silverbolt really call Blackarachnia that? Just what in the slag was going on between them?

"When will you ever stay down!" Tarantulas howled.

Again and again, Tarantulas laid into Silverbolt with heavy punches until Silverbolt sank down to both knees. Tarantulas grabbed Silverbolt by the head and yanked it back.

"What did you call her?" he demanded.

"Do not lay a finger on Blackarachnia, fiend!" growled Silverbolt.

"Hmph!" Tarantulas snorted, punching Silverbolt in the face again and again.

Suddenly, a shot rang out and a burst from Cheetor's gun struck Tarantulas in the back and knocked him away from Silverbolt.

"Get away from him gruesome," Cheetor warned.

Blackarachnia, too, was free as Tarantulas noted. They both had their guns trained on him. How quaint it was that former enemies were teaming up against him now. It was most definitely a humorous sight to behold.

"I've got to be going for now," Tarantulas told them. "But don't fret. _I'll be back_."

With that, Tarantulas shot webbing into one of the overhead trees and launched himself in the air. As he landed on a tree branch, he leaped up again, this time far above the clearing where a rocket packet appeared on his back, granting him the ability of flight. The Predacon scientist flew off as the remaining two Maximal and one Predacon looked on.

"Well, toodles," Blackarachnia waved at Silverbolt and Cheetor. She shot some of her own webbing into the trees and vanished in a flash.

Now only Cheetor and Silverbolt were left. The other Maximals at the moment were still unconscious. There were so many things Cheetor wanted to ask Silverbolt but his mind could only process one thing which he could put into speech.

"_Beloved_, huh?" Cheetor stared at Silverbolt.

"I…" Silverbolt didn't know what to say.

"How long has this been going on?" demanded Cheetor.

Silverbolt stared at the other Maximals. They were slowly beginning to become conscious again. He had little time to explain.

"Please Cheetor," begged Silverbolt. "Do not tell the others!"

Cheetor hesitated before answering. Now he was aware that something indeed was occurring between Blackarachnia and Silverbolt. While the length of such a relationship was unknown to him, he was planning on exacting all the answers from the fuzor later.

"Fine," Cheetor replied.

"Thank you Cheetor," Silverbolt breathed more easily.

"But you owe me an explanation later in private!" Cheetor whispered to Silverbolt, staring at him intently.

"Yes of course," agreed Silverbolt.

Cheetor walked away from Silverbolt to help the other Maximals up.

Before joining Cheetor, Silverbolt glanced up into the sky. Sighing deeply, he joined Cheetor.

* * *

"Predacons, assemble before me in the main hall," Megatron's voice boomed across the speakers.

Scorponok, Terrorsaur, Waspinator, Ravage, and Thrust put down their cards. For the past hour they had been engaged in an intense bout of poker.

"Wonder what that's for," Terrorsaur shrugged.

"Whatever it is, we should check it out," insisted Scorponok.

"You guys go ahead and go," Terrorsaur told them. "I'll catch up with you later."

From behind Terrorsaur, an enormous hand grabbed him around the neck.

"We go now," Strika insisted.

"Yes ma'am," Terrorsaur croaked.

Dinobot and Obsidian stood there, watching the others, looking for any signs of disloyalty or mutiny.

"Anyone else wish to disobey Megatron's orders?" asked Obsidian.

Not a single Predacon in the room had any objections.

* * *

"Everything has gone perfectly…" Tarantulas mused. "New armor, new powers, and even new lab."

The Predacon scientist glanced around at his gleaming new lair, one which Sentinel himself had furnished. Of course, there was always the chance that Sentinel would try to come back, perhaps hacking into the lab equipment itself. Which was why Tarantulas had to spend quite a while virus-proofing the computers and inspecting each and every one of the equipment to ensure that Sentinel would not return.

And now he was finished. Doing so was almost like spring cleaning for him. Not one machine had been left unturned. Sentinel always did have that nasty habit of reappearing every time he was destroyed.

"Now, I wonder what I should do now," Tarantulas stroked his chin.

One particular plan he had in mind was the destruction of Megatron. Though he had tried and failed in the past, this time there was a fair chance he could succeed, considering the power of the new armor he possessed.

_Return my body to me at once!_

Tarantulas blinked.

_Return me to my body or suffer the consequences!_

He had always considered himself a bit crazy, but never before in his life had Tarantulas heard voices in his mind. Even he wasn't _that_ screwed up in the head.

Then he recognized it. Sentinel had not shut down and transferred his memories into another computer. Sentinel was still here, residing in his body.

"Sentinel, is that you?" Tarantulas held back some laughter.

_Affirmative. You shall return my body to me or be destroyed._

"Then it begs the question," asked Tarantulas. "Why haven't you killed me yet?"

No reply.

"Could it be that you're incapable of such an act?" Tarantulas pressed on. "Could it be that you're helpless in this state?"

_You will relinquish the body you have stolen from me, Tarantulas. That is all._

All Sentinel could do at this point was to speak directly to the spider. There was not much more he could accomplish. Tarantulas had full control of the body.

"That's a good Sentinel," Tarantulas cooed. "You just stay back there all comfy and cozy in the back of my subconscious and I'll do all the work."

Sentinel said nothing more.

* * *

"Silverbolt…" Cheetor looked up.

"Cheetor…" Silverbolt stood passively.

Silverbolt had just entered into Cheetor's chambers. Originally Cheetor had never stated exactly when or where they would meet up but Silverbolt thought it best that he find Cheetor and tell his side of the tale. The sooner the better... He was not sure how long his conscience would be able to last hiding the truth.

"I am here to state the truth," announced Silverbolt.

"Go ahead," Cheetor replied, not knowing what else to say in this awkward moment.

"You are probably wondering about my current relationship with Blackarachnia," Silverbolt began.

"Yeah, guess I was," Cheetor looked down.

"I guess you could say it began during one of my adventures in the European continent," explained Silverbolt. "I had just foiled one of Tarantulas' plans. In that battle, I was severely weakened and had it not been for Blackarachnia, I might have perished."

"Whoa," Cheetor's ears perked up. "You mean she saved you?"

"Yes, that would be factually correct."

"So you two just hit it off like that?"

"It was a difficult process at first," admitted Silverbolt. "But eventually I came to trust in her and she in me."

"Wow, just wow," Cheetor shook his head. "I never thought you and Blackarachnia of all people…"

"I love her dearly," Silverbolt said. "You must see that."

Cheetor blinked. "I can _definitely_ see that. But you know Optimus ain't gonna like finding out you're head over heels for a Pred."

"I realize that," confessed Silverbolt. "Please Cheetor, I will eventually tell the truth of my relationship with her to the rest of the Maximals. Until then, I must ask you to promise not to tell a soul."

"Fine," Cheetor agreed.

"Thank you Cheetor," Silverbolt was relieved.

"But I'm warning you," Cheetor cautioned. "If she hurts any of my friends, I won't hesitate to shred some Pred."

Silverbolt bristled. He did not like hearing Cheetor threatening his beloved. Though in some ways he could see where the cat was coming from. Still, a threat against Blackarachnia was still not something to be taken lightly.

"I understand," Silverbolt replied. "But know that if that time comes, I will do what I must do to protect her."

"So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" Cheetor tensed up as well.

Before a full-out brawl could erupt between the two, Cheetor's door slid open to reveal Rattrap.

"Yo Cheets! Bolts!" Rattrap called. "C'mere, got something on the news you gotta see."

"Meanwhile, this mysterious new creature continues to wreak havoc downtown in Crimson City," the news reporter announced. "What he is and where he came from remains unknown!"

"Well that's just Prime," Optimus scowled.

On the TV, the image of a creature wrecking the city was projected across the airwaves. It was Tarantulas on all fours, running like a wild animal, destroying almost everything in sight. Crowds of people fled from the carnage in frenzied masses.

"Hah hah hah hah hah!" Tarantulas laughed, lifting up an entire bus with both arms.

"Whoa, is that Tarantulas?" Cheetor ran up, followed up by Silverbolt.

Another explosion rocked the background. Slowly, Tarantulas turned his glance towards the reporters.

"Uh oh," the anchor gulped.

Several spider legs erupted from Tarantulas' back, impaling the camera instantly and cutting off the channel. Now the only thing left on the television was static.

"Get ready Maximals," Optimus ordered.

* * *

"Look at how these humans run!" laughed Tarantulas. "Bwahahaha!"

He sliced through several traffic lights with his spider-legs and leaped across the buildings, clinging to the walls. Opening his mouth, he spat a gob of acid towards a fuel station's pump, destroying it in a ball of flames.

Then he landed neatly on both feet, taking great relish in the destruction he had caused.

From the distance, he could hear the sound of jets.

"Hmm, my spider sense is tingling," Tarantulas turned around.

Above him were the Maximals. Rhinox rode aboard Optimus Primal's surfboard while Silverbolt carried Rattrap with him. The first to attack was Cheetor, leaping down at him in robot mode.

Tarantulas launched two of his spider-legs at Cheetor but the Maximal blocked both of them with his forearms, punching Tarantulas across the jaw viciously.

Stumbling back, Tarantulas held his now-broken jaw. With a quick snap, he jolted it back into its proper position. In anger, he swiped at Cheetor with one spider-leg on his back but Cheetor caught it and gripped it tightly, swinging Tarantulas right into the side of a building. Rapidly recovering from the attack, Tarantulas grabbed onto the young Maximal with four additional spider-legs and did the same, slamming Cheetor into another side of that same building.

Then he lifted Cheetor up, throwing him right into statue of a marble lion. Cheetor smashed through the lion, smashing it to pieces. Just as Cheetor got up, however, Tarantulas leaped on top of him, biting down on his shoulder with his powerful incisors.

"Aaaahhh!" screamed Cheetor.

Just as Tarantulas released his grip, Cheetor slammed the back of his head into Tarantulas's face, knocking him off.

"Cheetor!" shouted Rhinox.

Both Rhinox and Optimus attacked Tarantulas at once but the spider grabbed both of them with his spider-legs and threw them in separate directions.

"What did you do to me?" demanded Cheetor, getting up woozily.

"My bite now contains a toxic dose of cyber-venom," explained Tarantulas. "Don't be surprised if you pass out soon."

With his remaining strength, Cheetor lunged at Tarantulas. The spider merely struck the now dazed Maximal across the face with an open hand, knocking him down.

From the side, Optimus tackled Tarantulas but Tarantulas kicked him off, right into the side of a van. Optimus leaped up to avoid one of the spider-legs striking him and held on to a street lamp, taking out his gun and firing a shot.

The shot struck Tarantulas on his chest but did not take him down. In anger, Tarantulas grabbed onto a nearby abandoned motorcycle with two of his spider-legs and threw it at Optimus, knocking Optimus to the floor. As Primal got back up, Tarantulas grabbed onto a pickup truck and hurled it, slamming Optimus into the pawn shop behind him.

Several more shots were fired at him by Rattrap and Rhinox. Tarantulas flipped through the shots and landed in between them. With one uppercut he sent Rhinox flying back and knocked Rattrap on his back with a single sweep kick.

Silverbolt flew down but Tarantulas avoided him by stepping to the side. He aimed both hands and fired a web strand which tied Silverbolt's legs together. Yanking down, Tarantulas brought Silverbolt onto the concrete.

"Agh!" shouted Silverbolt.

Quickly, Tarantulas leaped over Silverbolt, webbing together both his wings as he did so. Then he proceeded to web up the rest of the fuzor's body, minus his head.

"You will not escape justice, fiend!" growled Silverbolt.

Tarantulas responded by kicking Silverbolt aside with one foot. Silverbolt rolled across the ground until he hit a street sign. Sensing immediate danger, he rolled to the side just in time before the razor-sharp legs on Tarantulas' back stabbed him. This had the fortunate side effect on cutting loose the webbing ensnared around his body.

The fuzor rolled back to his feet and hurled two wing daggers at Tarantulas. They struck Tarantulas directly in the chest, hitting their target.

Indifferently the Predacon looked down at the two wing daggers embedded in his chest and arm. Pinchers emerged from the spider legs on his back and yanked them off.

"Was that supposed to stop me?" Tarantulas asked.

Tarantulas fired a strand of webbing which sailed past Silverbolt. As it latched on to a mailbox planted on the ground, Tarantulas yanked back, pulling the mailbox off its hinges. The large metal object sailed right into Silverbolt's back, knocking him down.

Silverbolt struggled to get up by Tarantulas grabbed onto the mailbox this time with both hands.

"You canines always did like to chase mailmen," Tarantulas joked. "Why don't you play fetch then?"

With that, he smashed the mailbox right on top of Silverbolt's head, bringing him down.

"Urgh…" groaned the barely conscious Silverbolt.

Tarantulas looked around the battlefield. All his enemies now lay in a heap. There was nothing stopping him from killing all of them. But then, he didn't want to just yet. What he wanted was to further humiliate them and subject them to degradations of this scale in the future. It was the least he could do to pay back the Maximals for all their past victories over him.

He grabbed Silverbolt by the collar and lifted him up with one hand.

"I could end it here if I want to," Tarantulas told Silverbolt. "But I want you to remember this occasion. Because there's going to be more where that came from… _a lot more_."

Silverbolt grabbed on to the leg which held him up. Without Tarantulas even realizing it, he planted a small tracer on him. It was so small that it was barely detectable. And considering the beating he had inflicted on Silverbolt, Tarantulas seemingly had every right to gloat without concern.

Throwing Silverbolt down, Tarantulas fired webbing into the skyscrapers and swung away into the distance.

It took several minutes before the Maximals began to recover from their injuries. Some of them, by virtue of being Transmetal, began to heal faster than others.

"Well that went well," Rhinox rubbed his shoulders. Tarantulas' attack had nearly done them all in.

"Tell me about it," Rattrap agreed.

Optimus went over to Rhinox to help him up. Cheetor did the same for Silverbolt.

"What'll we do now?" asked Cheetor. "Tarantulas is still on the loose."

Devoid of warning, a news van suddenly arrived on the scene.

"Looks like we've got bigger problems to worry about right now," pointed out Rhinox. "We don't want to make it on the Channel Eight news."

"Maximals fall back," Optimus commanded.

He transformed to flight mode and helped Rhinox onto his surf board.

"My wing… it's been broken," Silverbolt proclaimed.

"I'll carry you and Rattrap," offered Cheetor.

"No time," Rattrap told him. "You take 'Bolts. I'll meet you guys back at base. I know this city pretty well."

"Agreed," stated Optimus. "Remember not to let anyone see you, Rattrap."

"I know these alleyways like the back of my head," Rattrap transformed to beast mode and scampered off into the darkest corner of the alley.

Before the news crew could even come out, Optimus and Cheetor flew off with Silverbolt and Rhinox in tow.

Just as the reporters were looking around with their cameras, Rattrap sneaked a quick glance at them before leaping over the fence of the alleyway and disappearing into the shadows.

* * *

Of all the Predacons present for Megatron's summoning, only three of them were eagerly anticipating the Predacon commander's words.

Dinobot, Obsidian, and Scorponok stood attentively, awaiting what Megatron would say with great relish.

What Obsidian and Scorponok anticipated most was the chance of a promotion. For all his faithful years of service, Scorponok had never once doubted Megatron. Every day he stood by to obey his master's will. In his spark of sparks, he knew that his leader was the last hope for Predacon-kind.

Obsidian, on the other hand, was different. Before his reprogramming he had already been a military commander of the highest caliber. Obedience was practically programmed into his every circuitry. He was not obedient out of personal feelings. He served the highest power there was, ensuring that every duty was carried out to its fullest. There was no room for sloppiness or laziness in his world. Megatron represented the potential to fulfill that perfect world of unity and order. And it was the duty of Obsidian, to carry it out.

Dinobot was something different altogether. He said nothing but loyalty shown directly through his own optics. He was a 'bot of many talents and if he ever wanted to, he could easily command the loyalty of these Predacons for his own ends. But such a thought was abhorrent to him. He was bound by honor to serve Megatron, the one who helped give him life.

"At ease Predacons," Megatron lowered his hands.

Ever since Megatron's return, the Predacon team had been augmented considerably. In addition, they had become far more professional, like an actual army or regimented militia should be.

Looking up towards Megatron, Scorponok recalled a time back when the Predacon team had been nothing but a bickering faction with little cohesiveness or unity. Those times were over, however, and he wanted nothing more than for those previous times to stay where they belonged, in the past.

"I call you before me today to announce something," Megatron told them.

Eagerly, the rest of the Predacons waited for him to continue.

"I seek a new second-in-command," he told them.

Already, looks of ambition appeared on a few of them. Terrorsaur, Tankorr, Thrust, and Ravage in particular appeared rather restless.

"But I cannot determine who is worthy," Megatron continued. "Unless of course I put you to the test."

"I agree!" Strika humbled herself. "What is your command?"

"The examination is simple," Megatron informed the Predacons. "Soon I will be holding a tournament. The winner shall become my sub-commander."

Apprehension cut through the room as the Predacons glared at one another. Almost all of them were willing to put their life and limb on the line to achieve such a status. And almost none of them would back down from such a challenge.

"Prepare yourselves Predacons," ordered Megatron. "That is all."

Megatron turned around and retreated into his chambers.

Looking around at each other, the remaining Predacons said nothing and went their separate ways.

* * *

"Remember how Tarantulas fused with Sentinel?" asked Rhinox.

The Maximal scientist poured a small test tube of chemicals into a larger vat. He was conducting experiments on the properties of liquid metal, from a sparkles protoform they had recovered from a long time ago.

"Yes, have you found a weakness?" inquired Optimus.

"Perhaps," Rhinox nodded. "But I'll need to conduct further steps on the alloy of this protoform. I think I might have a way of separating Tarantulas from Sentinel. This viral compound may be the solution."

"While Tarantulas was unaware, I was able to plant a tracer on him," Silverbolt announced, taking out a hand-held scanner. "With this we should be able to track him to whatever cave the spider crawled from."

"Good thinking Silverbolt," Optimus patted the fuzor on the back. "Our best chance right now is to take the fight to Tarantulas."

"I'm with Optimus," Cheetor pounded both fists together. "It's payback time."

"Don't get in over 'yer head kid," Rattrap reminded Cheetor. "Tarantulas is tougher than ever and it's gonna take more than fistfights to bring 'im down."

"You saying I can't do the job?" demanded Cheetor.

"Kid, all five of us together couldn't bring 'im down," Rattrap replied. "Whaddya expect?"

"I can take him down all on my own!" Cheetor got in Rattrap's face. "Just you watch!"

"Cheetor, enough!" Optimus got between them.

He waited a while for the two Maximals to calm down. Finally, Cheetor took a deep sigh and turned away. After a few seconds, he looked back again.

"Sorry Optimus," Cheetor apologized. "Just got carried away."

"That's the understatement of the year," Rattrap muttered when he was certain Cheetor and the others wouldn't hear him.

"Okay, got it!" Rhinox appeared before them with a new device.

"This carrier virus should be able to infect Tarantulas' new body," Rhinox explained, "weakening it enough so that Sentinel is separated from the host."

"How do we pass it on to Tarantulas?" asked Optimus. "That's the hard part."

"We'll need the element of surprise," Rhinox replied.

Naturally, the Maximals looked towards Rattrap.

"I'm 'yer bot!" the small Maximal declared.

"I can carry it out!" protested Cheetor.

"Cheetor, this mission requires stealth," Optimus tried to explain.

"I can do stealth!" Cheetor declared in a manner which was far from humble.

Both Silverbolt and Rhinox looked at Cheetor with a glance which bordered on incredulity.

"All those in favor of Rattrap?" Optimus raised a hand.

"Aye!" Rhinox and Silverbolt both raised their hands.

"Heh!" Rattrap snorted at Cheetor. "Face it kiddo, ya can't just barge into everything with both fists swinging."

"Whatever, Ratface," Cheetor muttered.

As the Maximals began to head out, Silverbolt lingered behind a bit. He turned on his com-link.

"Hey Silverbolt, what're you doing now?"

It was Blackarachnia. Her timing couldn't have been worse, especially now that they were about to go on a mission. While he was hesitant to tell her, Silverbolt had never been one for lying to her either.

"I am afraid you have caught me at a bad time," began Silverbolt.

* * *

After having snuck into the new lair of Tarantulas, the Maximals peered in from behind the wall.

Rattrap had disabled the security systems with the aid of Rhinox. As tedious as it was, it needed to be done to avoid detection.

In view was Tarantulas, sitting on his chair. Judging from the loud snores, it was safe to say that he had dozed off. Now was the perfect opportunity to strike.

"Are you ready, Rattrap?" whispered Rhinox.

"Yeah," Rattrap agreed.

"I still think I should be given this mission," Cheetor crossed both arms.

"Don't get your servos in a wad," Rattrap glared at Cheetor.

"Remember to be careful," Optimus reminded him. "If this is successful, we can permanently split Sentinel from Tarantulas."

Rattrap nodded. "Stealth mode."

Switching his gears to the espionage programming implemented into his core consciousness, Rattrap quickly put a stop to the grinding joint movements of his body. This was absolutely required for the mission since they would need absolute silence to accomplish their goals.

Tiptoeing carefully, Rattrap slowly made his way towards the sleeping Tarantulas.

Anxiously, Silverbolt, Optimus, Rhinox, and Cheetor looked on. Now Rattrap was within range of the spider.

Though they had already disabled the alarms in the lab, there was still one thing they had no counted on. Tarantulas was still wearing a living suit of armor.

_Tarantulas you fool! Wake up! The enemy is at your gates!_

Tarantulas snorted and leaped out of his seat.

"Shut up Sentinel!" he shouted. "Can't you see I'm trying to get my beauty sleep?"

Then he saw Rattrap in front of him with a syringe. The Maximal rodent's mouth was gaping open, shocked that Tarantulas had woken up, just like that. With no time to waste, Rattrap stabbed at Tarantulas with the syringe, intending to pump the spider full of the virus Rhinox had made. Hastily, Tarantulas averted the needle and grabbed Rattrap by the wrist, twisting it hard enough so that Rattrap yelped in pain and let go of the viral carrier.

Tarantulas grabbed the carrier and hurled it into the wall, causing it to splatter. Their last hope of removing Sentinel from the Predacon scientist was now gone. Angrily, Tarantulas grabbed Rattrap by the neck and tossed him into the monitor.

"You thought you could get the drop on me?" Tarantulas shouted.

Sensing that their moment of opportunity had passed, all the Maximals rushed out to attack Tarantulas.

"Fools," Tarantulas muttered.

Rapidly, two strands of webbing erupted from his wrists and latched on to Rhinox. Tarantulas yanked back and sent Rhinox sailing towards himself. But before Rhinox's body could hit him, Tarantulas arched his body back as his knees slid across the ground, causing the Maximal rhino to fly right into Rattrap. As the two crashed into one another, Tarantulas let go of the webbing he had attached to Rhinox and turned to his remaining opponents.

Silverbolt was next. The fuzor fired two wing missiles at him but Tarantulas leaped up, avoiding both in mid-air. Two more missiles followed up which Tarantulas avoided. One of them hit the wall behind them but Tarantulas grabbed the other with the webbing on his hands and swung frontwards, sending it back to Silverbolt.

Just in the nick of time, Silverbolt raised one of his own wings to protect himself but the shot struck him nonetheless. A small explosion sent Silverbolt crashing to the floor.

Optimus was next. He swung at Tarantulas with his mace again and again. Each time, Tarantulas dodged the strikes and avoided them all. In return, he blocked one of Primal's blows with an open hand and fired a small bolt of webbing into Optimus Primal's face, blocking his line of vision. As Silverbolt got up, Tarantulas back flipped into the air between both Maximals. During the middle of his flip, he fired strands of webbings at both of them. Then he criss-crossed both arms, sending both the Maximal leader and knight smashing into one another.

From the shadows, Cheetor watched carefully, plotting out his next step. Near his feet he saw a medium-sized sewer lid. Picking it up, he made his appearance by leaping out and throwing it right at Tarantulas' head. Fortunately for his heightened agility and senses, Tarantulas leaped side-ways in the air to avoid it. As he did so, one of the spider legs shot out through his back, catching the lid in mid-air. As Tarantulas landed one more, the spider leg hurled the lid right back at Cheetor, catching him right in the mid-section.

"Agh!" shouted Cheetor, falling on his back.

As Tarantulas moved in on the fallen cheetah, he heard a gust of wind from behind him. Twisting just enough to the side, he moved out of the way just as Blackarachnia launched a flying side-kick towards his chest. He shot a strand of webbing at her, latching on to her back.

Swinging in a circular motion, Tarantulas threw Blackarachnia into some heavy machinery.

"Don't you ever learn, witch?" Tarantulas laughed. "Hahahah!"

Blackarachnia ignored the throbbing pain and got up. She and the Maximals surrounded Tarantulas in a circular position.

"Listen up Maximals," Blackarachnia announced to them. "I don't like you and I'll gladly slag you the first chance I get. But I'm here with a vendetta against Tarantulas so let's play nice for now, shall we?"

Optimus look at her hesitantly.

"Alright," he agreed. "First we'll have to separate Sentinel from Tarantulas. Rhinox, do you have Plan B ready?"

"Got it," Rhinox confirmed. "But separating them is gonna be the hard part."

"Five Maximals and a traitor!" Tarantulas shouted. "This is going to be fun indeed! Ha ha hah hah!"

"Rhinox, go and get it ready," ordered Optimus. "The rest of us will hold off Tarantulas."

Rhinox nodded and obeyed. Tarantulas snorted, watching Rhinox run off. It didn't matter to him one way or another if one Maximal left. There were still four more plus a Predacon wench he could torture.

Suddenly, Cheetor noticed the center of Tarantulas' head. It was pulsating with an energy he had seen before. This familiar sight was something he had seen back on Cybertron when they battled Shokaract.

It was the power of the Darkspark. Somehow Tarantulas had gotten his claws on it. Cheetor smiled. Now he had an idea.

"Bet you can't take us all at once!" he shouted at Tarantulas.

This infuriated Tarantulas further. All eight spider legs erupted forth, grabbing on to the remaining Maximals plus Blackarachnia. He lifted them all up high. With four of his legs, he dangled Optimus, Blackarachnia, Rattrap, and Silverbolt in the air. With his remaining four, he clamped down on Cheetor's arms and legs. Bringing Cheetor close to him, Tarantulas back-handed the Maximal across the face.

"Don't get cocky, whelp!" Tarantulas mocked. "I should pulverize you here and now!"

Cheetor smiled. There was one appendage he had which Tarantulas had not counted on. His tail swung upwards, catching Tarantulas right in the face with its sharp end.

"Yeaaaaaagh!" screamed Tarantulas, clutching his injured face.

Immediately, the Darkspark crystal on Tarantulas' head was sent flying into the air. As Tarantulas' hold on all the Transformers broke, Cheetor took the opportunity to leap up and plant both feet into Tarantulas' face, kicking him across the room. Slamming back-first into the wall, Tarantulas slid down.

Almost instantly, the new armor Tarantulas wore left his body. Sentinel quickly took shape once more, fashioning both his arms into sharp blades.

"You will pay for that indignity!" threatened Sentinel.

"Sentinel, my good friend," Tarantulas backed away from him slowly. "Surely we can talk this out?"

"What'll we do now?" Rattrap asked.

"We let them take each other out," suggested Blackarachnia.

"No, we wait for reinforcements," Optimus stated.

"You used me for your own purposes and now I shall derive satisfaction!" Sentinel raised his arm, preparing to strike down.

Suddenly, a cement truck burst through the wall interrupting both of them. Parking directly in front of Sentinel, the mixer on the truck hummed to life and let loose a torrent of cement splattering down on the supercomputer.

"Noooo!" shouted Sentinel.

"Enjoying the new cement flavor, Sentinel?" Rhinox peered out of the window.

"You Maximal fools!" shouted Sentinel, waving his arms around helplessly. "I shall destroy each and every one of you!"

Steadily, Sentinel's movements slowed down. He attempted to attack the Maximals but with each step, his speed deteriorated. Finally, he was frozen in place, having had his liquid metal alloys mixed in with cement.

"I… shall… terminate…" Sentinel's last words barely made it out before he shut down.

"Nice statue," Rhinox got out of the truck, observing his handiwork.

Tarantulas attempted to sneak away but a tapping behind his shoulder alerted him to the fact that the Maximal hadn't forgotten about him. Tarantulas gulped.

"Goin' somewhere?" asked Rattrap.

With one swing, Rattrap really let Tarantulas have it. The punch nearly knocked the lights out of the spider. As he fell, Tarantulas crashed near the Darkspark crystal.

"Stay away from me, all of you!" the spider cried.

Now that his near-invincible armor was gone, Tarantulas' true cowardice had become all the more obvious. In desperation he grabbed on to the Darkspark.

Without warning, the Darkspark hummed to life and enveloped Tarantulas in a flash of red energy. By the time it cleared, Tarantulas had vanished.

"Whoa, where'd he go?" Cheetor wondered out loud.

"Not sure," answered Blackarachnia. "But I have a feeling this isn't the last we've seen of ol' legs here."

Optimus looked at Blackarachnia warily.

"Thanks for your help," he said, unsure of what else to say.

"Don't flatter yourself monkey boy," Blackarachnia replied coolly. "Tarantulas needed his skidplates handed to him, that's all."

With that, Blackarachnia fired a grappling hook into the ceiling and swung away through a window the top.

"Good job Cheetor," Optimus told the young ward. "Your quick thinking really got the job done."

"Yes, you certainly have a knack for thinking on your feet," Silverbolt complimented the young Maximal as well.

"Thanks, and Silverbolt," Cheetor looked at the fuzor, "I owe you an apology. I was a major jerk to you. Sorry for the way I acted."

"There is no need," Silverbolt smiled. "We are, after all, friends."

"Don't I get an apology too?" asked Rattrap. "Ya acted like a bum to me also!"

"Nah," Cheetor patted the smaller Maximal on the head playfully and then raised his hand to a certain level. "You must be this tall to qualify."

"That ain't funny!" Rattrap leaped onto Cheetor's back. "You owe me!"

As Rattrap and Cheetor began wrestling each other on the ground, Optimus and Rhinox both cracked a smile, soon followed up by Silverbolt. Before they even knew it, they were reveling in laughter.


	55. The Conjuring

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_The Conjuring_

It was a bright day in the valley. The sun shone above while below, lush vegetation lay scattered about in the valley. All these were the ideal picture Tigatron and Airazor both had in mind for what nature should be like.

But they weren't just here for the scenery. They had something more specific in mind for their visit.

"Tigatron!" shouted Optimus. "Airazor!"

"Hey stripes, bird-lady… nice 'ta see you!" Rattrap waved.

The four Maximals comprising of the core of the Axalon were out in the meadow lounging about.

"How is everyone?" asked Airazor.

"Pretty good," Rhinox answered. "Have you been doing well?"

Both Tigatron and Airazor smiled to indicate that they were doing quite well.

Without warning, Cheetor leaped into the air and backflipped over Tigatron and Airazor, landing neatly behind them.

"Big Cat," Cheetor smiled. "Good to see you again."

Tigatron and Cheetor held each other's hands briefly. The Maximal tiger had never quite gotten used to how much more showy Cheetor had become ever since he returned from Cybertron. But then again, Cheetor was a growing lad. This kind of behavior was expected.

"So we gonna start this picnic or what?" asked Rattrap.

As the Maximals joined together in their gathering, a lone being watched them from a distance.

Tigerhawk sighed. After a year of journeys, he had returned to see what was going on.

In his time, Tigerhawk had wandered the earth and even amongst the stars, searching for answers which eluded him, about who he was and why he came into existence. Due to the Vok influence in him, one of the first things he felt compelled to do was to destroy humanity.

His father was Tigatron and yet he felt so distanced from him. It wasn't a surprise, however. He did attempt to destroy the world once alongside his beloved Windrazor. And now she was gone, having died to save Airazor's life and to pleading with him to show mercy.

Through her death, Tigerhawk had let go of his evil ways and gone on his journey of redemption, attempting to do good once more and to learn of who he truly was.

"You could join them at any time, you know?" a voice behind him startled him.

Mashu floated down in his incorporeal form.

"You are one of the Vok," Tigerhawk glared at him.

"Yes I am," Mashu admitted. "In fact, I was one of the Vok who led the invasion of Earth before you appeared on the scene."

"That must have went well," Tigerhawk replied sarcastically.

"Before I was haughty, arrogant, and vengeful," confessed Mashu. "I thought I was supreme and that nothing could stand in my way."

"I begin to see where I got my traits," Tigerhawk crossed his arms.

"All that changed, however, when I met the Maximals," Mashu continued after Tigerhawk finished his sentence. "At the time, I thought they were just crude, mechanical robots worthy of being under my heel only. But something happened that day. They would not give up their battle against me even though I could have easily destroyed them. Against overwhelming odds they defeated me and changed our course of action. Since then I've come to admire and even respect them for their valor."

"Your point being?" demanded Tigerhawk.

"My point is that if I can change, so can anyone else," Mashu pointed out, "including you."

* * *

Despite several hours of meditation, Dinobot could not feel any less unsettled. Something was eating away at him.

In a few short megacycles, his battle royale against the other Predacons would begin. It was a fight which would determine who would become Megatron's second in command. In Predacon society, it was customary for only the strongest and smartest to lead, something Megatron was already overqualified for. But underneath the supreme leader would always be another Predacon whose strength and intellect was second to that of the commander.

Sometimes that second-in-command would be absolutely loyal. But at other times, that Predacon would be devious enough to try to overthrow the leader. To Dinobot, it was his duty to ensure that the treacherous ones would not become second-in-command. It did not matter so much if he didn't become the sub-commander. What Dinobot wanted was for Megatron to have a servant worthy of title. If not him, then someone like Obsidian or Scorponok would be equally as qualified. They were loyal 'bots, honest and devoted to the core.

Then there were others like Terrorsaur and Tankorr, Predacons whose ambitions knew very little of anything resembling boundaries. He would have to keep a careful eye on 'bots like them.

Getting to both his feet, Dinobot left the spot where his meditation mat was and took out the crystal he often carried with him.

"Awaken!" he commanded.

The crystal glowed deeply and from it emerged four beings, immersed in energy.

"You called?" demanded Tengu.

The four Pali Mystics were former servants of Tigatron. Several millennia ago, they had also been the archenemies of the Vok. When they first met, the Mystics had loathed obeying Dinobot or even telling him anything. Dinobot had been sure to extract their stories through force.

They were also highly skilled practitioners of the mystic arts, no matter how rude they were.

The four Dinobot Generals got behind them. The clone general with the staff struck Tengu in the leg to force him down on his knees.

"You will show the proper respect to our master!" the clone ordered.

Before the four mystics could try to fight back, Dinobot had to only glare at them once before they calmed down.

"We… we obey you master," Ifrit finally bowed down reluctantly.

"I have need of you," Dinobot told them. "While I am occupied with my ordeals, I want the four of you to engage the Maximals."

"You want us to destroy them or something?" demanded Golem, the most cantankerous of the four.

"If it is possible, yes," Dinobot replied. "Unless you're telling me you four are incapable of such a feat."

"What?" shouted Frost. "How dare you imply we are incapable? We've defeated the Maximals before… we can do it again!"

Dinobot's taunt worked perfectly. It got the kind of reaction out of them that he expected. If anything, it only served to show that the four Mystics did not like being referred to as weak and would gladly to anything to prove their power. They would definitely follow up on his order for them to engage the Maximals, even if they were unwilling to listen to Dinobot himself.

"Then go," Dinobot ordered. "And do not return until either the Maximals have been destroyed, or you yourselves have died warriors' deaths."

It was a tall order. The Pali mystics did not like Dinobot's tone of voice one bit. But they had no other choice. It was kill or be killed. And if the Maximals did not do the job, then Dinobot himself certainly would.

The Transmetal Two raptor clearly would not tolerate failure.

Bowing deeply, all four of the Mystics stepped outside.

"Brothers, I have an idea," Tengu said to his comrades.

"What is it?" demanded Golem.

"Do you remember the War of Pangaea?" asked Tengu.

"Yes, I recall that," Ifrit nodded.

"During that war, our greatest ally Wyvern, Serpent Lord of the Skies, was sealed away by the Vok," Tengu went on. "If we could revive him, we would surely be unstoppable once more!"

"Bah," Frost waved a hand. "Who knows if he's even alive now."

"It is worth a try," Ifrit acknowledged.

"I'm with Tengu and Ifrit," Golem declared. "Perhaps once the Serpent Lord has been revived, we will no longer have to answer to those accursed machines."

* * *

Dinobot stepped outside into the arena. He had been the last opponent to enter into the ring while the others waited for him.

On the highest cliff sat Megatron on a throne carved into the rocks. He looked down on each of his Predacon minions and nodded. This was the battle which would determine who would lead as second-in-command.

Testily, the Predacons looked at each other. Obsidian and Strike poised next to each other, ready to aid one another until the very end where they would turn on each other once the others were down. Ravage whirled his two night sticks together in anticipation for the coming battle while Tankorr and Thrust readied their weapons. Based on the expressions on their faces, they all had one initial goal in mind.

Suddenly, Dinobot came to a realization. They were all preparing to attack him first!

"Begin!" shouted Megatron.

All Predacons aimed at Dinobot and fired, forcing the raptor to leap into the air to avoid all the shots. He came down stomping Waspinator flat into the ground while he quickly smashed his fist into Terrorsaur's face to knock the flier far out of the ring. He spun around just as Ravage struck at him with his nightsticks. Before he could move about freely, two large arms enveloped around him.

"Say goodnight Gracie!" rumbled Tankorr.

As Ravage charged him, Dinobot kicked Ravage with both feet, knocking him into Thrust. He then broke free of Tankorr's grip and slugged the behemoth across the face, making him stagger back. Before Tankorr could regain his footing, Dinobot slammed another fist into Tankorr's stomach and kicked him across the face, destroying his visors in one blow. Five missiles came raining down on Dinobot but he quickly leaped behind Tankorr, using the large Predacon's body to shield himself.

The five missiles exploded one after another. By the time it was over, Tankorr was just a charred spectacle being held by Dinobot.

"Did I get 'im?" Scorponok asked excitedly.

"You fool!" Strika scolded him. "Dinobot's still conscious!"

Taking advantage of their momentary bickering, Dinobot heaved Tankorr up and threw him right on top of Scorponok.

"Agh!" shouted Scorponok as he was crushed on the stop.

Dinobot leaped across the air and mounted both hands onto the floor, whirling both legs around in a spin kick which knocked Thrust and Ravage into Obsidian and Strike. Jetstorm flew down, raining shots upon Dinobot. The Predacon warrior quickly spun around, unleashing an optic blast which punctured a hole right through Jetstorm's wing. Jetstorm sputtered in the air before crash-landing into the ground.

Now both Obsidian and Strika were angry.

"Out of my way!" Strika shouted and pummeled Ravage into stasis lock with one blow.

Obsidian did the same and shot Thrust in the chest with his arm-mounted laser. Both Ravage and Thrust fell down and did not move.

"We're going to flay you and mount your reptilian hide as a trophy!" Strika threatened as she circled Dinobot with Obsidian.

"Bold words for ones without any honor," Dinobot responded emotionlessly.

Two helicopter blades erupted from Obsdian's back and onto his hands. Holding them tightly, he criss-crossed them, slashing at Dinobot who leaped aside. From the air, Strika leaped down and punched at him, missing Dinobot just barely, while the entire floor erupted in an explosion of rocks from her punch.

Of all the current Predacon soldiers, Dinobot had to concede that Obsidian and Strika were the most well-coordinated and most capable. None of the others could work together in as cohesive of a unit as they could.

Obsidian slashed at him with both swords repeatedly. On the third strike, Dinobot ducked as the Vehicon General split open a boulder and leaped aside right into the trap the two had set up.

Because he had been focused on countering Obsdian, Strika came up from behind Dinobot and punched him viciously across the back. Dinobot stumbled forward while Obsidian cut him across the chest with his copter blades. Working beautifully in tandem with Obsidian, Strika smashed Dinobot across the face with a devastating right hook, launching him right into the tip of Obsidian's blades. Obsidian smiled inwardly as Dinobot impaled himself right on his weapon.

Slowly the two moved away from their opponent and fired two grenades from their hands which exploded right in front of Dinobot, knocking him clear across the ring until he landed on his back.

"Now General Strika," Obsidian turned to his compatriot, preparing his weapon. "I believe our duet is over."

"I agree," Strika held up both hands. "Now we end this."

"Generals!" Megatron called out.

"Yes Megatron?" both Obsidian and Strika stopped briefly and turned to their leader.

"I wouldn't take my eyes off Dinobot just yet," warned Megatron.

Before them stood Dinobot. Seemingly good as new, Dinobot's wounds had all but vanished.

"No it's impossible!" Obsidian's optics widened.

"What's this lizard made of?" shouted Strika.

Dinobot leaped at them with a roar. In self-defense, Obsidian immediately raised his copter blades and blocked the attacks. Enlarging his own right claw, Dinobot slashed away at Obsidian's blades until they were reduced to tiny stubs. Then he spin-kicked Obsidian right into Strika.

Strika put Obsidian down and charged Dinobot. The Transmetal Two grabbed her by the arm and judo-tossed her right onto the hard ground. He then turned around and punched Obsidian ferociously across the face, flooring him in one blow.

Dinobot waited patiently until Strika got up. She fired to pulse grenades at him but he leaped into the air, flipped gracefully two times, and then sliced Strika across her body before landing.

As a groan escaped her lips, Strika fell down and remained motionless.

After exerting much effort, Scorponok finally pushed Tankorr's body off of himself. At this point, the only ones who remained on the battlefield were himself and Dinobot.

"Hoo boy," Scorponok muttered.

Dinobot charged at the petrified Scorponok but before he could rip the scorpion-bot to shreds, a voice stopped both of them.

"Halt!" shouted Megatron.

Both Scorponok and Dinobot now faced Megatron who flew down from his seat. He regarded Dinobot with great admiration and pride.

"Excellent work Dinobot," Megatron complimented. "You are officially my second-in-command."

"Thank you master," Dinobot bowed.

Scorponok looked away with a sour expression. Dinobot noticed this. Then he realized that he had not even been on the team for as long as Scorponok. From what he sensed, he began to piece together the puzzle slowly, suddenly comprehending that the scorpion had served Megatron for much longer and was also eager to serve the Predacon commander just as much as he, Dinobot, wanted to.

"Master, if I may be so bold to ask," Dinobot requested. "I request that Scorponok be rewarded as well for his loyalty and his unwavering fealty. He has served you for much longer than I."

"Very well," Megatron approved. "As my second-in-command, you Dinobot will keep command over Generals Obsidian and Strika, in addition to your clone army. You, Scorponok, will be sub-commander over Ravage, Thrust, Tankorr, and the fliers."

"Yes Megatron!" Scorponok bowed his head. "You won't regret it!"

"Let's hope not," Megatron rumbled deeply and flew off.

Scorponok glanced at Dinobot.

"T-Thanks," he stammered, grateful for what Dinobot had done for him.

Dinobot looked at Scorponok and smiled, tipping his head in acknowledgement.

* * *

_Stonehenge._

"By the might of the Pali runestones, arise Lord Wyvern!" shouted Ifrit as he held his staff into the air.

They were in Britain, performing the summoning chant in the area where the standing stones lay about. Around them the stormy skies thundered in the air.

"I sense nothing!" Frost told them. "This is a waste of my time!"

"Don't be impatient!" Ifrit ordered. "The Serpent Lord has been imprisoned for a long time!"

Finally, a bolt of lightning hit the center of the circle, raising the earth. From that earth, a reptilian hand emerged. Bit by bit, a monstrous titan emerged from the ground until he crawled into being with the mystics.

"Wyvern, Serpent Lord of the Skies," saluted Ifrit. "We welcome you back from your centuries of sleep!"

He was a large, serpent-like being with light green skin. His muscular chest expanded and contracted, breathing deeply after being imprisoned for so long. On his head was a helmet of gold, resembling that of a Roman Legionnaire's. The Serpent Lord possessed no legs, only a snake-like lower body which could coil and recoil at his will. As he stretched out both arms, two bat-like wings emerged from his back.

Serpent Lord Wyvern arched his head back and roared.

"Master Wyvern, Serpent Lord of the Skies," Tengu bowed deeply. "In the war against the Vok, you have been our most steadfast ally. The time has come for you once more to arise and take your rightful place by our side as a friend and as an equal."

"Where are the Vok who imprisoned me?" demanded Wyvern.

"My lord, a long time has passed since the war ended," explained Tengu. "The Vok are no longer looking after this world."

"Explain everything to me," ordered Wyvern. "I must know what has happened since my dormancy."

"The world has changed, humanity has evolved, and worst yet, the Earth has come under new guardianship," Ifrit told him. "Somehow, the Vok have left this planet into the care of crude, robotic life-forms known as Maximals."

The Serpent Lord raised his hand. A bolt of lightning from the sky came down and formed into a weapon around his hands. Wyvern whirled his gleaming scythe in the air and slammed its end into the ground.

"Take me to these Maximals," he told the mystics.

* * *

"So there I was against Tarantulas and his new suit of armor!" Cheetor told his story. "He almost had us all. Then I came out of nowhere and cleaned his clock with my quick thinking!"

During the picnic, Cheetor had been indulging in the one thing the other Maximals were quickly growing weary of, talking about himself.

"Cheetor, I'm not trying to play down your contributions," Optimus interjected. "But our fight against Tarantulas was a group effort, including a bit of help from Blackarachnia."

"Yeah, besides, I was the one who gave Tarantulas the ol' one-two after he was separated from Sentinel," Rattrap reminded Cheetor. "Plus Rhinox was the one who immobilized Sentinel once he got free."

"Hey, I'll have you know that without me, we'd all be dinner for that spider," Cheetor smiled cockily.

Rhinox and Rattrap rolled their eyes.

"You believe me, don't you?" Cheetor walked up to Airazor and put his arms around her.

"Cheetor, what're you—" Airazor began.

"C'mon babe," Cheetor flashed his teeth. "Ain't it the truth I put Tarantulas in his place all on my own?"

"Cheetor…" Tigatron glared at the younger Maximal's hand around Airazor.

"What?" Cheetor held Airazor closer to him. "Ain't I the greatest?"

"Stupid kid doesn't have a clue," Rattrap shook his head.

Finally, Airazor pushed Cheetor away and went back to Tigatron.

"I don't know what your problem is Cheetor," she warned him. "But your attitude is out of control."

"I am inclined to agree," Tigatron looked at Cheetor disapprovingly.

"Pfeh, you guys are no fun," Cheetor frowned.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning from the skies rained down upon them, scattering the Maximals.

"Whoa, incoming!" Rattrap shouted.

From the air, four of the Pali mystics floated down. They held their staffs eagerly, waiting for a reaction from the Maximals.

"You four again!" Cheetor growled. "Remember how badly I creamed you the last time?"

"Yes, except this time we have help!" Ifrit snapped his fingers.

A giant serpent-like creature flew down and slashed at Cheetor with his scythe. Cheetor ducked underneath the swing and rolled away to safety.

The creature resembled that of various reptilian creatures from world cultures all over. His body was like that of the nagas of Indian mythology. The feathered plumage on top of his helmet bore more than a passing resemblance to Quetzalcoatl, winged serpent of Meso-American folklore.

"Who are you supposed to be?" demanded Optimus.

"I am Wyvern, Serpent Lord of the Skies," the creature announced. "I have been made aware the Vok are no longer involved with this planet."

"That's right," Optimus replied. "But why did you attack us?"

"For revenge," Wyvern answered. "Now that the Vok are no longer available to me, I shall make do with the current guardians of this planet they have appointed."

"That's not going to happen!" Optimus warned.

Wyvern raised his scythe and swung at Optimus, who leaped out of the way. The air generated from the slash whizzed past Optimus and destroyed a nearby rock. Optimus took out his gun and fired. The shot struck Wyvern but did not phase the Serpent Lord. Grunting in annoyance, Wyvern held out his hand as a purple shot of energy shot forth from his palm and exploded near Optimus, sending the Maximal leader flying back.

As Optimus landed on his back, Cheetor leaped into the battle. He ducked underneath one of Wyvern's slashes and leaped up, uppercutting the Serpent Lord with his right fist. Wyvern's head snapped back from the blow.

"I see you're different from the rest," Wyvern smiled. "Mystics, destroy the other Maximals!"

On cue, the Pali Mystics opened fire on the remaining Maximals. Tigatron and Airazor both dodged as Ifrit blasted a volley of flames in their direction. From the ground, Golem emerged from his rock formation and punched Rhinox across the face. While Airazor was in the air, Tengu got underneath her and channeled a small tornado which wrapped her up and threw her into the ground viciously.

Rattrap managed to hold his own. Narrowly avoiding one of Frost's ice blasts, he returned fire and one of his shots struck Frost in the chest armor, knocking him down.

In the meantime, Cheetor fought back and forth with Wyvern. Flying into the air, Wyvern flew down directly at Cheetor, turning his scythe up-side down, revealing a small spear on the bottom end. The spear struck Cheetor across the side of his body, raking it.

"Agh!" growled Cheetor.

Wyvern held out his open hand and launched an energy blast at the cat who quickly avoided it and slammed his elbow into Wyvern's mid-section. The blow was enough to stun Wyvern who quickly fell back. Cheetor charged with a volley of punches, each of them connecting with Wyvern in his stomach, chest, and face.

Cheetor threw another punch only for Wyvern to catch it this time. Wyvern smiled and threw his scythe into the air with his other hand. With both hands now free, he grabbed Cheetor by the head and slammed it into his own forehead, causing the young Maximal to see stars erupt from the blow.

The Maximal fell to both knees as Wyvern batted him away with an open palm. Finally, his scythe fell down and Wyvern caught it, flipping it around. He held the blade of the scythe with his right hand. With his left hand, he pulled back on the trigger of his scythe, effectively using his own weapon as a gun. The green red blast which discharged from the spear raced towards the dazed Cheetor at a blinding speed.

* * *

"Now there's a surprise," Mashu said, observing from afar. "I never thought I'd see the likes of him again."

"You know this Wyvern creature?" demanded Tigerhawk.

"During our wars with the Pali, Wyvern was an ally of theirs," explained Mashu. "It took up to ten of our strongest warriors just to defeat him."

"Then what are the odds?" asked Tigerhawk.

Mashu allowed himself the convenience of a shudder. He had heard before of how terrible Wyvern, the Serpent Lord of the Skies, really was. But he never thought he'd be observing the being in action once again.

"Wyvern is one of the most powerful beings in the known galaxy," answered Mashu. "Unless the Maximals receive _divine intervention_ in some form, they cannot win this battle."

"What do you expect me to do?" asked Tigerhawk.

"I don't expect you to do anything," replied Mashu. "I, however, cannot directly interfere in this battle since I am bound more or less to the terms of my agreement with the Maximals."

* * *

Scowling, Tigerhawk turned away from Mashu and began observing the battle once more.

Just barely, Cheetor avoided the blast. The beam of power raced past Cheetor and blasted apart a mountain which stood some several miles away.

"Whoa!" Cheetor cried.

Evidently, the Pali Mystics had a similar idea. One by one, they laid their weapons together until a mystic glow surrounded it. Through that transformative energy, a large gun emerged, one so big that it required at least two of the Pali Mystics to hold it together. Ifrit and Tengu grasped it on both ends, gripping it tightly.

They yanked back on the lever and pulled down on the trigger. A large green fireball emerged from the blast and struck Rattrap, Rhinox, Airazor, and Tigatron where they stood. By the time the smoke cleared, their bodies littered across the scorched earth.

"Warning, loss of Maximal sparks imminent," their internal supercomputers beeped.

"No!" shouted Optimus.

Wyvern smiled and fired a shot from his left hand. It hit Optimus directly on the chest and sent him flying back, skidding across the ground until he crashed through several trees in the forest.

"No!" shouted Cheetor.

"You're next!" Wyvern turned his weapon around and attempted to spear Cheetor.

Cheetor leaped over the blow and landed neatly on the Serpent Lord's weapon. He ran across the scythe, leaping up and kneeing the creature in the face. Wyvern shrugged off the hit and swiped at Cheetor with an open hand. The young Maximal dodged it and punched Wyvern viciously across the face. Then he relentlessly connected his with Wyvern's jaw in an attempt to KO the Serpent Lord.

Remaining ever so unimpressed, Wyvern smiled, baring his teeth. Without warning, his tail spun to life, striking Cheetor across the face. The blow floored Cheetor instantly. Then the tail came down again, smashing down on the cheetah-bot's spine.

"Raaaaaaggghhh!" Cheetor howled in anguish.

Wyvern wrapped his tail around Cheetor and held him up. He raised his scythe and slashed Cheetor right through his body, penetrating his spark.

At that moment, Cheetor's eyes glazed over. He fell limp and lowered his head.

Contemptuously, Wyvern let him fall to the ground.

"Warning, loss of spark imminent in two cycles," Cheetor's internal computer warned.

"Let's go!" Wyvern ordered the Mystics. "We've completed our task."

Leaving the fallen Maximals, Wyvern and the Pali Mystics flew away into the sky.

* * *

Both Tigerhawk and Mashu floated down before the carnage. The battle had been both one-sided and costly. Now the Maximals were on the verge of death.

"What have I done through my inactions…" Tigerhawk muttered.

"Don't fret just yet," Mashu told him. "I may not be able to directly interfere in their fights, but my rulebook still doesn't rule out indirect aid."

Two of Mashu's eyes glowed as a soothing energy rained down onto the earth, covering the bodies of the Maximals. Several pants came from the earth, enveloping each and every one of the Maximals.

"What are you doing?" asked Tigerhawk.

"What I should be doing," answered Mashu cryptically.

"I just hope it's not too late," Tigerhawk whispered.

* * *

"This planet…" Wyvern floated through the air in downtown New York. "It feels different than before. Things have changed since my forced hibernation."

"Humans have advanced far beyond their primitive conditions," Ifrit explained. "They've built cities, empires, machines… all to empower themselves."

Beneath them, humans scattered about in fear at the sight of these creatures. In terror, they panicked and tried to get away by all means possible. The very commotion caused by these terrified mobs seemed unsightly to Wyvern. It was also the first time he had seen humans in a long while.

"Do these insects fear me so much?" hissed Wyvern. "Surely they would bow before the mighty Serpent Lord of the Skies."

"They know nothing of your greatness Lord Wyvern," Golem told him, "which is why they must learn through fear!"

"Besides, humans have not been exposed to a great deity such as you for quite a few millennia," explained Ifrit. "But they can be taught to respect you once more."

"Yes, yes," Wyvern nodded. "A world such as this shall be our new kingdom. And I will be not only Serpent Lord of the Skies. I will rule land, sea, and air together!"

* * *

"Will they survive?" asked Tigerhawk as he flew off into the distance with Mashu.

Finally, the Vok stopped and turned around to Tigerhawk.

"They will," Mashu replied. "But I must depart now."

"Why?" demanded Tigerhawk. "You could aid them further!"

"That is not my duty," Mashu replied. "I have a duty to the Vok first and foremost."

"So you would leave them to the whims of that snake Wyvern? You saw what he did to them!"

"Listen," Mashu's voice became stern. "By the cosmic rules of the Vok, I am bound not to directly interfere in the affairs of this planet."

With that, he turned into a bright glowing orb and floated into the sky.

"However, you are not bound by those same rules," Mashu reminded Tigerhawk.

In a flash, he disappeared into the depths of space, leaving Tigerhawk behind to ponder those words.

* * *

All around the air, the petals of the plant finally bloomed. Connected to the stalk were six flowers, wrapped tightly in a bud.

Finally, the flowers bloomed. Through the blossoming, the petals opened up, revealing all six Maximals. As they woke up, they looked at themselves to realize that they had been fully healed.

"W-What happened?" asked Rhinox groggily.

"S-Something saved us," Airazor got up.

Optimus leaped off his stalk and helped Cheetor and Rattrap get off theirs.

"Man, was that a psychedelic experience or what?" Rattrap pointed a thumb at his own flower. "We in the Matrix now?"

"I don't think so," replied Optimus. "We're still in the same place we were during the battle."

"And speaking of which, it's time we found Wyvern and put a stop to his madness!" Tigatron declared.

"I agree!" Airazor raised a fist.

"Hey guys, before we go—" Cheetor announced quietly.

"Yes Cheetor?" asked Airazor.

"Tigatron, Airazor," Cheetor told them. "I want to apologize for the way I acted earlier. Tigatron, I know Airazor's your girl. I just did all that stuff because I was being goofy and liked messing with people. Airazor, you're like my older sister. Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. You're both like family to me; I wouldn't trade that away for anything else."

"Don't worry about it, Little Cat," Tigatron put a comforting hand on Cheetor. "There is no need to feel any further guilt."

"It's okay Cheetor," Airazor gave Cheetor a hug. "We understand."

"You guys might want to check this out," Rhinox revealed. He held out his com-unit, which had captured the radio waves from a previous transmission that had passed during the time they were being healed.

"In the past twenty four hours, a creature of unknown origins made his way to the Central America, making his home among some ruins," the reporter announced. "This snake-like being has dubbed himself Wyvern and is now roosted in the ruins of an ancient Mayan Temple."

"Looks like we have a lead," Airazor exclaimed.

Cheetor smiled. "Alright then, let's go kick some butt!"

* * *

"More drinks on me!" shouted Wyvern.

Underneath their newly established base, the townspeople they had enslaved were toiling just for Wyvern's new base.

The Serpent Lord of the Skies held up his golden chalice. As he did, the Pali Mystics raised their wineglasses together and drank.

"To a new era!" declared Wyvern. "Where humanity toils for our benefit!"

"That age will come, great one," Ifrit told Wyvern. "However, there is a matter which I wish to speak with you."

"Speak then," beckoned Wyvern.

"The Maximals have been defeated," Ifrit reminded him. "However, there are still other mechanical miscreants who inhabit this world known as Predacons."

"Who are they to stand in my way?" Wyvern stomped his scythe into the ground. "I will deal with them as I have dealt with the Maximals!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Cheetor's voice rang out.

"What?" Wyvern turned around in shock.

Before them, Cheetor and Optimus emerged from the jungles, followed up by the other Maximals shortly.

"Impossible! You should be dead by now!" Wyvern shouted.

"You should never count your chickens before they hatch!" Optimus pointed a finger at Wyvern, "because now we're back!"

"Get them!" ordered Wyvern.

The Mystics leaped into action, combining their attacks into a sole elemental attack. Due to the immensity of the energy wave, the Maximals quickly scattered. Cheetor ran past the attack and pounced at the Mystics.

"No!" Ifrit shouted. "Don't let him get in close!"

The four Pali Mystics combined their weapons together into the single cannon they had created earlier. Holding it tightly, they blasted it at Cheetor who dodged in mid-air. Launching himself into all of them, Cheetor knocked the four down.

The second wave of attacks came in. Tigatron pounced onto Ifrit and knocked him face-first into the dirt. Airazor flew right into Tengu with an aerial punch which sent him crashing down onto the ground. Rhinox struck Golem across the face with a powerful punch while Rattrap slid underneath Frost's legs and kicked him forward.

One by one, the Pali Mystics fell back. Cheetor grabbed their mystic cannon and lifted it up.

"Everyone, ready?" he asked, giving the weapon to Rhinox and Rattrap.

Rattrap and Rhinox came forward, grasping onto the gun and holding it still. They yanked the lever back and pushed forward, unleashing a powerful surge of energy which consumed all four of the Pali Mystics.

"Yaaaaaaaagggghhh!" screamed the four of them simultaneously.

Soon, the blast made short work of them. By the time the smoke had faded, all that remained of them were their footprints in the sand.

Wyvern flew up from his throne. He sensed immediately that his four allies were now destroyed permanently.

"You managed to destroy my allies," Wyvern hissed. "But we'll see if you're any match for me."

Cheetor simply replied by driving his fist into Wyvern's stomach. Optimus leaped up and swung across Wyvern's scythe with both hands, driving his feet into Wyvern's face. Wyvern scowled and batted Optimus away with a backhand. He turned around and shot an energy blast at Cheetor who dodged aside swiftly.

Nimbly, Cheetor leaped into the air, transformed to beast mode, and shot himself towards Wyvern, slashing him across the side of the face. As Cheetor landed, Wyvern howled in pain as his helmet fell to the floor. From the sides, Rattrap, Rhinox, Tigatron, and Airazor pounded him with firepower.

"Enough!" Wyvern shouted. Raising both arms into the air, he froze all the Maximals where they stood with a blue energy.

One after another, Wyvern hurled off round after round of energy blasts, striking the Maximals and knocking them down.

When they were all down and injured, he finally began to smile.

"Hahaha!" he laughed. "I don't know why I was frightened of you for a second! None of you are a match for the might of the Serpent Lord."

From the sky, a powerful beam of emerald coloring flew down and struck Wyvern before he even knew what hit him. The pain was immense; Wyvern screamed in agony as the blast seared his back.

"Yaaaaaagh!" he shouted.

From above, Tigerhawk glared down at him.

"T-Tigerhawk?" Airazor looked up.

"This is your chance Maximals!" Tigerhawk told them. "Finish it!"

They didn't need to be told twice. Cheetor leaped up and kicked the Serpent Lord viciously across the face, forcing him to drop his scythe. Optimus and Airazor unleashed several rounds of missiles at him, keeping him at bay while Cheetor picked up the scythe. From behind, Rhinox and Tigatron blasted away at him with their own guns.

"No, I cannot be beaten!" shouted Wyvern.

"Hate to break it to you dude, but you're about to get schooled," Cheetor smiled.

The cat swung the scythe upwards and brought it down on the Serpent Lord, slashing him across the head and neck over a dozen times, moving in a motion so fast that even the other Maximals had trouble seeing it.

Finally, Cheetor leaped into the air just as wild spats of energy bled out of the wounds all across Wyvern's body.

"Noooooo!" shouted the half-delirious and heavily injured Wyvern.

Cheetor came down, cutting him from top to bottom with the enormous scythe, then back-flipped away as Wyvern's body exploded in a ball of fire.

"You've done well Maximals," Tigerhawk floated down to greet them.

"Tigerhawk," Optimus looked up at the enormous Transformer. "I thought we'd never see you again."

"I've come back from my sojourn," Tigerhawk announced to them. "It has been a long time."

"You're not going to, like, attack us again, are you?" asked Cheetor warily.

"No, the time of us being enemies has passed," Tigerhawk lowered his head. "I only wish to reassure you that I will not harm this world again."

"Will you become a Maximal?" asked Tigatron.

"No Father," Tigerhawk told the white tiger. "But I will assist you in your battles if you face great dangers such as Wyvern; that I can assure you."

"In that case, just know that the door is always open to you," Airazor smiled. "Isn't that right guys?"

Optimus nodded and smiled.

"Sure, sure," Rattrap agreed jokingly. "But we're gonna need a bigger litterbox now that we might have three felines running around in 'da base."

"Shut up Rattrap!" the other Maximals told him.

"Yeesh, ya clowns can't even take a joke," Rattrap rolled his optics.

* * *

From the distance, one of the Dinobot clones watched from the bushes. He snarled softly, having watched the entire battle without making himself known. There was much he had to report back to his master.

"So," Dinobot sat patiently on his mat, "the four Mystics were destroyed, were they?"

"Yes, I witnessed it all," the clone replied. "Those four had also been planning on turning on us."

"Hmph," snorted Dinobot. "Then it is a good thing they met their ends at the hands of the Maximals."

"Of course," the clone agreed.

Dinobot then shook his head, remembering the contributions of the Mystics.

"Still, I must oblige them a small inkling of respect," Dinobot noted. "Without their aid, we may not have been able to bring Megatron back from the edge of the abyss."

"What shall we do next, master?" asked the clone. "Do you plan on persuading Megatron to launch an assault on the Maximals?"

Dinobot got up. He looked at one of the scrolls which hung on his wall. Extending his right claw, he sliced off a segment of the scroll neatly.

"That will come in time," Dinobot replied. "Next time, however, I will go and test the Maximals myself instead of sending unworthy underlings to do a job I myself should be doing personally."

The clone bowed his head in respect and stepped aside as Dinobot walked past him.

As Dinobot left his chambers, he was greeted by Obsidian and Strika.

"We were waiting for you," Obsidian told him in a voice that bordered on both obsequiousness and sarcasm.

"Yes, we heard everything," Strika smiled.

"What of it?" Dinobot asked.

"What will you tell Megatron now that the Pali Mystics have been destroyed by the Maximals?" asked Obsidian.

"I will inform Megatron personally that the Mystics had failed in their purpose. Therefore, they serve no more purpose to either our means or our goal."

A simple and straightforward answer. It was what Obsidian and Strika had been expecting. There was no real way they would ever get him to look bad in front of Megatron because of how honest he was. As such, they sighed and moved aside to allow Dinobot to move forward.

Walking past them, Dinobot smirked. The two Generals were good, no doubt. Given a chance, they would gladly replace him as second-in-command.

But that day would never come. Not now. Not ever.


	56. Earthbound

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Earthbound_

From the panoramic view of a looming spaceship, the planet of Earth looked very small and very blue. The _Fate's Destiny_ hovered in the depth of space, watching the small planet. Its crew was very interested in the survey they were conducting.

"Would ya look at that?" Captain N-Farious told his crew.

The small Predacon crew numbered at around five members. N-Farious was the leader of the group, the head honcho of the small group of Predacons he led.

"We've already gone this far to escape the war," Archeron said to his leader. "Why waste our time on this organic dump?"

Back on their home planet Cybertron, a fierce new civil war had erupted between the Maximals and Predacons, culminating in a conflict which nearly rivaled the Great War. It was because of this chaos that N-Farious and his minions had decided to leave the now-dangerous planet and seek greener pastures elsewhere.

N-Farious took out his scanner and held it out for the crew to see.

"Because," he explained. "Until we go out any further, we're going to have to fuel up on energon. And this planet is teeming with it."

"I see," Archeron acknowledged. "But tell me sir, does this planet have any intelligent life?"

"That we shall soon find out," N-Farious replied.

The ship headed further towards Earth's atmosphere.

"Captain, we're nearly in range of some sort of satellite!" Star-blazer warned.

Star-blazer was the Predacon Seeker of the team. Being the only one with a jet-based vehicle mode, he was the sole Predacon on the team who could fly.

"Enable cloaking device!" ordered N-Farious.

Just before their ship entered into the satellite's range, their ship cloaked itself from all outside sensors. As they passed the satellite by, the Predacons saw a small shape on the satellite resembling a flag with white and red stripes, alongside at least fifty stars.

"What do you suppose this is?" asked Bolt-smasher. He was the number one muscle of the team.

"It would appear that our questions have been answered," N-Farious responded with a smile. "This planet does have intelligent life after all."

"It's a satellite," Archeron noted. "It's rather low-tech but it's still a sign that this planet has some sort of sentient species."

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Circuitor. "It's time we headed down."

Normally, N-Farious would have scolded Circuitor for speaking out of turn. He was the lowest ranking member of the team, being the technician. But now was not the time. Besides, Circuitor had proven himself useful while back on Cybertron, having obtained their secret weapon.

"Where shall we land?" asked Archeron. "This planet has several continents."

"Let's see," N-Farious punched in a few codes on their computer.

Soon, a holographic image of the entire planet showed up. Slowly, N-Farious waved his finger around it until he finally pressed it down on a location which tickled his fancy.

"Here we go!"

* * *

"Twinkle twinkle little star," Rhinox rhymed as he looked into his telescope.

"How are the constellations tonight?" asked Optimus.

Tonight was a special night. The Maximals were outside awaiting the arrival of a special comet said to come only once in a century. To aid in their endeavors, the telescope Rhinox had built had four separate lenses for all of them to look through.

"It should come in about half a mega-cycle or so," confirmed Rhinox. "So far things are looking up."

The stars in the constellations were not the only things on Cheetor's mind. A few questions were gnawing away at him. One of which was the fate of his homeworld which he had left again to return to Earth.

"Hey Rattrap," he asked. "How do you think Cybertron's doing?"

"Hey, I ain't no psychic hotline or anything," Rattrap pointed all five fingers at his own chest. "But if ya ask me, I'd say life is getting' back to normal up there."

* * *

"Computer, compare spark signatures," ordered Depth Charge.

Sitting down in his private ship, Depth Charge punched in a few buttons to activate his screen.

"Match frequencies of spark signature uncovered in Sector Delta with spark signature of that uncovered from Sector Quadros," Depth Charge grunted.

In the past week, Depth Charge had uncovered traces of what appeared to be Protoform X once more. Previously, he had believed Rampage to have died while on Cybertron but alarming new evidence was surfacing to show that maybe it wasn't the case.

He had yet to encounter Protoform X yet but judging from the signatures he had tracked down, it was indeed possible that Rampage had risen once more.

"Scanning complete," his computer told him. "Spark signature of Sector Delta contains a ninety four percent similarity with the one found in Sector Quadros."

"Just ninety four?" Depth Charge's optics widened in disbelief.

"Scanning is tentative," the computer replied. "Based on the signatures received, the spark in Sector Delta is marginally different from the one found in Quadros."

Depth Charge slammed his hand down angrily near the monitor.

"There's two of 'em now?" he growled. "Did Shokaract also survive?"

"Spark signature of Sector Delta does not match spark frequencies given off by Unit Shokaract," his computer replied plainly.

"So somehow there are two new X's running around," Depth Charge snorted. "Swell…"

The blue Maximal ejected the data from the computer in the form of a hard-copy. He would have to take it to the Maximal base itself in order to run a more in-depth investigation with the help of Rhinox.

"Warning, incoming ship entering into earth's atmosphere!" his computer beeped abruptly.

Depth Charge spun around. As if his current case wasn't hard enough, now he had to contend with another?

* * *

"Is that what I think it is?" Optimus looked into the sky.

Rhinox looked down at his hand-held scanner. One little device such as this was more advanced than any military equipment or sensors made on Earth. With it, he could determine exactly the source of the disturbance.

"It is…" Rhinox nodded dumbly. He had not expected anything like this either.

"Come on!" Optimus beckoned to his team.

The Maximals raced forward through the thickets until they came into an open field, surrounded by farmlands. Cheetor growled, staring into the night sky. He sensed it too. A huge looming object right above them floated erect.

Without any warning, the ship's cloaking field disappeared, revealing a large, jagged Cybertronian battle cruiser. The Predacon symbol painted onto the side of the ship was a dead giveaway to the kind of Transformers it contained.

"Aw slag," Rattrap muttered.

* * *

N-Farious peered down at the Maximals through his screen.

"Amazing," he muttered. "There are other Cybertronians on this planet?"

"It would appear so," Archeron pointed a finger at their heat signatures. "They are Cybertronian in origin."

"Circuitor, run a quick scan!" ordered N-Farious. "What is their faction?"

Nervously, Circuitor typed in the commands and awaited the information. Once the scan was complete, he turned around to his leader nervously.

"W-Well sir," he stammered. "It would seem that these Transformers are Maximals."

"Oho!" laughed N-Farious. "Hah hah hah! Splendid! We must greet them with hospitality… of the Predacon sort!"

* * *

"I don't like the looks of this," Rhinox told the other Maximals. "We've standing here for over ten cycles and still nobody's come out."

"I don't like it either," Optimus agreed. "But we need to be on high alert. This is a Predacon battle-cruiser after all."

"If they don't come out, mind if I crack this thing open and make 'em come out?" suggested Cheetor.

Suddenly, the ship unleashed a groaning sound and landed in the field. The top hatch opened up to reveal five distinct figures.

"Looks like you won't have to do that," Optimus commented. "They're here."

The four Predacons walked forward confidently, seemingly without any concern that their hosts were Maximals.

"My greetings to you," N-Farious introduced himself. "I am Captain N-Farious of the _Fate's Destiny_ and these are my crew."

"Optimus Primal, Captain of the Axalon," Optimus offered his hand slowly, unsure if the Predacon would take it.

N-Farious took the Maximal's hand and shook it. Cheetor, however, was still suspicious and did not un-cross his arms.

"We've travelled through many solar systems to get here," N-Farious explained. "My crew and I are but humble refugees, fleeing the turmoil of Cybertron's newly emboldened civil war."

"What?" all four Maximals cried.

"It is unfortunate, I know," N-Farious lowered his head, feigning sorrow. "But since Shokaract's demise, new factions have filled the void left by his fall. Since then, the fighting has become so fierce, the consequences of war so tragic, that even normally aggressive Predacons such as us have had to flee the chaos that has destroyed so many lives."

"You're… welcome to stay with us if you like," Optimus said cautiously. "But you do realize that we're Maximals and you're Predacons, right?"

"Yes, yes, I am aware," N-Farious nodded. "But I promise you we are not like whichever Predacons you have encountered before. There are those of us who wish for peaceful coexistence with the Maximals and to live our lives normally… which is why we have fled Cybertron's new civil war."

Optimus was not fully convinced, but at the same time, he wasn't about to turn down these new strangers either. There was always that chance they were actually telling the truth. He would have to ask his own crew for their opinions.

"What do you say?" he turned to the Axalon crew.

"Well," Rhinox put a hand over his head. "They might be telling the truth. I can imagine a lot of Preds would jump at the chance to start another Great War with the Maximals. They probably wouldn't travel light years away from home just for nothing."

"And you, Rattrap?" asked Optimus.

"I ain't buyin' it," the small Maximal replied. "A Pred is a Pred."

Slowly, a scowl appeared on N-Farious' face. Bolt-smasher was also showing small signs of anger. Both his fists were clenched tightly. Cheetor noticed this.

"I don't like this," Cheetor chimed in. "I don't like the looks of you and I don't like the smell of ya."

Bolt-smasher made an abortive move towards Cheetor only to be stopped by Star-blazer's hand.

"So what's the deal?" Cheetor sneered, crossing both arms. "You couldn't find your way around the rings of Saturn so you decided to crash-land here for a quick refill?"

"I don't like your attitude!" Bolt-smasher growled. "If you know what's good for you, you'll keep that Maximal trap of yours shut!"

"Oh, so them's fighting words, eh?" Cheetor smiled.

"Cheetor!" Optimus reprimanded. "They're new to this earth, we shouldn't—"

Suddenly, the Maximals found themselves trapped in a large energy bubble. From above, a small floating skiff flew across the air with a fifth Predacon on board.

Archeron had been the one who had entrapped them in the energy shield.

"You Maximals are such fools!" N-Farious cried. "We were going to betray you anyways but thanks for speeding up the process!"

"You planned this all along?" demanded Optimus.

"Yes, and you almost fell for it like the gullible Maximal you are!" Star-blazer screeched.

The energy bubble surrounding the four Maximals began to close in. Cheetor and Rhinox both punched at it to no avail. It could not be burst open.

"First we'll grind you to a pulp," N-Farious informed them. "Then we'll have free reign over this planet. And who knows, once we've taken all this planet's energon, we might be able to challenge the House of Predacus."

"Aw man… speaking of tight fits," Rattrap groaned as the energy barrier pushed the four Maximals closer together.

"Don't give up!" Optimus ordered, pressing against the bubble with all his might. "We can make it out of this!"

Archeron looked up. From the skies, a winged warrior descended.

With one blast, Depth Charge shot Archeron in the chest and knocked him off of his skiff and onto the ground. The large Maximal grabbed the device used to create the energy bubble and threw it up, blasting it in mid-air.

Immediately, the energy bubble which contained the Maximals disappeared, freeing them on the spot.

"Thanks for the save, Depth Charge!" Rhinox called out.

"No problem," Depth Charge acknowledged. "Now, what do you say we send these goons packing?"

"I couldn't agree more!" Cheetor stretched out his claws.

Archeron shook off the pain and looked at Depth Charge again, this time getting a clearer look at his assailant.

"It… it's him!" he stammered.

"What?" demanded N-Farious.

"It's Depth Charge!" Archeron confirmed. "He's the one who defeated Shokaract."

Abruptly, considerable consternation broke out amongst the Predacons. They backed away slowly from the Maximals.

"Yeah, I don't know if I want to mess with him," Bolt-smasher nervously took a step away from the blue Maximal.

"Your reputation precedes you," Rattrap nudged Depth Charge.

"Comes with the territory," Depth Charge smirked.

"Cowards!" N-Farious chided his crew. "You'll let one Maximal frighten you? Attack!"

Faced with no other option, the Predacons did so. Scattering at random, they chose a Maximal opponent and began their assaults.

Rhinox whipped out both chain guns and began firing as Bolt-smasher closed in on him. Thanks for the special plating he possessed, Bolt-smasher raised both arms to block the machine gun shots. As he came in close enough, he clobbered Rhinox across the head with a punch, sending the Maximal scientist flying back.

He punched Rhinox again, and again. By the third blow, Rhinox retaliated with his own punch, sending Bolt-smasher reeling. Then he tackled the Predacon.

In the meanwhile, Rattrap was occupied with Circuitor. Normally Rattrap was a pro with sharp-shooting but in this case, he was forced to dodge and duck a little more than usual.

"Hold still so I can hit you!" Circuitor unleashed another optic blast from his visor.

Rattrap rolled past the attack and fired back. Circuitor quickly raised an arm, the energy shield on his arm quickly repelling the shots. Then he blasted at Rattrap again with his eye lasers. The lasers struck home this time, sending Rattrap crashing through a field of grain.

"I got him! I got him!" Circuitor shouted excitedly.

Circuitor ran towards where Rattrap had fallen. As Rattrap got up, Circuitor fired upon him yet again. Rattrap leaped into the air to avoid the blast and fired back. Two shots hit Circuitor in the chest and knocked him flat on his back.

In the air, Cheetor whizzed past Star-blazer, nearly knicking him with his claws. Star-blazer cursed angrily and fired several shots at the cat. Using his precise and deadly speed, Cheetor avoided all the shots and flew directly into Star-blazer, smashing into him and slamming him to the ground.

Then Cheetor clamped down on Star-blazer's wings with his jaws and hurled the Predacon several feet into the air until he hit the ground with a thud.

"Omph…" Star-blazer cried.

Reaching back, Archeron took out his cyber-bow. With it, he fired off volley after volley of explosive arrows.

Instinctively, Depth Charge covered himself with both wings. He took out his tail spear and after another explosion rocked his body, he uncovered himself and hurled it. Archeron ducked underneath the weapon as it sailed past his head and fired an arrow which exploded against Depth Charge's chest.

"Agh!" shouted Depth Charge as he was thrown back.

Stepping forward, Archeron stood over the fallen Depth Charge, taking out another arrow from his arsenal. This time he pointed the weapon at Depth Charge's spark chamber.

Without warning, Depth Charge's foot lashed out, kicking Archeron's hand and forcing him to misfire into the air. The next thing the Predacon knew, another kick across his face sent him reeling back.

Depth Charge leaped back onto both feet and grabbed Archeron by the arm, throwing him into the ground.

"Now it's just you and me," N-Farious stood facing Optimus.

With that, N-Farious unsheathed his saber from his side and attacked.

Optimus held both maces in his hands and blocked the attack.

N-Farious spun around, slashing at him again. Optimus ducked as the Predacon sliced apart several stalks of grain. He struck back, forcing N-Farious on the defensive.

The two opponents thrust and parried against each other until N-Farious fired a missile at Optimus through his shoulder-pad. Optimus avoided the missile but N-Farious used the distraction to slug Primal across the face viciously.

"Ugh!" Optimus cried.

"This ends now!" N-Farious shouted.

He raised his saber and brought it down. Quickly, however, Optimus cris-crossed both maces together, catching the blow in mid-air.

"I don't think so!" declared Optimus.

With a burst of strength, Optimus shattered the Predacon's blade by yanking at it in opposite directions. The electrical energy from both his maces did the job as was expected.

"No!" shouted N-Farious.

Without another word, Optimus launched his counteroffensive. He punched N-Farious two times, with both hands. Then he slammed his foot into the Predacon's mid-section to knock him down.

"I suggest you surrender," Optimus recommended, "or this won't end well for you."

"Yes, yes," N-Farious got up, holding both hands in the air. "You have won this battle, Optimus Primal. Predacons, stand down!"

At his command, the Predacons raised their hands into the air. Watching them carefully, the Maximals herded their prisoners together into a group once again.

"You'd better leave this planet," Optimus told them. "We don't take kindly to would-be conquerors."

"We'll see about that," N-Farious sneered. "Predacons, Alpha Formation!"

A bizarre glowing light surrounded all five Predacons.

"The heck?" Rattrap gasped.

Suddenly, Rhinox's hand-held scanner went wild.

"Whatever it is," he warned the other Maximals, "its energy readings are off the scale!"

Almost on cue, all five of the Predacons leaped several feet into the air. They hovered in mid-air, all five of them rotating around in a giant circle.

"Hraaaaahhh!" all five Predacons shouted.

At once, N-Farious's head shifted back. To his left and right, Archeron and Star-blazer turned their bodies inside out, attaching themselves to N-Farious' body like arms. A part of Bolt-smasher's chest came off and flew on top of N-Farious, attaching itself to him like an oversized helmet. In no time at all, Bolt-smasher and Circuitor transformed into what appeared to be the legs and feet of a newly amalgamated robot.

In horror, the Maximals observed the transformation. When it was completely over, the new Predacon landed on the ground, unleashing heavy tremors across the dirt. The new robot was much bigger than any of them, including Depth Charge.

"Chaos has arisen!" the giant Predacon shouted.

"Is… is that a gestalt?" Rhinox reeled back in shock.

"This can't be, they went extinct a millennia ago!" Depth Charge snarled.

The new robot Chaos then set his sights on Depth Charge. With a fierce roar, he blazed towards Depth Charge at a speed which took all the Maximals by surprise. Using all the power in his upper body, Chaos punched Depth Charge so hard that Depth Charge was smashed into the dirt, drilling almost several feet into the ground as his body crashed through all the earth.

With that accomplished, Chaos turned around and back-handed Cheetor away from the scene before the young Maximal could react.

"Cheetor, no!" shouted Optimus.

Chaos took advantage of the distraction and leaned over, exposing the twin cannons on the back of his chest. He opened fire, his first shot having the good fortune of hitting Optimus Primal on target, sending the Maximal leader smashing to the ground in stasis lock.

From the side, Rattrap and Rhinox pelted him with gunfire. To Chaos, however, it was merely an annoyance.

"Pests, all of you!" he shouted.

He brought out his own gun, fashioned from the wings and legs of Star-blazer. Pointing it at the two Maximals, Chaos pushed down on the trigger, sending a massive laser blast which struck the ground beneath Rattrap and Rhinox, sending them flying in different directions.

Angrily, Cheetor got up from having been belted away. While Chaos was still turned away, Cheetor leaped into the air, clamping both fists together and striking the Predacon gestalt in the back of the head as hard as he could. To both his and the combined Predacon's surprise, the blow actually managed to daze Chaos who stumbled forward from the blow.

"Nice one," Chaos turned around, smiling. "I actually felt that."

"Then you'll feel this one fine!" Cheetor growled and took out his gun.

In response, Chaos unsheathed his own large sword and brought it down where Cheetor stood.

But being as nimble as he was, Cheetor avoided the blow and leaped onto the sword, running towards Chaos, first up his weapon and then up his arm, firing several shots which did almost no damage. As Chaos grasped for him, Cheetor avoided the giant hand and punched Chaos in the face, making Chaos stumble backwards. A second punch nearly caved in the gestalt's nose.

The third time, Cheetor stretched out all his claws and slashed the Predacon gestalt across the face viciously, this time drawing a mark across his face.

"Aaagh!" shouted Chaos who managed to grab Cheetor by both feet.

"You'll pay for that!" Chaos shouted, holding Cheetor upside down by both legs.

Unleashing his strongest punch yet, Chaos sent Cheetor into an empty tractor which happened to be nearby. The sheer force of the blow sent Cheetor's body smashing through the tractor first but then crashing through several trees until his momentum was slowed by a nearby hill.

This time Cheetor could not get back up. He coughed up mech fluid violently, aware that he had taken a serious hit, one which dealt heavy damage to his entire body.

"Die!" shouted Chaos who opened ups his chest plate to reveal over two dozen missiles.

Every single missile left his system and exploded on contact with Cheetor's body. When the smoke cleared, a charred Maximal hand was the only thing appearing out of the rubble from where the hill used to be.

"That'll teach you," Chaos smiled.

Within the combined Predacon, the individual egos and consciousnesses of all five Predacon glowed with pride. They had made the right choice to steal the heavily protected combiner technology from the House of Predacus. It gave them power they would not otherwise have had if they had remained separate. It made them strong, durable, and practically invincible.

As individual Predacons, they were a bunch of nobodies. But as Chaos, they had become someone truly not to be reckoned with.

"Well, best be heading out," Chaos walked away. "Gotta see what the rest of this planet has to offer."

* * *

"Whoa, did you see that?" asked Scorponok.

All this time, his cyber-bee had been recording the events which had just transpired. They saw everything, from how the five new Predacons arrived to how they had used their combiner technology to become a giant gestalt which practically tore the Maximals apart.

Most of them were impressed, save Megatron.

"This guy's strong," Strika acknowledged. "He could be a valuable member of this team if we recruit him."

"I agree," Megatron stated. "But first we must test him to see if he's qualified."

"How do we do that, sir?" asked Obsidian.

"Arrange a meeting with him," Megatron ordered them. "I shall speak with him myself so that we can determine his worthiness."

* * *

"Depth Charge, are you alright?" a voice asked.

After what seemed like eons of absolute pain, Depth Charge managed to respond to the voice coming from outside.

His nanites had managed to heal some of his wounds but not all. He felt stiff and sore from the neck down to his boots. The beating inflicted upon him by Chaos showed all over his dirtied and pulverized frame.

"Just fine…" Depth Charge got up.

Optimus Primal, Rhinox ,and Rattrap stood over him. They didn't look too spotless themselves as evidenced by the damage they'd taken from Chaos.

Optimus grimaced as Depth Charge twisted and snapped his own neck slightly to loosen up the broken bolts on his neck.

"That felt better…" Depth Charge murmured. "Where's the cat?"

"Over here," Cheetor waved at them.

Following the path of destruction his body had caused when Chaos punched him clear across the forest, Cheetor re-entered the scene through the carnage he had initially went through.

While his body had been healed far better than theirs, even Cheetor showed signs of fatigue and injury. Many of which required a CR chamber should he desire the fastest rate of recuperation.

Holding his own arm, Cheetor limped to the group.

"Dude could hit hard," Cheetor groaned. "Where the heck did he learn to combine like that?"

This was a questioning which had been bothering all of them since the formation of Chaos began. It lay dangling over all their minds.

"I don't know, but I do know this," Optimus sighed. "Combiner technology has fallen out of use for over one millennia since the last gestalt went extinct."

"The need to conserve energon drastically reduced the need for combiners and gestalts," Rhinox elucidated even further. "When the transition was made from our ancestors' Autobot bodies to Maximal ones, only gestalts remained unaccounted for. After a while, gestalts and combiner technology went into the same obscurity and disuse that cassettes on earth went into."

"You know, this history lesson's interesting and all," Cheetor remarked. "But just how is that going to help us stop this raging bull?"

"I gotta agree with the cat on this," Depth Charge voiced his concerns as well. "If we don't stop this guy, who knows what damage he could do."

"I'll go run some tests back at base," Rhinox told them. "Maybe even go over a few history vids of gestalts. I might be able to find something."

"Agreed," Optimus said firmly. "But first, let's go back to base and heal up."

* * *

"You've been leading us in circles for hours!" N-Farious snarled at Circuitor. "What's the meaning of this?"

"I'm sorry guys," Circuitor protested. "It's just that my scanner has been picking up Predacon energy signatures for the past few cycles."

"I sure don't see any here!" Bolt-thrower snorted.

"Wait guys," Archeron told them. "Maybe we should give Circuitor the benefit of the doubt. He did help us steal combiner technology from the new Predacon Alliance after all."

"Alright, but if we don't find any other Predacons within the next ten cycles, I'll have Circuitor's hide!" N-Farious growled. "We could've used all that time for something more productive… like gather energon!"

"Oh, your time will be spent on something far more fruitful, yeeesssss…"

From the sky, a large red dragon appeared before them. It landed on the ground and roared into the air, breathing fire.

"Megaton terrorize!"

In an instant, the large red dragon transformed into an equally menacing robot whose threatening qualifies were not lost in the transformation.

"Whoa, what… who is that?" Star-blazer backed away.

"I am Megatron," Megatron introduced himself as Dinobot, Obsidian and Strika appeared at his side. "And these are my loyal minions."

"Are you supposed to be the leader of the Predacons on this planet?" asked N-Farious.

"Indeed," Megatron smiled. "I believe you are refugees from Cybertron?"

"Hah! You idiot!" Bolt-smasher scoffed at Megatron. "That was the story we sold to the Maximals! Don't tell me you're just as stupid as they are!"

"Do not speak to Megatron in such a manner!" Strika raised a hand.

"Or you'll what?" Archeron pointed his bow at her.

At that same moment, Dinobot unsheathed both claws as Obsidian took out his weapons.

"Now now, there's no need for violence," Megatron grinned. "Especially from my new servants!"

"New servants?" N-Farious growled. "Who do you think we are?"

"I believe I'm looking at five patsies who have already signed themselves into servitude!" Megatron smiled, mocking them purposefully.

"That's it!" shouted N-Farious. "Alpha formation now!"

In mere seconds, all five Predacons combined into the large, foreboding Chaos.

"Any last words, shorty?" Chaos towered over Megatron, gloating.

Megatron's response was to drive his fist right into the mid-section of Chaos. The attack caught Chaos by surprise. What was even more shocking to him was the fact that Megatron was so powerful for a 'bot smaller than him.

Chaos keeled over, sputtering in pain. In response, Megatron grabbed the gestalt by the neck and flew into the air _with_ the large combined Predacon.

Despise the fact that Chaos weighed many more tons than Megatron, the Predacon commander held him in the air by his neck, holding him out like a mere doll.

"I believe I shall have the last word, yes!" Megatron laughed. "Hah hah hah!"

"L—" Chaos croaked.

"What was that?" demanded Megatron.

"Let me go!" rasped Chaos.

Megatron did not need to be told twice. He lifted Chaos up and threw him down into the ground with such a thunderous force that the earth shook. Then he flew down and planted his foot down on the fallen Chaos' chest.

"You serve me now!" Megatron pointed his dragon cannon at the head of Chaos. "Unless of course you want your stay on this planet to be a short one…"

"You win, you win!" Chaos pleaded. "I'll do whatever you want!"

"I have new orders for you," Megatron directed. "Seek out and destroy the Maximals permanently. Then I'll consider letting you live."

He said that last part softly, letting Chaos know that he was the one who held the gestalt's life in between the palm of his fingers. Megatron took his foot off of Chaos and let the giant Predacon get up.

"Alright, I'll do it," Chaos agreed. "Just let me go!"

"Very well," Megatron smiled. "You're free to leave this planet after you've taken care of the Maximals."

Having been seeped in Predacon culture for most of their lives, the five collective identities which resided in Chaos knew that Megatron's promise didn't hold much water. But they had no other choice. Megatron was powerful enough to have killed all of them if he wanted to. They had to comply.

Chaos got up bitterly. The taste of defeat was still in his mouth.

Megatron took a small micro-chip and handed it to Chaos.

"This reveals the location of the Maximal base," he explained. "Go, and do not disappoint me."

"Yes Megatron," Chaos muttered angrily, daring not to look Megatron in the eye.

* * *

"How is it going?" asked Optimus.

"It's almost complete," Rhinox held up the new device he held in his hands. "It's a circuit de-compiler. Back in the Great War, the Autobots used something like this against the Decepticon gestalts."

"So all we gotta do is hit 'im with it and poof, they're gone?" asked Rattrap.

"Not exactly," Rhinox turned his seat around. "But the neural overload from this weapon should have enough stimuli to disconnect all five Predacons from the gestalt form. All we have to do is get close enough to use it on him."

"We'd better be careful," Depth Charge cautioned. "He's like a raging bull who can't be put down."

"Then it's all the better to grab him by the horns and knock 'im down," Cheetor clenched his fists together eagerly.

_BAM_. A sudden explosion rocked their base. Rhinox turned on the monitor. It was Chaos, assaulting their base with his explosive firepower.

"Prime…" cursed Optimus. "He's here now?"

"I can't go outside and use the de-compiler! It's not finished yet!" Rhinox held on to the control panels in alarm.

"Then stay here and finish it!" Depth Charge told them. "I'll go outside and face him!"

"Are you crazy?" Rattrap demanded. "You said it yourself he's a raging bull!"

"And raging bulls can't think straight," Depth Charge replied calmly. "All I have to do is be the red flag waving in front of his face."

Turning around, Depth Charge hurried out of the base. He went through the caverns and left the cave through a hole through the ceiling. Flying upwards, he saw Chaos down below raining hail after hail of missiles.

Depth Charge swooped down and decked Chaos right across the face with a roundhouse kick.

"Agh!" Chaos stumbled back.

Grabbing his tail spear, Depth Charge hurled it. The spear struck home and impaled Chaos right in the chest. Unfortunately for the Maximal warrior, Chaos was so large and his armor so powerful that the spear felt like no more than a pinprick. He grabbed onto it with two fingers and yanked it out.

"You thought you could stop me with this?" Chaos almost burst with laughter.

Depth Charge responded by firing two missile salvos at Chaos. Promptly they exploded against the armor of Chaos but did no damage. Chaos rushed forward, knocking the hunter down with a quick backhand. Not willing to give up, Depth Charge got back up and threw a punch at Chaos which he caught easily.

"You Insecticon!" Chaos squeezed down on the Maximal's fist, relishing in Depth Charge's anguished cries.

With that, Chaos punched Depth Charge in the chest hard. A second punch from the behemoth sent Depth Charge flying into the side of the mountain. Chaos went up to the fallen Maximal and picked him up by the neck, hoisting him up.

"You worthless piece of scrap!" shouted Chaos. "I'm the baddest 'bot in the galaxy! Nobody can stop me, especially not a little runt like you!"

"I wasn't trying to stop you," Depth Charge managed to cough out.

"What?" demanded Chaos.

"I was stalling you," Depth Charge's eyes flashed with guile.

Suddenly, without forewarning, Cheetor leaped down from the air and punched Chaos across the face without having pulled his punches at all. Chaos dropped Depth Charge and stumbled back.

"Oh, so you wanna join him?" demanded Chaos, quickly recovering from the blow.

"Well, I wouldn't count on that so soon," Cheetor smirked.

A sudden jolt hit Chaos. It was as if almost circuit in his body had been somehow immobilized by a single touch. Beneath him, Rhinox stood at the heel of Chaos, having plunged the de-compiler deep into his ankle.

"Y-You!" Chaos cried.

He turned around and attempted to crush Rhinox but his movements had been slowed down enormously. Rhinox got out of the way before his hand even came down onto the ground.

"Finish it!" Rhinox told the Maximals.

Gathering together, Optimus, Cheetor, Rattrap, and Depth Charge opened fire and struck Chaos all at once with their weapons. The resulting explosion saw Chaos fall apart right before their eyes into his five previous forms.

"Slag!" N-Farious cursed. "How'd they do this to us?"

"We can still win!" Archeron told his leader. "They haven't beaten us yet!"

Such words were ill-fated. Just as Archeron had spoken those words, Depth Charge flew into the air and sent a whirling energy disc right into the center of the group formation, triggering an explosion which knocked all the Predacons down.

As Bolt-smasher got up, Rhinox buried his fist right into the Predacon's face to knock him to the floor. Archeron faced a similar situation as Optimus came down on his head with a mace which sent stars flying across his forehead. Cheetor punched Circuitor, defeating him in one punch.

Star-blazer was a bit luckier. He flew up to avoid Rattrap and fired several shots at the racing rodent. Rattrap leaped up in mid-air and transformed from his vehicle mode to robot mode. He pulled out his gun and sent one blast which hit Star-blazer in the chest and knocked him down.

"You ruined everything!" N-Farious pointed his sword at Depth Charge. "I'm going to destroy you!"

"Give me your best shot then," Depth Charge looked at him coolly.

That did it for N-Farious. Charging angrily, he swung his sword at Depth Charge repeatedly while the blue Maximal dodged all the blows. Finally Depth Charge activated his jets and floated in mid-air, taking out his gun and firing. One shot was all it took to send N-Farious skidding across the ground and falling alongside his defeated comrades.

"You haven't won yet!" N-Farious screamed at the Maximals, clearly in denial.

Cheetor, however, would now allow them the delusions of victory. Charging head-on, he smashed into all the Predacons, knocking them over like bowling pins. First to go down was Circuitor as Cheetor hurled him into the ground. Then Star-blazer fell as Cheetor elbowed him in the chin. The next was N-Farious as the Maximal slugged him viciously across the face. Then he grabbed Archeron's bow and used it to knock Archeron out.

Finally, he smashed his fists repeatedly into Bolt-smasher until Optimus grabbed him by the wrist to stop him.

"Cheetor, that's enough!" he cried.

For a second, it looked as if Cheetor was about to throw off Primal's grip and continue his merciless beating. But with a great deal of self-control, he restrained himself.

"Sorry Optimus," he apologized. "Kinda lost control of myself there."

Finding the Fate's Destiny was not too hard. It lay in the open fields where it had originally landed.

With a push, Cheetor shoved the Predacons forward.

"You'll regret what you've done," N-Farious warned the Maximals. "One day we'll be back to settle the score."

"I don't think so," Optimus crossed his arms. "Leave this planet and never return."

Grumbling angrily, the five Predacons boarded their ship. In a few moments, the ship came to life and blasted off into the depths of space.

"And don't come back!" Rattrap yelled into the sky.

"Well, that was fun!" Cheetor beamed.

"Yeah, especially when we creamed their sorry skids!" agreed Rattrap. "Should've seen 'da look on their faces!"

"Think we've seen the last of these guys?" Rhinox asked.

"Not likely," Depth Charge stood motionlessly, watching the skies. "There's always going to be Predacons like them. The important thing is that we be prepared."

"But fortunately," added Optimus. "There will always be Maximals like us, willing to do what's right!"

Rhinox smiled and put a hand on Optimus Primal's shoulder. He in full agreement as well with his team leader.

Also, judging from the expressions on Cheetor and Rattrap's faces, they also stood in unison with Optimus. They were absolutely in agreement as well.

And though Depth Charge stood a few feet away from the Maximals, being as aloof as ever, it was plain to see that even he found merit in Primal's words.


	57. Hunter's Moon

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Hunter's Moon_

Up in the sky, the pale light of the moon glistened as Blackarachnia sat down restlessly. Any minute now Silverbolt would arrive for their date.

"When the slag is that bucket of fur going to show up?" she wondered aloud.

Just in the nick of time, Silverbolt appeared overhead. It was not a moment too soon.

He flew down, transforming in front of Blackarachnia.

"How are you, my dear?" he asked.

"Couldn't be better," she smiled.

"You know, tomorrow night will be the Hunter's Moon," Silverbolt pointed up. "What shall we do on that momentous occasion?"

"Well," Blackarachnia took out a coupon. "I found out Victor Hugo's _Les Miserables_ is playing in Paris. I scoured around and found a good place for us in the top balconies where no one can see us."

"My dear, it would be an honor," Silverbolt took her claw to kiss.

"What a pity," a familiar voice emerged from the trees.

"That voice…" Silverbolt's ears perked up.

From a nearby tree emerged a gleaming mass of razor-sharp claws and Transmetal Two armor. It was Dinobot, leaning closely against the tree trunk while picking his own sharp teeth with a single claw. Upon Silverbolt's notice, Dinobot stopped what he was doing and turned his full attention to both Maximal and Predacon.

"It's quite the shame I'll have to cut this happy moment short," he announced, revealing his glinting teeth. "But I'm afraid I have orders to deal with you two, especially the treacherous arachnid!"

"Me? Treacherous?" Blackarachnia responded sarcastically. "Did ya just figure that out moments ago?"

"Megatron wants both your heads!" Dinobot informed them. "It shall be an honor to carry out his command!"

"Megatron?" Silverbolt dropped his jaws in surprise.

Smiling, Dinobot took advantage of their distraction to lunge forward. Blackarachnia opened fire on him with her arm-mounted machine guns but the bullets did nothing to harm his powerful armor. Silverbolt then pulled his wings forward, firing two wing missiles at him. Dinobot dodged to the left to avoid one and batted the other aside with his claws.

However, the black widow spider-bot had not yet run out of tricks. She leaped at him, spin-kicking at Dinobot, to which the larger Predacon male simply blocked. Arching his arm back, he slashed at her. Blackarachnia leaped over the slash and somersaulted over Dinobot but the large prehensile tail attached to the back of his body struck her from behind and knocked her into a tree.

In a rage, Silverbolt attacked Dinobot. He slashed at Dinobot over and over with his wing swords but Dinobot countered each attack by raising his own arms. The slashes bounced off of his armor quite harmlessly.

Finally having decided that playtime was over, Dinobot stretched out his index claw and slashed Silverbolt across the chest with it viciously, taking care not to have cut through his spark.

Now in stasis lock, the damaged Silverbolt dropped both feather swords and fell to the floor motionlessly.

"Dinobot to base," he spoke into his com-link. "The prisoner has been secured."

"No!" shouted Blackarachnia.

She leaped at him but Dinobot leaped up even faster, backhanding her across the back of her head and causing her to fall flat on her back. He picked Silverbolt up.

"Tell the other Maximals to meet me tomorrow night here during the Hunter's Moon," he told her. "Oh, and don't try to follow me."

He looked towards the large tree close to her and blasted through it with his optic laser. The tree fell down right in front of Blackarachnia, forcing her to leap back. By the time she'd gotten over the tree to look for Dinobot, he was already gone.

Underneath a small hill a few feet away from where the dazed Blackarachnia was, Dinobot smiled as he held the unconscious Silverbolt over his shoulder. One by one the Maximals would come to him. And when that time came, the hunt would truly begin.

* * *

So far, she was unable to bring herself to do it. Blackarachnia stared at the monitor screen, wondering if she should even contact the Maximals.

She'd seen Silverbolt do it multiple times and she already knew the transmission to reach them but what she was not sure of was their reaction to her.

He'd risked his life for her plenty of times in the past so it was only fair that she do the same for him, right? But then that would mean exposing the relationship she had with the fuzor to his Maximal team. Most unfortunately, that meant trouble. She sighed. These newfound emotions could be so hard to deal with sometimes.

After a few more moments of hesitation, she decided she had no other choice. She dialed in the transmission to the Axalon.

In a few moments, Rhinox's face popped up. From the get-go, it had been apparent that he was expecting Silverbolt. At seeing her, his expression of good-natured camaraderie turned to shock.

"You!" he gasped.

* * *

"Ugh…" Silverbolt slowly woke up from his stasis-induced unconsciousness.

To all sides were energy bars holding him. He was being held in a containment capsule. And apparently, he was inside a cave of sorts.

"I see you're awake," Dinobot glanced over at him.

"You are as dishonorable as ever!" Silverbolt growled.

"Do not presume to speak to me about honor!" Dinobot hissed at the fuzor. "My duty is to lure you and your Maximal comrades into the Predacons' clutches! I take immense pride in such a task!"

"Then your sense of duty is skewed my friend," Silverbolt said disapprovingly.

"That is your opinion," Dinobot began to walk away, "which won't really matter anymore by tomorrow night's moon."

Silverbolt sat down, worried. The only way for the Maximals to find him was through Blackarachnia. And there was no telling what might go down between them once Blackarachnia delivered them the message of his kidnapping.

The fallout which might result through the revelation of their relationship was not something the fuzor even wanted to contemplate.

* * *

"So, you mean to say Silverbolt's been kidnapped?" demanded Optimus.

Optimus Primal, Cheetor, Rhinox, Rattrap, and Depth Charge were there. They'd gone down to Europe as soon as they got the news. What made the trip even more necessary was the fact that Blackarachnia was the one who had used Silverbolt's monitors to contact them.

"Dinobot's holding him," Blackarachnia explained. "He told me to meet him at the place Silverbolt and I last met by tomorrow night during the Hunter's Moon."

"Whoa whoa whoa," Rattrap waved his arms in the air. "Slow down sist'ah. You expect us to believe all that? How do we know it ain't a trap?"

"You know what?" Blackarachnia snarled into Rattrap's face. "It could be a slaggin' trap! But I wasn't the one who set it up and if we don't go, who knows what Dinobot will do to Silverbolt!"

"I ain't sure what Dinobot did," Rattrap took out his pistol and aimed it at her. "But I sure as slag can guess what you might've done to 'im!"

"Rattrap, no!" Optimus motioned for him to put down his gun. Muttering angrily, Rattrap put down his gun.

"You're saying this Dinobot fella also has Transmetal Two armor?" demanded Cheetor.

"That's what it looked like," Blackarachnia informed him. "He moved just like you too."

Rhinox stroked his chin. Something about Blackarachnia's story had been bothering him the whole time. And he was pretty sure the other Maximals felt the same way too.

"One question," Rhinox finally voiced the question that had been on all their minds. "Why were you and Silverbolt meeting up in the first place?"

For a moment, Cheetor considered telling them about the secret relationship that had been going on between Silverbolt and Blackarachnia. But finally he decided to hold it back. It was Silverbolt's prerogative to tell them. And assuming they found him, it would be Silverbolt who'd have to confess the whole thing.

"It… it's complicated," Blackarachnia sighed.

Frustration on her part soon turned to anger.

"Look!" she snapped. "Are you going to help me or not? In case you dolts haven't realized, one of your own teammates is in danger!"

Rhinox looked at Optimus. "Should we listen to her?"

"I say we do it," Depth Charge spoke up before Optimus could. "Cheetor can watch over her to make sure she doesn't turn on us."

"Agreed," Optimus confirmed. "We go there tomorrow!"

* * *

"Hey," Cheetor waved to Blackarachnia as she sat over the balcony, looking at the rising sun.

"What do you want tabby?" she demanded.

"Not much," he told her. "Just want to know how you two hooked up."

"What?" she demanded. "How did you know?"

"Silverbolt told me," Cheetor explained. "Don't worry though, I promised him I wouldn't tell the others."

"You better not!" she warned. "Or you won't be landing on your feet when I get through with you!"

"Spare me the threats," he scoffed. "Just tell me why you got involved with him."

"Well, it started off as me wanting to use him for my own agenda," she went into the back-story without hesitating. "But things changed."

"You fell in love," Cheetor finished for her.

"Something like that," she shrugged.

Cheetor reached towards his ear to pick up on his com-link. It was Optimus, requesting his assistance.

"I gotta get going now," he told her. "But just as a warning, this better not be a trap you set for my friends."

"Or you'll what?" she smiled at him sarcastically.

Cheetor held out all five of his gleaming claws as a symbolic gesture.

"You'll see," he grinned.

* * *

"Have you contacted Tigatron and Airazor?" Optimus asked.

"Already did," confirmed Rattrap. "They'll be here soon on stand-by."

Rhinox took out several tracers he had created for the mission. They were extra precautions he had taken to ensure their safety.

"Take these and put them on," he said to the other Maximals, "just in case any of us get taken hostage by Dinobot. Then we can trace him back to his base."

It was a long shot of a risk, but it was one Rhinox was willing to take. At least now they had a chance to trace Dinobot back and at least discover his motives for the kidnapping.

"I'll also be on stand-by," Depth Charge told them.

"Good," Optimus affirmed with a nod. "Is Cheetor here yet?"

"Here and ready!" Cheetor leaped down from the stairs.

"Are we ready to get this show on the road?" Blackarachnia appeared next to them through the entrance way.

"Rattrap and I can go from the ground," Rhinox suggested. "We'll there on Blackarachnia's direct coordinates to see what goes down. We'll radio you if we need backup."

"Agreed," Optimus left Silverbolt's dwellings with the other three Maximals.

"I'll be here to monitor you," Depth Charge promised, "though I'd hate to miss out on the action."

"If all goes wrong, there'll be plenty of it, fish-sticks," Rattrap reassured him. "Don't get 'yer servos in a wad just yet."

"Good, because I'd love to see the expression on your face once I have to save your sorry skid-plates again," Depth Charge retorted.

"You'll be the one with 'da expression once I bring back Dinobutt's scaley hide back as a rug!" Rattrap shot back. "Maybe if you ask nicely, I'll even let ya shine my trophies!"

"Ahem, can we go now?" Blackarachnia coughed.

"Yes, I've been thinking the same thing," Optimus could not help but find himself agreeing with the Predacon femme-bot.

Rattrap made a funny facial expression towards Depth Charge mockingly before turning around and following Rhinox into the woods. Blackarachnia was just about to follow them before she was stopped by Optimus.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Don't you want me to go?"

"Get on," Optimus transformed to vehicle mode and pointed at his surf board.

"Why?" she grimaced.

"Think of it was a test of trust," Optimus told her. "Besides, if you're thinking about poisoning me in mid-air, it's only fair to warn you that you'll plummet several hundreds of feet into the ground with me."

"Fine…" she rolled her optics.

In truth, Optimus did not mean to come off as particularly rude. But he had no other choice, given the history of animosity between his own team and Blackarachnia. This had to be done due to the uncertainty of the mission.

* * *

"Depth Charge to Rhinox," the blue Maximal's voice came in through the intercom. "Has Dinobot been sighted yet?"

"Not so far," Rhinox replied. "So far, everything's been quiet."

The Maximal rhino and Rattrap had travelled through the forests until they arrived at the exact coordinates Blackarachnia had described to them. About now they were in the middle of the woods, having found nothing so far. Above, the Hunter's Moon shone brightly, its light reflecting off the lake near them.

"Ya know, maybe this ain't a trap," Rattrap said to his old friend. "Maybe 'dat spider was just leading us on a wild goose chase."

Rattrap walked over to a log and sat on it.

"Possibly," conceded Rhinox. "But it's not her we're concerned about. It's Silverbolt. We're still not sure what happened to him."

Momentarily, Rhinox turned away from Rattrap and looked down into the lake. Through his enhanced night vision, he could seem the fish swim through it.

Before Rattrap could reply, a giant hand clamped down on his mouth, preventing him from speaking. Very little time could be mounted to put up a struggle as Rattrap was whisked away from Rhinox.

The Maximal scientist finally decided he'd seen enough of the lake and turned back to Rattrap, only to find that his friend was gone.

"Rattrap!" he shouted.

Something was very wrong. Rhinox looked around his surroundings uneasily, realizing that he was not alone.

"Rhinox to Optimus," he spoke into his com-link. "Rattrap's gone missing and—"

Just as he said that, a large figure from the shadows pounced on him.

* * *

"Rhinox? Rhinox?" Optimus cried.

No response.

"Optimus to Depth Charge!" he changed signals. "Do you still read Rhinox or Rattrap's signals?"

"I read it," Depth Charge confirmed. "Tracers indicate them moving towards a remote location."

"Go find Rattrap and Rhinox," said Optimus. "Cheetor, Blackarachnia, and I will go down and investigate the area."

"Alright, Depth Charge out."

"Cheetor, we're going down there," Optimus commanded.

"Alright, time to kick some butt!" Cheetor growled excitedly.

"Hang on tightly," he told Blackarachnia.

She did not have to be told twice. Gripping him tightly, Blackarachnia held on as Optimus and Cheetor flew down into the forests.

By the time they landed, they saw signs of a struggle near the lake. Several logs had been overturned and much of the sand near the lake had been overturned.

"Dinobot must have gotten then," Blackarachnia whispered.

Cheetor took out his gun. Dinobot could very well come out at any time and it was best that he be prepared. Suddenly, a rustling of leaves was heard by all three.

"He's here!" Blackarachnia announced.

"Let's go!" Optimus pointed towards the trees.

The three Transformers made their way through the forest floor, readying their weapons in case of potential conflict.

"See anything ahead?" asked Optimus.

"Nope," Cheetor gripped his gun tightly. "But I smell something. It's a new Predacon's stench somewhere in these woods."

"Blackarachnia," Optimus turned back. "Have you—"

She was gone. Virtually no trace was left of her presence.

"Where'd she go?" Cheetor was shocked.

"Stay together," Optimus told him. "It may be our only hope."

"Hah hah hah hah hah!" a deep rumbling was heard.

From the trees, a giant log swung down at them. Both Cheetor and Optimus leaped in separate directions to avoid it. As Optimus landed, a sudden makeshift cage erupted from underneath him, trapping him in it.

From the trees, Dinobot appeared, taunting Cheetor. In anger, Cheetor followed him, leaving Optimus behind.

Cheetor ran across the undergrowth until he caught up with Dinobot. Before the young Maximal was a large Transmetal Two raptor with gleaming fangs. The previous Dinobots he had encountered were only clones. This here was the real deal.

"Eat slag!" Cheetor took out his gun and fired.

The shot went right through Dinobot. What Cheetor had shot at was merely a hologram.

It was a moment too late, however. From behind him, a paralysis beam struck Cheetor from the spine down, immobilizing him on the spot.

Soon enough, Dinobot stepped out. He looked down at the fallen Cheetor and grinned widely.

* * *

"Cheetor? Primal?" Depth Charge attempted to make contact one more time.

It was no use. They had been silenced somehow.

Depth Charge took out the tracer that Rhinox had given him. With it, he could locate them wherever they were. He had no choice now but to seek them out.

He wasn't sure what had happened exactly, but one of the possibilities running through his mind was that of Blackarachnia betraying them somehow.

Depth Charge loaded his gun. "Time for me to go…"

As he walked past the computer, he bumped past a small computer pad on the counter. It fell to floor and hummed to life.

Curiously, Depth Charge picked it up. Judging from the text, it was some kind of electronic journal Silverbolt often kept with him.

_August 21 – My beloved and I saw our first glimpse of autumn. As the leaves turned red and withered, I could not help but notice that Blackarachnia, o' dark poison of my heart, reveled in such a beautiful season. On this very day, we held each other in a warm embrace, our love being tendered by the beautiful rays of the sun…_

Depth Charge's optics grew wide, realizing now what was going on with Silverbolt.

"By Primus… what has that fuzor gotten himself into?" he muttered.

* * *

Standing outside, Dinobot breathed in the cool night air. He had been victorious in the hunt and now the Maximals, along with the traitor, were in his grasp.

Currently, they were being held back in his cavernous lair. He was out here to report back to the Predacons based on an incoming signal he was receiving.

He took a small circular machine from his compartments and opened it up.

From it, a holographic image of Obsidian's face appeared.

"Ah, Dinobot," Obsidian smiled. "I believe you have something of importance to report by now?"

"The Maximals have been apprehended," Dinobot bowed, replying. "Megatron's orders have been carried out."

"So, it appears you were able to get the job done," Obsidian commented. "Good job indeed."

"Your tone betrays a certain flippancy," Dinobot pointed out.

"Do you really think you have the Maximals?" asked Obsidian. "After all, according to my scanners, there's one more left in your vicinity, Dinobot."

"I am well aware of that," Dinobot replied. "The Maximal known as Depth Charge will soon be within my grasp as well."

"Are you so certain of that?" asked Obsidian. "After all, this particular Maximal is crafty. He could elude you and make a fool of you yet."

"You forget who you speak to Obsidian," Dinobot said mockingly. "After all, it was I who led my clone army to victory over the Maximals while you and your Generals could not even complete your assignment of eliminating a few human children…"

Obsidian bristled with anger. He remembered the incident all too well.

"We were… recalled before we could carry out our duties," he reminded Dinobot.

"As was I," Dinobot fired back. "But I still defeated the Maximals before then."

"Hmph," Obsidian snorted. "Gloat all you like. But don't forget that you and I still have unfinished business."

Obsidian turned off the connection without any more remarks.

* * *

Optimus looked around the cavernous chambers where he was being held along with the rest of the Maximals. To one side, he saw both Silverbolt and Blackarachnia sharing the same cell. At least now, he knew Blackarachnia was telling the truth. Not to mention the now-apparent fact that she had truly been innocent all along.

He was with Cheetor while Rattrap and Rhinox also shared the same cell.

"I see all of you are awake now," Dinobot appeared before them.

"Yo fossil-face!" Rattrap called out. "How 'bout you let us out so we can make dino-chow outta you!"

"An amusing notion, vermin," Dinobot hissed. "But a cage is the only suitable living quarters for a rat such as yourself."

"Who are you?" demanded Optimus. "Were you one of the Protoforms that the Predacons reprogrammed?"

"My origin is not important," Dinobot responded. "What is important is that I deliver you to Megatron."

"Megatron?" Optimus was taken aback.

"You mean to tell me Megatron's alive?" Rhinox asked. "But how?"

"My master has undergone great trials," Dinobot replied. "But he has returned from beyond the fiery pits to reclaim what is rightfully his."

"You… you don't think Megatron's back, do you?" Cheetor asked Optimus, to which Optimus shook his head, not knowing what to say.

"My offer to you Maximals is simple," Dinobot informed them. "Either reprogram yourselves and join us in the Predacon cause, or be destroyed. The choice is yours."

"How about neither!" Cheetor spat.

"Ah, the cat," Dinobot moved in front of Cheetor. "You're still as impulsive as ever."

"We've met before?" demanded Cheetor.

"You don't recall?" asked Dinobot. "Remember when your friends had been incapacitated by my clones and you yourself had been at my mercy?"

"You!" Cheetor's memory came back to him. "I remember you now!"

"Good," Dinobot smiled. "Then you know not to make any rash decisions around me, especially with your life and the lives of your Maximal comrades hanging on the balance."

"Actually, now that you mention it," a voice emerged from behind Dinobot. "I thought I'd tip that balance."

Dinobot turned around. In front of him was Depth Charge with both weapons trained on Dinobot.

"My sensors didn't deceive me," Depth Charge looked at Dinobot hostilely. "You carry the spark of Protoform X."

"My spark is strong, it gives me power," Dinobot replied. "But I know nothing of this Protoform X."

"Don't lie!" Depth Charge opened fire.

With incredible speed, Dinobot dodged the shots and rushed in front of Depth Charge. He slashed the Maximal's cyber-shark missile launcher in two with one slash. Then he kicked the remaining piece out of Depth Charge's hands.

Depth Charge struck at Dinobot with his open hand but Dinobot caught it, striking Depth Charge two times across the face with an open hand. Brutally, Dinobot drove the front section of his foot into Depth Charge's mid-section with a roundhouse kick. He held onto Depth Charge's arm and flipped him down onto the floor.

Now in pain, the blue Maximal held his front. He was barely holding his own. Dinobot was strong and fast beyond belief.

Dinobot grinned and kicked the other gun out of Depth Charge's hand. He grabbed Depth Charge by the throat and held him up, driving his fist into the hunter's stomach repeatedly before throwing him against the cave's wall.

Depth Charge slid down, seemingly down.

"All power to central cavity," he whispered.

What he was about to do was risky. It was not something he did often but there were times that called for it. Those times included facing down highly dangerous opponents such as Rampage and, right now, Dinobot. He had learned this trick back on Cybertron originally, having been informed that it risked draining all his power cells.

Dinobot walked towards Depth Charge, picking him up and placing him against the wall with one hand. With the other hand, he extended his claws into the air. One beheading was all it took to make himself a new trophy.

"Any final words?" demanded Dinobot.

"No, just this," Depth Charge replied.

With that, he unleashed a blast so powerful it sent Dinobot flying. Instead of the usual power disc that emerged from his chest, a narrow blue beam erupted, hitting Dinobot in the center of his chest.

The Predacon raptor flew back, his back hitting the wall as the beam drilled right into him. When it was over, both Depth Charge and Dinobot slid to the floor.

Depth Charge panted in exhaustion. That move had cost him most of his energy. And worse yet, he was not sure if it had done the job.

Eerily, Dinobot's body began glowing. A glowing tendril of energy emerged from his spark and covered the charred and damaged area across his chest. As all the Maximals watched in horror, the wound that had been inflicted on Dinobot became healed in a matter of moments.

Roaring angrily, Dinobot leaped back on both legs. Shakily, Depth Charge picked up the remaining gun which stood at his feet even though he knew it would do little good.

As Dinobot charged, Depth Charge fired several shots, all of which Dinobot avoided rather easily.

Dinobot rammed right into Depth Charge, knocking the breath out of him. He struck Depth Charge across the face repeatedly before finishing it off with a front snap kick to the Maximal's chest.

Depth Charge fell to on his back as Dinobot stamped his foot down on his chest.

"You should have made your shots count, Maximal!" Dinobot snarled.

His laser optic hummed to life as a red beam came down on Depth Charge's chest, slowly burning into him. Dinobot smiled sadistically. His goal was to burn right through the Maximal's spark.

"That's where you're wrong," Depth Charge growled despite the pain. "Look behind you!"

"You think I'm stupid enough to fall for that?" Dinobot intensified the laser torture.

"Aaaaaghhh!" screamed Depth Charge.

An energy blast from behind him caught Dinobot off guard. Because he had been so focused on punishing Depth Charge, he had been caught unaware. The shot hit Dinobot straight in the back.

"Omph!" Dinobot was knocked off the blue Maximal immediately and fell face-first into the ground.

Snarling, he got back up. In front of him now were all the Maximals, plus Blackarachnia. The one who had shot him was Cheetor, holding his gun with smoke now rising from the pistol.

"Maximals, apprehend Dinobot!" ordered Optimus.

All of them along with Blackarachnia opened fire. Dinobot took the initial barrage of firepower, seeing how his armor could stand up to the punishment. Soon, however, he bolted and ran, not because of any fear, but because he wanted to lure the Maximals out into the open. And take the bait, they did. All the Maximals went after him just as he had planned.

Before he left Optimus knelt before Depth Charge.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'll be fine," Depth Charge acknowledged. "Just go get Dinobot!"

Outside, all the combatants attacked Dinobot one after another. Rhinox attacked first, not pulling any of his punches.

He struck Dinobot with one devastating punch after another, each punch loud and explosive enough to be heard for miles. Coolly, however, Dinobot took all the punches. Just as it seemed Rhinox was tiring out from his assault, Dinobot struck Rhinox across the throat with an open palm. Rhinox gasped but Dinobot spun around, kicking him in the stomach and sending him flying back.

Silverbolt was next up. He grabbed Dinobot from behind as Rattrap charged. Breaking free of the fuzor's grip easily, Dinobot took Silverbolt and threw him into the rodent, knocking them both down.

Blackarachnia leaped into Dinobot, delivering a crunching kick across his head. She jumped up again, connecting with his head again a powerful wheel kick.

It was almost as if Dinobot did not feel those blows. He grabbed Blackarachnia's next kick and swung her back, nearly breaking her back against a tree.

"Beloved!" Silverbolt cried, rushing to her aid.

"You want this female so badly?" Dinobot taunted. "Take her!"

He threw Blackarachnia directly into Silverbolt, sending them both crashing through the undergrowth.

Cheetor was next, delivering a direct punch which Dinobot blocked with a forearm. Again and again, Cheetor threw rapid punches at him while Dinobot avoided them with ease.

"Can't get a clear shot!" Rattrap cried, pointing his gun at Dinobot.

Unfortunately, because Dinobot and Cheetor were locked in such close combat, it would be hard for Rattrap to flip off a shot without the likelihood that it would hit Cheetor.

Dinobot flipped past one of Cheetor's kicks, landing neatly on both feet. He turned around and blocked a rapid forearm strike by Cheetor, kicking the Maximal's feet out from right underneath him. As Cheetor fell down, he flipped his body around, rolling like a barrel before catching himself on the floor with hands. He flipped his lower body around, launching it into a springboard right into Dinobot.

Both Cheetor's feet struck Dinobot in the stomach, kicking him into a large tree.

Dinobot grunted. Perhaps he had underestimated his enemies.

"Get up ugly!" Cheetor ordered him. "We ain't through yet!"

"Gladly!" Dinobot concurred.

As Cheetor attacked once more, Dinobot avoided most of the Maximal's punches. He raised his arm to prevent one of the cat's strikes from hitting home and retaliated with a thunderous punch which knocked Cheetor back.

Rattrap raced across the forest floor, right past Dinobot he leaped up into mid-air and transformed, firing several shots at Dinobot while Blackarachnia blasted him with machine-gun fire from behind.

Dinobot took all the shots from the two, not flinching in the least. He blasted at Rattrap, the laser shot striking the ground near Rattrap's feet, knocking him away in a small explosion.

Then he turned around just as Blackarachnia blasted him in the chest with a missile shot full of a triple dose of cyber-venom. As the missile struck him, Dinobot stood there and took it without flinching. When the smoke cleared, Dinobot emerged seemingly unharmed. Little traces of cyber-venom coursed through his shoulder but other than that, her attack appeared to have done little damage.

"Oh slag…" Blackarachnia muttered.

Dinobot swung around, catching her in the side with his tail. The force of the blow knocked Blackarachnia several feet away.

Several more missiles struck him. To his side, Silverbolt fired wing missile after wing missile upon him wildly. Dinobot walked towards Silverbolt slowly, absorbing all of his attacks with careless abandon.

Suddenly, he was struck from behind in the head with something concussive. He turned around; there before him was Optimus Primal with both maces.

On cue, Silverbolt took out his wing sword and charged. The two Maximals struck at Dinobot one after the other. Dinobot avoided the attacks, first dodging Optimus, then countering Silverbolt by blocking one of his sword strikes with an open hand. He then somersaulted over them both as they stuck simultaneously.

Using one hand, he grabbed Primal's mace swing. With the other, he grabbed Silverbolt's sword strike. Possessing enough power to easily overwhelm both Maximal combatants, he slammed his foot into Primal's chest, knocking him away. Now that he only had Silverbolt at his mercy, he forced the fuzor to his knees as his optic hummed to life, blasting a thin red beam right into Silverbolt's forehead.

"Aaaagh!" shouted Silverbolt. The beam slowly bore into him.

Just before Dinobot could dig any deeper, he was interrupted by a flying side-kick to the back of his head which knocked him away from Silverbolt.

As Dinobot crashed to the ground, Silverbolt looked up to see Depth Charge before him. The blue Maximal had been the one who saved him from being lobotomized on the spot by Dinobot.

"Thank you," Silverbolt said graciously.

"Don't thank me just yet," Depth Charge turned his attention back to Dinobot.

Just as Dinobot got up, a giant webbing surrounded him. Behind him was Blackarachnia, having tied him up with a lasso of webbing. She grabbed onto it along with Rattrap and Rhinox. All three of them started pulling.

"What fools these Maximals are," Dinobot muttered.

Without even using his arms, Dinobot stomped his foot into the ground and flung the two Maximals and Blackarachnia forward using only his upper body strength. Blackarachnia fell with a thud near Cheetor while Rattrap and Rhinox crashed to the ground near Optimus.

"So, any ideas how to stop him?" Depth Charge asked the group.

No one had an answer. Shaking his head, Depth Charge ran towards Dinobot and tackled him but Dinobot kicked the Maximal off instantly. Snarling, Dinobot blasted at him with an eye beam, missing narrowly as Depth Charge flew into the air and hurled his tail spear straight at the Predacon warrior.

Dinobot leaped out of the way, right into a circle of Maximals surrounding him. Before Dinobot could make his next move, a powerful freezing blast came out of nowhere, encasing his entire head in ice. He flailed around wildly, clawing at the ice.

From the forests emerged Tigatron and Airazor. They had now joined the fray.

The Maximals saw their chance. Optimus grabbed his mace and charged, smashing Dinobot across the back of the head with it, knocking the Predacon forward as all the ice was smashed to bits. Next up was Cheetor. He lunged at Dinobot, leaping up and drop-kicking him in the chest to knock the Predacon to the floor several feet away.

Angrily, Dinobot got back on both feet and roared. The odds had now changed with two additional Maximals. It had never been a fair fight to begin with but it was officially now eight on one. For some strange reason, Dinobot liked these new odds.

Before he could resume fighting, a call came in through his com-link.

"Dinobot, pull back," ordered Megatron.

"Why must I retreat?" asked Dinobot. "I can defeat them!"

"There is no need," explained Megatron through the com-link. "You've proven yourself. Now pull back."

"Affirmative," Dinobot finally conceded.

To the Maximals' surprise, Dinobot transformed to beast mode.

"We'll finish this later," he told them and ran off.

Tigatron and Airazor lowered their weapons. They were latecomers to the battle but judging from the injuries suffered by their teammates around them, they could tell that Dinobot had been quite formidable.

One thing in particular stood out like a sore thumb to them. The presence of Blackarachnia…

"What's she doing here?" demanded Airazor.

"She has assisted us!" Silverbolt said almost proudly.

"She's a Predacon!" Tigatron pointed out.

"Do not dare speak to her in such a manner!" Silverbolt growled at Tigatron.

"Silverbolt, what's with you?" demanded Optimus.

"No need to ask him," Depth Charge pointed out. "He and the spider are in a romantic liaison… have been for some time."

The rest of the Maximals, sans Cheetor, were visibly shocked.

"How did you know this?" demanded Silverbolt.

"They most didn't tell you since they knew the implications of what it would mean for the team if it was found out a Maximal was dating a Predacon femme," Depth Charge said to Optimus, ignoring Silverbolt.

"Is this true?" Optimus asked.

"Yes…" confessed Silverbolt. "We have been seeing each other."

"What?" cried Rattrap. "Are you outta your mind?"

"Be silent rodent!" Silverbolt cried. "Listen, if all of you would simply give Blackarachnia a chance—"

"A chance?" Airazor snorted. "_Fat chance_ on that one!"

"Hey! Who said I needed your approval!" Blackarachnia yelled at Airazor.

"I hate to be rude," Rhinox pointed out. "But Blackarachnia is a Predacon with a history of shooting at us."

For once in his life, Optimus seemed lost. He was good at being a field commander but inter-personal relationships were not his forte. Not knowing what to say, he stayed silent, hoping the issue would work itself out.

"Come on, I say we give her a chance," Cheetor protested. "She helped us against Dinobot!"

"No way!" Rattrap replied snidely. "A Pred is a Pred!"

"Hold that tongue still, Rattrap!" warned Silverbolt, "or you may find it removed permanently."

"Oh yeah, was 'dat a threat?" Rattrap turned to Silverbolt.

"Maybe it was!" Blackarachnia pointed her claw at Rattrap.

Finally, Depth Charge had had enough with the arguments. Primal was a good leader but he was a lousy relationship consultant. This was a situation which required a firm hand.

"Enough!" he shouted. Everyone went silent.

"It's clear to me Silverbolt's involved with the spider," Depth Charge told them. "I say we put it to the vote; anyone who wants to accept her to the team, stand over there with Cheetor. All those who don't, stand next to me."

Slowly, Rattrap went over to Depth Charge, followed up by Rhinox. Then Tigatron and Airazor went over to the Maximal hunter's side. Finally, Optimus sighed and went over there.

"I'm sorry Silverbolt," Primal said to the fuzor. "She may be made from Maximal parts but she is Predacon to the core."

"Hmph," Blackarachnia snorted. "There we go again with my Maximal heritage."

"I see," Silverbolt swallowed, accepting the decision. "In that case, I too am sorry. I must resign from the Maximal team if my beloved is not accepted."

"What?" Rattrap was shocked.

"Silverbolt, we voted not to allow Blackarachnia on the team," Optimus told him. "We didn't vote to kick you off!"

"I realize that," Silverbolt replied. "But in any case I must insist. If our relationship cannot be accepted by those who call themselves my friends, then I must tender my resignation and be on our way."

Silverbolt turned around and walked away, shortly followed up by Blackarachnia.

"Who needs you Maximals anyways!" she said, taking a parting shot at them.

"Yeah? And who needs an eight-legged freak like you!" Rattrap shouted back.

Optimus nudged Rattrap. "That's enough, Rattrap!"

"Well that went well!" Cheetor looked at his teammates disgustedly. "We could've had a new ally on our side and you had to burn bridges with her _and_ Silverbolt!"

"You wanna trust her?" Rattrap shot back. "There's no telling what she could do to us."

"Forget the fuzor and the arachnid," Depth Charge told them, taking out a small holographic projector.

He flipped it on, revealing a small laser-projected globe. Near the center of the North Pole was a large red "X."

"We've got bigger problems," he informed the Maximals.


	58. The Siege

Beast Wars: Symmetries

The Siege

"This was where his signal's at," Depth Charge told the Maximals who had come along.

Below them was the vast Arctic. Large chunks of glaciers floated all around. The land that lay across the ocean was largely a frozen zone. There was very little life to be found in such an area.

Cheetor, Optimus, Tigatron, and Depth Charge were the ones who had gone on this mission. They were following the signal that Depth Charge had found, allegedly that of Rampage's. Tigatron rode on Depth Charge's back while Cheetor and Optimus flew independently.

"How can it be Rampage this time?" Cheetor asked. "We both saw him die back on Cybertron."

"Yeah, well sometimes they just keep coming back," Depth Charge replied wearily.

"I see something down there," Optimus pointed out.

Beneath them was a cave. Incidentally it was also where Depth Charge had traced his signal to. The four Maximals flew down. Tigatron hopped off as Depth Charge transformed to robot mode along with the other two.

"He's here!" Depth Charge's furrows narrowed.

Without even consulting the other Maximals, Depth Charge rushed into the icy caverns.

"Depth Charge, wait!" shouted Optimus.

It was too late. Depth Charge had gone in. Sighing, Optimus signaled Cheetor and Tigatron to follow him.

By the time they had caught up with Depth Charge, they had entered into a large throne room, carved out from scratch. Above them were icy stalactites hanging from the roof of the frozen cave. Towards the very back of the large room was a throne room, carved entirely from ice.

On it sat a familiar face they had encountered before.

"Greetings my old friends," Rampage looked at the Maximals with amusement.

"So, you survived," Depth Charge took out his gun. "How?"

"Isn't it obvious by now?" asked Rampage. "My spark can survive anything, including death itself!"

"I saw in the news how sailors and cruise liners had gone missing in this area," Optimus pointed out. "You're responsible for that, aren't you?"

To the sides were several pieces of shrapnel metal torn out from the cruise liners, along with several oars and rudders taken from the hapless ships. Scattered along with the ship pieces were several bones, including over ten skulls.

"Whatever makes you think that?" Rampage asked innocently.

"Enough!" Depth Charge said loudly. "I don't care what your spark is made of. It ends today!"

"Then come at it!" Rampage beckoned.

Having had enough, Depth Charge opened fire. Rampage stood there, allowing both shots to strike him. Unscathed, Rampage leaped down, punching at all four of them. As the Maximals leaped aside, Rampage shattered the icy ground beneath them with one punch.

Leaping back into the fray, Depth Charge punched Rampage viciously across the face. Rampage took it with glee and backed away, allowing Depth Charge to get in closer. Falling for the trick, Depth Charge came in, punching and kicking at Rampage with a savage fury he had not felt for a long time. To say that Rampage brought out the worst in him would have been an understatement.

The following punch Rampage caught. He squeezed down on it, causing Depth Charge to scream in agony. With an open fist, he swung with his other hand, catching the Maximal right in the stomach. Before Depth Charge could recover, Rampage cupped both hands together, swinging them right into Depth Charge and sending the Maximal flying right into the stalactites. Depth Charge crashed right into them, smashing through several layers of the frozen stalactites before falling to the floor again.

As Tigatron and Cheetor fired upon Rampage, Optimus leaped up, smashing down at Rampage with his mace. Rampage saw it coming, though, and grabbed the mace with one hand. He swung, throwing Optimus right into Tigatron.

At seeing this, Cheetor realized he had to act.

Laughing maniacally Rampage fired at him next but Cheetor flipped across the air to avoid the blow. As he landed, he kicked the gun out of Protoform X's hand, followed up by a devastating punch across Rampage's jaw.

Rampage growled, punching back. Cheetor ducked under the punch and drove his left fist into the stomach of X. This made Rampage gasp. But such momentary pain would not stop him for long.

Tightening both hands into fists, Rampage struck back, catching Cheetor across the head and sending the young Maximal stumbling back from the blow.

Flipping around, Cheetor caught Rampage across the chin with a spinning wheel kick, the force of the blow causing Rampage to reel from his position.

Rampage struck back but this time he missed. Cheetor used the opportunity to launch several dozens of punches into his head and abdomen. If there was one thing Rampage was not yet accustomed to, it was Cheetor's newfound speed and agility.

The final blow landed in between Rampage's eyes, causing Rampage to shriek in pain. Clutching his face, the behemoth fell down to one knee.

Sensing an opportunity Cheetor leaped over Rampage to attack his backside, a bad error in judgment on his part. Rampage suddenly swung out with one hand, grabbing Cheetor by the tail. Holding on tightly, he spun Cheetor around and around, finally letting go and throwing the cat into a wall of ice. Cheetor's body hit the wall full force and fell down with a thud.

As Cheetor got up, Optimus and Tigatron were there to help him stand up.

"Are you alright, Cheetor?" asked Tigatron.

"Yeah thanks," Cheetor acknowledged.

"It'll take more than you Maximal filth to stop me!" Rampage stomped towards them, raised a fist threateningly.

The walk soon turned into a full frontal charge. Quickly, Cheetor, Optimus, and Tigatron leaped out of the way as Rampage smashed into the wall of ice, causing tremors to reverberate across the whole cave. Soon, a few stalactites fell down from the cavernous roofs from the tremors.

"At the rate we're going, this place is going to cave in!" Optimus told the group.

Depth Charge looked towards the floor which had been split open. Beneath it was cold Arctic sea water.

"I have an idea," he went up to Tigatron and pointed to his gun. "Mind if I borrow it?"

"What for?" asked Tigatron.

"You'll see," Depth Charge promised.

Tigatron saw no other option. If they didn't do something fast, Rampage could bring down the cave on them all. Quickly, he handed his gun to Depth Charge.

Depth Charge put the gun away into his compartments and transformed to beast mode, flying up.

As Rampage closed in on the three Maximals below, Depth Charge used his wings to cut off several stalactites from the ceiling, causing them to fall down, impaling the ground near Rampage into a large circular position.

Rampage looked at the multiples stalactites surrounding him.

"If you think this'll stop me, then you've gotten sloppy," Rampage said to Depth Charge mockingly.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Rampage started to crack.

"What's this?" Rampage snarled.

Depth Charge transformed back to robot mode and dove down, smashing into Rampage and sending both of them plummeting into the sub-zero waters below. Only the fact that they were both water-based Transformers managed to save them from shorting out.

"You're as tricky as ever!" Rampage praised.

"Coming from you, that means everything," Depth Charge grimaced in disgust.

"I'm giving you a compliment," Rampage offered as graciously as he could. "Take it or leave it!"

"I'll leave it," Depth Charge took out his two missile launchers and began firing.

Rampage swam towards Depth Charge, batting aside all the shots which were fired at him. The behemoth lunged at Depth Charge who quickly dove underneath him.

Rampage attacked again, speeding towards him with the speed of a blue shark. Depth Charge dodged Rampage once more. Again and again, Depth Charge swam out of Rampage's reach every time the monster came close.

"What do you think you're doing?" demanded Rampage. "We're fighting a mortal duel to the finish, not playing tag!"

It was at that moment that Depth Charge took out Tigatron's gun and set its ice blast to full charge.

"You're it," he told Rampage callously and fired.

By the time it was over, Protoform X had been frozen in a large glacier chunk. Soon, because of its buoyancy, the frozen Rampage floated to the top for the three other Maximals to see.

Depth Charge also rose to the top, admiring his own handiwork.

"Now that's what I call a crab-sicle!" quipped Cheetor.

* * *

Taking the frozen Rampage back to base had been troublesome but worth it. Now the crab was out of commission, there was no telling how many more lives they had saved.

"Nice work," Rhinox studied the graphs closely. "When he was frozen, most of his circuits and joints had been submerged in water. This should hold him for a while."

"The only question left is what to do with him," Optimus looked towards the holding cell which contained Rampage.

Still frozen in a giant chunk of ice, the room Rampage was in had been reduced to a sub-zero temperature to be able to hold him.

"I say we pull the plug on him permanently," said Depth Charge.

"We can't just do that!" protested Optimus. "There has to be a way of solving this without killing in cold blood!"

"Tell that to all his victims," Depth Charge crossed both arms.

Optimus sighed. He knew Depth Charge had a point, no matter how ruthless it might be.

Before the discussion could continue, Depth Charge noticed a signal going off on his wrist-band. It was another sighting, this time of Dinobot.

"I've got a lock on Dinobot," Depth Charge announced. "I don't know how or when he came to share X's spark, but I'm going to drag his carcass back."

"Need any help?" asked Cheetor.

"No, I'm going alone," Depth Charge told the group. "By the time I come back, you'd better have come to the right decision on dealing with Rampage."

As soon as Depth Charge had left, Optimus beckoned to Rattrap for assistance.

"Go with him," Optimus told Rattrap. "Just in case."

"Why do I gotta go?" asked Rattrap. "I ain't babysittin' that overgrown mackerel!"

"You've teamed up with him more than any of us," Optimus explained. "You might be the only one who can get through to him."

"Fine, fine," Rattrap agreed reluctantly.

"Besides, Dinobot's dangerous," Rhinox reminded the smaller Maximal. "Depth Charge might need all the help he can get."

Without another word, Rattrap transformed to vehicle mode and drove off.

"So…" asked Airazor, bringing the discussion back to its first focus, "what'll we do with Rampage?"

None of them had the answer to that.

* * *

"Ah, Dinobot," Megatron remarked. "Right on time!"

The entire Predacon team had gathered in the open to discuss their plans. Situated near a volcanic area, the area was drab, gray, and dusty. Overall, it was nothing too out of the ordinary for a Predacon meeting.

Beneath them, rivers of magma flowed from the volcano from high above.

"Dinobot, reporting for duty," Dinobot bowed as four of his clones followed him closely from behind.

Dinobot stood next to Obsidian and Strika as both generals shot him a dirty glance. They did not particularly enjoy having to serve under him. Something about Dinobot's personality was off to them. He was far too honest for their liking. The fact that he would serve Megatron loyally and conduct himself with so much honor was a bit nauseating to them.

"I gather you here today Predacon," Megatron told them, "because now is the time to reveal ourselves! Today is the day the Maximals know that I live once more!"

"Of course my liege," Obsidian praised, "would you suggest a full-frontal assault on their base?"

"Absolutely!" Megatron gleamed. "Nothing would give me more pleasure than to destroy them with my bare hands!"

"Before we go in with all guns blazing, might I suggest something?" Tarantulas raised a hand.

Megatron turned to the treacherous Predacon arachnid who had plotted behind his back so many times before. He had the audacity to suggest something to a far more powerful Predacon who could crush him like the bug he was?

Strangely enough, that was what he admired about Tarantulas, the spider's willingness to be so daring and honest with him.

"Speak, lieutenant," beckoned Megatron.

"With the forces we have now, we could easily destroy them in one fell swoop," Tarantulas explained, "but wouldn't it be more fun to drag this out slowly? What I suggest is two waves of attacks. The first shall come from the clone armies. The second shall be carried out by us."

"An interesting suggestion," Megatron noted. "Your way of thinking always puts pleasure before business, yes."

"Such a plan would require that we allow the Maximals to be weakened from a first wave of attacks," Obsidian noted. "It would weaken them considerably simply with a first strike."

"That's the point genius," Tarantulas told Obsidian sarcastically.

"Enough!" Megatron told them. "We carry this plan out as soon as possible! Where is the Dinobot army?"

The cyborg scientist Dr. Drake stepped out from behind Dinobot to present himself.

"Are the clones ready?" asked Megatron.

"They are," Dr. Drake nodded. "As you can see clearly, they are primed and ready for battle!"

Megatron looked down towards the area beneath them. Before them were over hundreds of Dinobot clones, each heavily armed and eager for war.

"Yes, magnificent!" Megatron commented. "However, only a few clones shall suffice for today."

* * *

"I can't believe this," Depth Charge looked down upon the Predacons with his binoculars.

The entire time he had been observing the speech. Not only was Dinobot still on the prowl, Megatron now lived!

"Gotta head back and warn the others," Depth Charge turned around, only to bump into Rattrap.

"How long have you been there?" demanded Depth Charge.

"Long enough," Rattrap replied. "I came to keep an eye on ya."

"Sorry, but I don't need a caretaker," Depth Charge sneered.

"Well you may need to soon enough," Rattrap told him. "What're you doing comin' here alone? Do you wanna get scrapped by the entire Pred base?"

"I was following Dinobot's lead," Depth Charge informed the smaller Maximal. "He led me to this place."

"Yeah, and looks like Dinobot has some newer, nastier friends," Rattrap observed.

"You've been watching too?" asked Depth Charge.

"Yeah, been keeping an eye out on them a few minutes ago just like you," Rattrap told them. "Looks like ol' Megs is still alive after all."

"Halt!" a voice behind them shouted.

"Oh slag," Rattrap gulped.

Two of the Dinobot clones had just discovered them.

"Surrender!" one of them growled.

"Master," the other clone spoke into his com-link. "We have intruders!"

"Take them down!" Depth Charge shouted.

Rattrap charged at one of them, tackling right into them. He did not take the clone down, however, as the Dinobot clone merely grabbed him by the wrist and flung him into the wall.

Depth Charge had more success, being the larger and stronger 'bot of the two. He smashed his fist across the Dinobot clone's head. Again and again he punched the Dinobot, finally kicking the clone off the mountain.

The clone Rattrap was fighting stabbed down at the Maximal rodent again and again with his sword. Each time, Rattrap rolled out of the way. Finally, Rattrap kicked him in the abdomen with both feet, sending him crashing back.

Depth Charge was behind him instantly, swatting the Dinobot clone down the mountain path with one swing of his metal wing.

As Rattrap looked down below, he saw Megatron and Obsidian flying up towards where they were at.

"Yo DC!" Rattrap shouted. "Let's get outta here!"

"We'll need a distraction," Depth Charge told him.

"Way ahead of ya," Rattrap pulled out two belly bombs.

* * *

"So, which two Maximals have come to face their doom?" Megatron mused aloud.

From his vantage point, he saw two Dinobot clones tumbling down the mountain. He was tracing a Maximal signature which came from the top of the mountain.

"They should be behind those rocks," Obsidian pointed out.

The two flew in for a closer look.

Behind the two pillars were a pair of bombs planted on there, giving off the Maximal energy signatures.

"Uh oh," Obsidian's eyes widened.

Obsidian flew away as fast as he could. In a mere few seconds, the bombs went off, engulfing Megatron in the explosion.

Once the smoke blew away, Megatron floated in the air unflinchingly. Obsidian looked at him closely, noting how no harm had been done to him.

"Sir, are you alright?" he asked.

"So, the Maximal want to play it this way?" Megatron grinned.

* * *

"Hang in there," Depth Charge told Rattrap. "We're almost there!"

Racing back to the Maximal base as fast as possible, Depth Charge took Rattrap with him, bringing bad news along for the ride. Megatron was now alive again and he had a new army with him, this one much larger than before.

Both of them were confused. Megatron had been gone for nearly a year already and now he had come back? Where had he been the entire time?

Suddenly, a missile from below struck Depth Charge near the side of his wing.

"Agh!" shouted Depth Charge as the missile exploded against his side.

It was then that his engines gave out and he began plummeting with Rattrap.

"Slag!" Depth Charge growled. "We're going down"

"Oh man!" cried Rattrap. "We're all gonna die!"

"Not yet!" Depth Charge told Rattrap. "Hang on tight!"

Now all that remained was only one more engine for flight. Normally he would have required two simply for maneuvering but now he didn't have the luxury of that option anymore. Their situation required drastic action.

Depth Charge transformed to robot mode in mid-air and grabbed Rattrap with one arm.

"You crazy?" demanded Rattrap. "What're you doing?"

The blue Maximal ignored Rattrap's protests. Internally, he rerouted all his circuitry towards his remaining jet.

"Computer, all remaining power to flight engine!" ordered Depth Charge.

They were now several feet away from hitting the forest floor. Before they could hit rock bottom, Depth Charge's rerouting successfully sprang to life, giving his remaining jet pack a much needed boost. Holding onto Rattrap tightly, Depth Charge felt himself crashing through several layers of trees, shrubs, and rocks.

By the time it was over, he let go of Rattrap.

"Whew, 'dat was a bumpy ride!" declared Rattrap. "You okay?"

"Peachy," Depth Charge replied, trying his best to ignore the pain.

Without warning, two sai's flew from the air and caught Rattrap by both hands, pinning him against a pine tree. As Depth Charge took notice, a large metal chain wrapped itself around his neck, pulling at him.

"They've found us!" Depth Charge realized.

The clone who had thrown the sai appeared in front of Rattrap, grabbing him and holding him down.

From behind the blue Maximal, one of the Dinobot clones appeared and struck his leg with a power staff. Depth Charge screamed in pain and sank down to one knee. The clone with the chain weapon saw his opportunity and pulled down on Depth Charge's neck even harder.

"Full power to central core!" shouted Depth Charge, diverting what remaining power he had left from his jet engines to his primary weapon.

From Depth Charge's chest erupted a power disc. The energy disc immediately cut through that Dinobot's chains and struck the clone, sending him flying back.

As Depth Charge got up, two other clones launched themselves into the air and kicked him from behind, causing him to stumble forward.

Depth Charge turned around to retaliate but one of the clones spun around with his bo staff, striking Depth Charge in the mid-section. As the blue Maximal keeled over, the other Dinobot clone, this one possessing a sword, flew up, kneeing Depth Charge in the face.

The guardian's head snapped back. Depth Charge did not have enough time to process all that pain. He struck back, backhanding the sword-wielding clone aside with one powerful blow.

The sai-wielder, however, let go of Rattrap and somersaulted over Depth Charge, slashing at him with both weapons.

Immediately, Depth Charge raised a wing to block the attack.

Rattrap took it upon himself to attack the clones, slamming into one of them. The clone holding the staff stumbled to the side briefly. Smiling viciously, he swung his weapon to the side and thrust it forward, smashing the full force of his bo into Rattrap's stomach.

As Rattrap slid down, the clone grabbed him and held him up.

"Pathetic vermin!" he growled.

Just then, an enormous fist pummeled him across the face. Rhinox attacked him relentlessly, finally grabbing him and hurling him into a tree.

Just before the other Dinobot clone could attack Depth Charge again, Optimus came in, slamming his surfboard right into the clone's chest, sending him flying back.

Cheetor was next, flipping over the two other clones and smashing their heads together to take them down.

Rhinox helped Rattrap up.

"Are you two okay?" asked Optimus.

"I'll be alright," panted Rattrap. "But Depth Charge needs some CR help."

"Agreed," Optimus noted. "Let's get back to base.

As soon as the Maximals left, Dinobot himself emerged from the trees, having watched the whole thing. He helped the leader of the clones up.

"Excellent work," he praised the clone.

"Thank you," Dinobot Alpha replied, holding his sword tightly.

Though the clones were weaker than himself, they could still be amazing warriors when they fought side by side. When hunting in packs, they were every bit as deadly as the velociraptors whom their beast modes were based off of. They would strike at an enemy's weakness without hesitation and fight to win no matter what, even if it involved taking down larger prey.

"Now the Maximals will head back to their base," Dinobot analyzed. "Now that they are together, it will be easier for us to neutralize all of them."

* * *

"So, the Maximals have decided to go inside," Megatron cooed. "But they'll have to come out and face me sooner or later."

He and his entire Predacon team stood on a cliff, watching the Maximals enter into the cave where the Axalon was being held.

"What is our strategy for the battle?" asked Jetstorm.

"You and the other fliers take Airazor, and quite possible Cheetor," Megatron ordered. "As for Tankorr and Strika, you shall take Rhinox. The rest of them are fair game."

"Sir, what about Optimus?" asked Strika.

"Leave him to me," Megatron told them. "He is mine."

At that moment, Dinobot joined them.

"Good of you to join us, Dinobot," Megatron smiled, taking out his chrono-meter to see the remaining time. "Only a few short cycles left before the siege begins!"

* * *

"Ugh…" Depth Charge groaned as Optimus and Rhinox held him steadily.

"Easy there Depth Charge," Optimus told him. "We'll have you in the CR chamber soon enough."

Rhinox briefly let go of Depth Charge to open up the chamber's doors. The two Maximals then helped Depth Charge enter into it. They closed the hatch and turned the machine on to begin the process of healing. The manta-bot's injuries were only minor, meaning that they would be healed in only a matter of minutes.

"Rattrap, what happened out there?" asked Optimus.

"Oh man, it's bad I tell ya!" Rattrap cried. "Megatron's back!"

Airazor gasped. "He's back?"

"Are you sure about that?" asked Rhinox.

"I ain't kiddin' you!" insisted Rattrap. "Both DC and I saw Megatron while on patrol! He's gathered a new Pred army and he's on his way here!"

"If that's true, then we need shields on full alert!" Tigatron nodded.

"Agreed," said Optimus. "Rhinox, you set up the guns around the perimeters!"

"Got it!" Rhinox went off quickly.

"Rattrap, I know it's been a while since we've last seen Megatron," inquired Optimus. "What was he like now?"

"Hoo boy, he was bigger and nastier!" Rattrap replied. "He got a new beast mode too! A dragon I think!"

"This isn't good…" Optimus shook his head, knowing that the return of Megatron could only signal danger of the worst kind.

"What'll we be expecting next?" asked Airazor.

"The worst…" Optimus replied solemnly.

* * *

"Predacons attack!" ordered Megatron.

Immediately, Jetstorm, Waspinator, and Terrorsaur flew down towards the valley.

From the rocks, several defensive guns appeared, firing at them from below. Skillfully, Jetstorm avoided all the shots, flying down and destroying several with his razor-sharp wings. Soon afterward he was followed up by Terrorsaur and Waspinator who used their own pistols to shoot down a few more of the guns.

"Come out, come out wherever you are!" Jetstorm shrieked, flying across the air.

"Yes, Maximals come out and fight!" Waspinator shouted.

Seeing how the defenses had been taken down, Megatron beckoned for his remaining troops to follow him.

"Let the ransacking begin!" shouted Megatron.

* * *

"By the Matrix!" Optimus stared in shock. "It is Megatron!"

The monitor did not lie. The image of Megatron's face was frozen on top of the large red Transformer leading the Predacon forces. How he came back was a mystery but just his very presence was enough to stir consternation in the Maximal leader.

"Come out and face me, Primal!" Megatron shouted, firing several flames from the dragon cannon which stood in place of his left hand.

"What do we do now?" Rhinox asked gravely.

"There's only one thing we can do," Optimus replied softly. "Stand and fight."

"Look at 'em!" Rattrap pointed out. "You see how many more of 'em there are than us! 'Dis is suicide!"

"If I don't go out there, they'll come in and destroy us all!" Optimus pointed out. "I'm going out there!"

Though the Maximals did not relish in what they were about to do, they slowly followed Optimus to what appeared to be certain doom.

"Hello Maximals," Megatron said smoothly at the sight of the Maximals. "My, how you've grown."

He was referring to Cheetor specifically. They young Maximal winced at the comment. He remembered all too well what Megatron had put him through in the past.

"Nice of you to come and face your doom," Ravage brandished both nightsticks menacingly.

"What do you want Megatron?" demanded Optimus. "And how is it you came back?"

"It's a long and drab story," Megatron responded with a flicker of his tail. "Nothing of the interesting sort to entertain you… all you need to know is that I'm back, and better than ever!"

"Not 'ta mention uglier," Rattrap joked.

"What was that, vermin?" demanded Megatron.

"Your beast mode has changed," Optimus pointed out. "But you're still the same old Megatron as ever, always ready to fly off at the slightest provocation."

That was the last straw for Megatron. Having to listen to Primal point out his shortcomings was never something he liked doing.

"Predacons, attack!" he ordered.

Jetstorm and the other two fliers were the first to swoop in. Airazor flew into the air, firing at them. One of the shots struck Waspinator and took him out of commission. Terrorsaur and Jetstorm swirled around each other in a screw-like formation, dodging her shots.

Terrorsaur took out his rifle, blasting Airazor in the chest. Injured, Airazor was knocked almost out of position. She caught herself from falling and watched as Terrorsaur closed in on her.

Out of the blue, Cheetor, in beast mode, slammed into Terrorsaur and knocked him straight to the ground.

"Think you can take care of Jetstorm?" he asked. "I gotta help the others down there!"

"Don't worry about me," she told him. "Go help the others."

Cheetor nodded and flew back down to the ground where the site of a fierce battle was taking place. Airazor looked at Jetstorm, the new aerial Predacon Megatron had gained as a follower.

"Don't think I'm going to play nicely just 'cause you're a lady," Jetstorm warned her.

"Wouldn't have it any other way!" Airazor replied and attacked.

Down on the ground, the Predacons had the overwhelming force. Optimus ducked underneath a massive punch from Megatron which split open a rock next to him.

"Don't think this will be like old times where you save the day at the last second," Megatron warned. "I've become far more powerful than you can imagine!"

Megatron transformed to beast mode. Now a malevolent red dragon, he bit down at Optimus with his powerful incisors. Optimus grabbed his gun, firing a round at Megatron. Seeing how that had no effect, Optimus pulled out his missile launchers, firing multiple salvos at Megatron.

The Predacon leader laughed off the shots, grabbing Optimus by the waist with the gripping claws on his tail. He threw Optimus directly into the air with so much force that Optimus had to flip around and activate his rocket boosters to prevent himself from flying any higher into the air.

Megatron opened his jaws, unleashing a massive burst of flames at him. Immediately, Optimus avoided the flames and flew down to engage his enemy once more.

Rhinox, in the meantime, was struggling against the combined might of both Tankorr and Strika. First, Tankorr, struck him across the jaw, causing him to stumble forward. Then Strika connected

across his face with her vicious left hook, nearly taking his head off. Rhinox nearly fell down to the ground but caught himself, panting exhaustively.

"Not half bad," Strika complimented. "Tankorr, will you do the honors?"

Tankorr aimed his arm cannon at Rhinox and fired. Luckily, Rhinox dodged the blast just in time, only for Strika to punch him again. This time, Rhinox was sent staggering towards Tankorr. Using the momentum from Strika's punch, Rhinox cupped both hands together and smashed them across Tankorr's chin, knocking down the much larger robot. Just as he did, however, Strika threw a pulse grenade right into his back. The grenade exploded, sending Rhinox crashing through the ground.

In the meantime, Tigatron was having a difficult time against Ravage. The Predacon panther disappeared into thin air just as Tigatron shot him.

"How can you shoot what you cannot see?" asked Ravage.

Tigatron had only one option left, rely on his animal senses to guide him. He sniffed the air around him, detecting a faint but unmistakable movement. Suddenly, he grabbed Ravage, who just happened to be behind him, and threw him to the ground. Ravage's body turned corporeal again.

Before Tigatron could shoot Ravage, Dinobot leaped behind him and knocked Tigatron across the floor with a roundhouse kick across the side. As Tigatron held his side in pain, Dinobot leaped on top of him and raised his hand. Just as Dinobot was about to strike down, Cheetor rammed into him and knocked him away.

"Rematch time!" Cheetor growled, cracking his knuckles.

Cheetor attacked first, swiping at Dinobot with his own claws. Dinobot swerved to the right to avoid it, then to the left to dodge the follow up. Cheetor kicked at the Predacon who blocked it instantly. Then Cheetor punched at Dinobot who stopped it with his forearm. The Maximal swung again, only for Dinobot to catch it. Dinobot threw Cheetor's fist down and kicked the cat in the stomach. Cheetor growled in pain. Dinobot hit him right where he was vulnerable.

Attempting to fight against the pain, Cheetor leaped up again, nearly catching Dinobot off guard with a leaping spin kick. Dinobot ducked underneath it but Cheetor swung at him with a backfist. Dinobot countered with his own, catching Cheetor's. His own hand gripped onto Cheetor's arm, holding it down. With his other hand, he balled it into a fist, pummeling Cheetor across the head both times. Finally, he stopped and twisted Cheetor's arm behind his back.

As Cheetor and Dinobot were engaged in their pitched battle, Rattrap struggled just to maintain his posture against Thrust. Again and again Thrust fired at him while Rattrap ran. He leaped behind some rocks and fired back. From behind Rattrap, however, Obsidian appeared.

"You're a feisty one," he told Rattrap.

Rattrap turned around, attempting to shoot Obsidian but the Cybertronian General disarmed Rattrap with one strike to his shoulder. In pain, Rattrap gripped his arm.

"Oh, it gets worse than that," Obsidian grabbed Rattrap by the neck.

In the air, Airazor was not doing too well. Shot after shot Jetstorm rained on her. She attempted to fire back in her wounded state, only for Jetstorm to whirl past the missiles. He transformed to vehicle mode and flew towards her. On target, his wing struck her mid-section, knocking her out of the air. Airazor fell down, crashing into the ground.

"Airazor!" shouted Tigatron.

Strika cupped both hands behind Tigatron, striking him down with a powerful blow. At the same time, Megatron transformed to beast mode and struck Optimus with his tail, sending Optimus skidding across the ground. By the time Optimus got up, Megatron stood in front of him, standing much taller than before. Not wanting to give Megatron the satisfaction, Optimus grabbed his mace and flew up, striking Megatron across the face with it. Not even fazed by the blow, Megatron smiled. With a single punch, he sent Optimus flying through several stone pillars.

Dinobot leaped over Cheetor, who was now showing visible signs of frustration at not being able to land a single blow.

From behind, Dinobot grabbed Cheetor by the neck, placing him in a chokehold. In front of Cheetor, Tarantulas appeared, having just appeared in vehicle mode. He transformed to robot mode and fired three darts into Cheetor's chest, unleashing a strong dose of cyber-venom. In horror, Cheetor howled like a wild beast. Dinobot let go of Cheetor who immediately turned around and struck at him. Now, however, Cheetor's systems had been slowed down by the effects of the venom. Dinobot easily step-sided a punch as Cheetor fell to the ground, passing out from the viral contagions released in his body.

"Excellent work, lieutenant," Dinobot said to Tarantulas.

"It was nothing," Tarantulas shrugged.

As Optimus looked upwards, Megatron was before him, pointing his dragon cannon at him.

"Now it's over, Primal," Megatron told him malignly.

Before Megatron could fire, a yellow energy disc hit him on the shoulder. It did no harm to Megatron but made the tyrant take notice.

"You again," he glared at Depth Charge.

"Depth Charge!" Optimus cried.

Now fully healed, Depth Charge flew towards Megatron, taking out his cyber-shark gun and firing at the dragon. The shot exploded against Megatron's chest, causing no damage.

Megatron leaped into the air, landing right in front of Depth Charge. The blue Maximal threw a punch which Megatron tilted his head to avoid easily. With his right hand, Megatron drove his fist right into Depth Charge's stomach.

"Ack!" Depth Charge coiled over, nearly coughing up mech fluid.

Sensing that the situation he had gotten himself in was exceedingly dangerous, Depth Charge flew into the air after activating his jets. He fired down at Megatron who simply ignored the shots. Missile after missile hit Megatron who showed no sign of slowing down. Finally, Megatron slammed into Depth Charge, grabbing him by the head with the jaws of his dragon cannon. He flew down, viciously dashing and grinding one half of Depth Charge's face against the side of the mountain with full force.

"Aaaaaahhh!" screamed Depth Charge.

Finally Megatron let go of Depth Charge, throwing him to the ground. Depth Charge finally mounted himself up on both knees. One side of his face had been completely mauled from Megatron's ferocious attack.

"That wasn't enough, was it?" Megatron asked. Again the tyrant attacked.

This time Megatron knocked Depth Charge over with one blow. As Depth Charge hit the ground, Megatron leaped on top of him, grounding him. Then with both hands, he struck down again and again, pounding the Maximal guardian. At some point, Megatron became aware that Depth Charge was no longer conscious.

Sensing the danger Depth Charge was in, Optimus rushed forth to help. However, Scorponok fired a direct shot meant just for Primal. A cyber-bee erupted from his claws and struck Optimus in the chest, knocking him down. Immediately, it pumped its toxins into Optimus.

"Aaagh!" shouted Optimus.

"Consider this an early birthday present!" Scorponok taunted.

Megatron smiled and walked towards Optimus. The Maximal leader got up, looking at his nemesis in the optics. Something had changed. A sense of fear gnawed his at his stomach. The very sight of Megatron was too horrid to look at. He was now trembling to the point that he couldn't even lift a hand to defend himself. Something was wrong, and it was not just the fact that they were losing the battle.

Optimus looked around. The situation was getting worse. All of his friends lay there in a heap, surrounded by the victorious Predacons. Even Cheetor and Depth Charge were down. Without

warning, Megatron struck out, kicking Optimus across the grass. By the time Optimus had landed, the Predacon dragon was on top of him again.

Megatron grabbed Optimus with his tail. With one powerful crunch, he broke Optimus Primal's waist.

"Raaaaagh!" screamed Optimus.

Megatron was not done yet. His tail struck down again, breaking Optimus Primal's leg with a single blow.

"Yaaaaargh!" Optimus howled.

"Ah, if I could only hear such agonized screams from you on a more regular basis," Megatron lamented. "It would put me to sleep so much easier every night."

This time Megatron lifted Optimus up and slammed him into the ground forcefully. He leaped into the air and came down, smashing Primal's body into a crater with one stomp. At this point, Optimus had also entered into stasis lock.

Megatron transformed back to beast mode and leaned down, getting close to Optimus.

"Savor this defeat Maximal," Megatron whispered to Primal. "Know that I hold the power of life and death over you. I will spare your pitiful lives for the moment, to let you know that the Beast Wars have already been won! Henceforth, live and forever tremble in fear at the mere mention of Megatron, Emperor of Destruction and Dread Lord of all Predacons!"

The Predacon commander turned to his troops, signaling to them to leave.

"Predacons! With me!"

As Megatron flew away, the rest of the Predacons followed him. Dinobot glanced briefly towards the defeated Maximals.

"You fought bravely," he said to them softly. "For that I salute you."

Giving them a brief gesture of respect, Dinobot transformed to beast mode and bounded off.

* * *

After what seemed like days, Optimus finally woke up. The lid to the CR chamber opened up as he stumbled out awkwardly.

The only Maximal there was Rattrap.

"You… alright?" asked Rattrap.

"How long was I out?" asked Optimus.

"Well," explained Rattrap. "After 'dat battle, I was the only Maximal who was still conscious. Cheetor recovered on his own after a while but all 'da others are in stasis lock."

"Hey Optimus," Cheetor waved, clutching his side. "It may take me a day or two more to really get better. We all took a pounding out there. Next time I see Dinobot, I'm really going to give him a piece of my mind!"

Optimus looked at his own hands. Physically he was now healed but mentally and psychologically, the scars from that battle against Megatron were still there. There was no use trying to hide it; the battle had broken his spirit.

"I… I'm sorry," Optimus finally broke down.

"For what?" asked Cheetor.

The brutal beating Megatron had inflicted upon him was still fresh in Primal's mind. The fear in his head was growing more and more.

"It was my fault…" Optimus said shakily. "I shouldn't have let all of you go out there with me."

"You okay there, Optimus?" asked Rattrap.

"Now I know the truth," Optimus shuddered. "We can't fight the Predacons anymore."

Both Cheetor and Rattrap gasped.

"Optimus, what're you saying?" cried Cheetor.

"This is the end!" Optimus turned around, a frantic look of fear crossing his face. "The Beast Wars are over! We lost!"


	59. Timelines

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Timelines_

"Hey, we're here!" Jack ran into the room with his sister Luna.

By now, the siblings were much older. In the years the Maximals had known the pair, they had grown and matured physically. Then again, humans did age faster than Transformers. At this point, both of them were beginning their freshman year of college.

"Jack!" Cheetor high-fived the young man. "How's it going, bud?"

"Great!" Jack answered. "I noticed everything outside was a bit ruffled up."

"Yes," Optimus gave a weak smile. "I'm afraid you caught us at a bad time."

"What happened?" asked Luna.

"Well, while you kids weren't here, ol' Megs came back and trashed 'da place," explained Rattrap.

Luna and Jack looked at each other, grimacing.

"Megatron?" asked Luna. "But I thought he was gone."

"Not anymore he ain't," Rattrap shook his head. "He's back and meaner than ever…"

"Speaking of which, where are the others?" Jack inquired.

Cheetor and Optimus glanced at each other uneasily.

"Most of them are still recovering in the CR chambers," admitted Optimus. "Megatron's attack took us all by surprise."

"Ouch, sounds bad," Luna frowned.

"Yeah, sorry we're kinda gloomy right now," Cheetor told the kids. "It's just that now's not exactly the best time for us."

"Warning!" the computer swiftly blared up. "Energy disruptions sensed in Sector Fifty Four!"

Rattrap turned on the monitor screen, looking up where it came from.

"Oh for cryin' out loud…" Rattrap groaned. "Of all 'da lousy timing!"

"We don't have a choice," said Cheetor. "We have to investigate this. Isn't that right, Optimus?"

"Umm… y-yes!" stammered Optimus. "Of course!"

Cheetor and Rattrap were both taken off guard by Primal's answer. Since when did their fearless leader become so indecisive?

* * *

"Look down there!" Cheetor pointed with one claw. "It's Sentinel!"

High above the Cliffside, the three Maximals and two human teenagers watched as Sentinel, in a tank-like body, worked on some sort of device.

In his new body, Sentinel sported a spiked helmet. The upper part of his body was android-like in appearance while his bottom portion was connected to a tank-like structure holding him firmly to the ground.

"What is he doing?" asked Cheetor.

"Whatever it is, we ain't gonna let him succeed!" Rattrap took out his gun.

"Optimus?" asked Luna.

For a moment, it seemed that Optimus wanted no part of this.

"Something wrong, big guy?" asked Jack.

"Um, no!" Optimus replied. "Of course not!"

"You kids stay here," Cheetor told Jack and Luna. "We'll handle Sentinel!"

Cheetor and Rattrap raced down, with Optimus following up shortly behind.

"At last!" Sentinel declared. "It is almost complete! All I need now is a test subject!"

"Whatcha' got there, Sentinel?" asked Rattrap as he and Cheetor appeared, transforming to robot mode.

"Another new toy for us to play with?" Cheetor cocked his gun.

"Ah, just what I needed!" Sentinel told them. "Experimental subjects with which to test the ability of my time machine!"

"That thing's a time machine?" asked Cheetor. "I don't believe you!"

"Not even 'da best scientists on Cybertron could create one!" Rattrap added. "How is it 'dat you could build it?"

"That… is one secret I shall not divulge," Sentinel told them. "The secrets of time and space will shortly be within my grasp."

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Cheetor growled.

In response, Sentinel pointed his arm-cannon at them and fired. Cheetor and Rattrap leaped to the side but Optimus rolled forward to avoid the shot. He soon came face to face with Sentinel who had his weapon trained on the Maximal commander. Then Optimus did the unthinkable.

"Please don't!" Optimus pleaded. "Don't shoot me!"

Sentinel was thoroughly confused, as were Cheetor and Rattrap. Optimus Primal… begging for his life?

"I'll do anything you want!" Optimus insisted, pleading with both hands.

Finally, Sentinel's time machine hummed to life. An energy portal materialized around its edges.

"Anything?" Sentinel grabbed Optimus by the neck. "I'm grateful you decided to volunteer!"

With that, Sentinel threw Optimus right into the portal. Optimus Primal's body disappeared into the vortex, which soon vanished into thin air.

"No!" shouted Cheetor.

"If all works out fine, he should be sent to a place in time where you'll never reach him," Sentinel explained, ignoring the look of absolute fury on Cheetor's face.

Cheetor stretched out his claws. "You want to talk about evolution, Sentinel? _Evolve this!_"

* * *

After what seemed like hours and days, Optimus fell down, this time on something which felt like cold, hard ground.

"W-Where am I?" he looked up.

There were trees and buildings all around him. It was a world unlike anything he had ever seen before. Humans and Transformers walked side by side while the sun shone brightly from above; the trees and plants were also brimming with life and not just organic life, they were filled with microscopic nanites. In a word, everything here was _techno-organic_.

Down the streets were radiant temples, gymnasiums, schools, administrative centers, and universities. All this Optimus could see in one glance from the building he stood atop of.

Suddenly, two ninja stars struck the ground near his feet, causing Optimus to fall down in absolute shock.

"W-Who's there?" he demanded shakily.

"Who are you?" demanded a tall purple 'bot. He was a lanky fellow with what appeared to be the beast mode of some bird of prey; the armor he wore resembled that of a ninja or samurai from feudal Japan.

"I… I'm Optimus," Optimus managed to say. "Optimus Primal."

"Optimus Primal?" a younger robot stepped forward. "_The_ Optimus Primal?"

"Don't be ridiculous Nightscream," the purple 'bot told the bat-like Transformer. "There's no possible way he could be the original Primal."

"Do not be so sure Silverbolt," the female Transformer next to him spoke. "Things are not always as they seem."

"The notion that this stranger is Optimus Primal seems too unbelievable to me, Botanica," Silverbolt replied.

This particular femme-bot spoke with an Eastern European accent. Her form was hard to make out but it was most definitely not a beast mode. In fact, it almost resembled that of a plant.

"You're Silverbolt?" Optimus asked. "But you sound so different?"

"Of course I'm Silverbolt," Silverbolt replied, taking out two feather daggers. "But whether or not you're the original Optimus Primal is yet to be seen."

"Um, what he means is that we'd like for you to come with us," Nightscream explained, attempting to peacefully resolve the issue.

"We don't have all day!" Silverbolt pushed Optimus from behind. "Get moving!"

* * *

Being as stunned as he was from this strange trip, Optimus could do or say nothing as the three Transformers laid him down on a bed for scanning. After the tests were done, a larger green robot with an energon staff came out to address the issue.

"This stranger here claimed that he was Optimus Primal," Silverbolt told his superior. "What do the test results say?"

"Hmm," Epsilon Primal rubbed his chin. "According to these results, this 'bot you have before you is indeed the original Optimus Primal!"

"How can that be?" asked Nightscream.

"I… I think I know," Optimus told them. "In a battle with Sentinel, I was thrown into a portal, which sent me to this time."

"Yes," Epsilon nodded. "You have been sent one millennium into the future!"

Optimus looked at the being who called himself Silverbolt. "You're not really Silverbolt, are you?"

"If you're referring to the original Silverbolt from your time, then no," Silverbolt II replied. "I am the descendent of him and Blackarachnia."

"The two of them eventually got together?" asked Optimus. "That would mean—"

"Exactly," nodded Silverbolt.

"Greetings Optimus Primal," the supercomputer in front of them declared.

"That voice!" Optimus realized. "Sentinel!"

Optimus nearly fell out of his table but Epsilon was there to steady him.

"Whoa there," Epsilon helped Optimus up. "No need to worry. Sentinel's reformed now… has been for over three centuries."

"Care to explain how?" asked Optimus.

"You see," elucidated Epsilon Primal. "Six centuries after the Beast Wars ended, Sentinel appeared before us, no longer willing to commit anymore acts of evil. In fact, he was instrumental in helping us come into a new age where humans and Transformers could live in harmony together and with nature."

"I am flattered Epsilon," stated Sentinel. "But I do not deserve such an honor."

"Do not be shy," Botanica told Sentinel. "Without your help the balance between nature and technology may not have been accomplished."

"Yeah, and you help provide us with our day-to-day conveniences," Nightscream added. "How can we not give you mad props for that?"

"I'm sorry," Optimus shook his head uneasily. "It's just that in the time from where I came from, this being known as Sentinel would've stopped at nothing to destroy me and my friends."

"Times change Optimus Primal," Sentinel told him. "We all have the potential to change."

From what he heard, Optimus could've sworn he heard a drop of scorn in Sentinel's voice.

"Hmm, my readings also indicate that you have an irregular spark-beat," Epsilon read the monitor on Optimus Primal's vital signs. "I'll need to do further analysis on it, in addition to preparing something to send you back to your own time. In the meantime, would you three be so kind as to give Optimus a tour of this city?"

"With all due respect sir," Silverbolt said a bit impatiently. "We're Terra Academy cadets, not babysitters."

"I do not mind being a tour guide," Botanica said to Epsilon.

"Me neither," Nightscream smiled. "Getting to meet the legendary Optimus Primal is a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Silverbolt sighed. "Very well, I'll join them as well."

"Take these with you," Epsilon gave three mechanical belts to the futuristic Maximals.

"What's that for?" asked Optimus.

"Chrono transmitters," replied Epsilon. "In the event that my cadets take you back to your own time, they will have to wear these belts to prevent the time space continuum from causing them any harm."

Swiftly, Silverbolt put the belt on. "Come on Optimus, let's go."

* * *

Because it would take Epsilon Primal quite some time to set up the time machine, Silverbolt and the others spared no time in giving Optimus a city-wide tour.

Everywhere they went the city looked clean, safe, and hospitable. It was a cultural nexus where humans and Transformers lived and worked side-by-side, without any hostilities at all. Not like the time where he came from where they still lived in the shadows, unable to reveal themselves to the bulk of humanity without starting a riot.

The streets were clean and crisp. In all the places they went, Optimus noticed a fusion between the natural plantlife of nature along with the futuristic advances in technology. Science and nature went together hand in hand to weave a seamless picture where the best of both worlds lived together in equilibrium.

Near the end of the tour, they went inside the Temple of the Sacred. It was both a spiritual complex and a historical museum where art, philosophy, and historical artifacts came together.

As Nightscream showed Optimus around in the front, Silverbolt and Botanica followed up from behind.

"Silverbolt, is it alright to be showing him this?" asked Botanica. "Nobody should know that much about their own future."

"Don't worry," Silverbolt replied calmly. "I've perfected a technique for situations as complex as this."

Stepping to the side, Nightscream took Optimus inside a memorial.

In the room were large Greco-Roman columns. In the room were four large statues, all of which Optimus recognized. On four different sides were enormous marble busts of himself, Cheetor, Rattrap, and Rhinox. They were the four Maximals credited with creating the foundation where Transformer-kind came to earth. In other words, they were the founding fathers whose legacies led to the society which Transformers and humans lived in during this time.

"Amazing," Optimus commented.

"Yes, I suppose it is," noted Silverbolt. "Personally, I've always liked Depth Charge the most."

"I can see why," Optimus cocked a half-smile.

"What was that?" asked Silverbolt.

"Nothing," Optimus looked up innocently.

The four headed into a new hallway. Mounted on the wall were several variations of what appeared to be the Matrix.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked Optimus.

"You would be correct," Silverbolt answered. "This is a hall of all the different Matrices worn over the centuries by Maximal leaders."

"There are so many…" exclaimed Optimus. "I didn't think it would be possible."

"On Planet Earth," explained Silverbolt. "More and more Transformers have come in tune with the spiritual aspects of their sparks. As a result, more Transformers on Earth than Cybertron have the ability to come to close contact with the Matrix and its sacred powers."

Suddenly, Silverbolt's com-link rang.

"Hang on," Silverbolt told Optimus. "Let me take this."

Stepping away from the group, Silverbolt went off and turned on his communications link to Epsilon.

"Yes?" Silverbolt asked.

"Greetings Silverbolt," said Epsilon Primal. "The results are now clear. Optimus Primal has been stricken with a carrier virus from his time."

"Interesting," remarked the future Silverbolt. "What is it?"

"Even I'm not entirely sure," Epsilon continued. "But from what I've tested, it mildly resembles a hallucinogen of sorts, rendering the victim paralyzed with fear whenever they're confronted with situations that raise their level of activity and anxiety."

"In short, it's a virus that turns him into a coward," noted Silverbolt.

"I've administered an antidote already," Epsilon told Silverbolt. "Bring Optimus back so that we can give it to him. Then we may send him back to his own time."

"Yes sir," Silverbolt nodded and cut the communication.

Silverbolt went back to the main group.

"Tour time is over," he announced. "It's time we went back."

As the four Maximals left, the Matrix of Terra on the right-hand wall glowed with a pulsating blue energy. It raised the lid which concealed it and floated from its container. Flying through the air, it began to follow the Maximals from closely behind.

* * *

On the way back, Nightscream was still eager and full of questions.

"So what is it like back in your time?" he asked. "I bet it's probably a lot more exciting than this!"

Painfully, Optimus remembered the painful defeat he and his team suffered at Megatron's hands.

"Believe me, life back then isn't as easy as it is for you now," Optimus replied. "There can be times when I prefer being in a place like this. I've longed for a life of peace and quiet more than once, you know."

"Yeah, but you guys get to fight the Predacons," Nightscream exclaimed. "I bet that was real fun! Your team got to go on swashbuckling adventures all the time!"

"That is true," Optimus reminded Nightscream. "But there were times when we didn't know if we'd come out of a situation alive."

"Different generations have their own Matrix to bear," Botanica added. "We all face struggles and obstacles different from those that came before us."

Before them, the central building loomed. As they walked ahead, the atmosphere around them began to change.

"What's going on?" asked Nightscream.

Without warning, the central building from which they had left transformed before their very eyes into a towering citadel. The once clean air of earth disappeared into a dark fog around them.

Botanica coughed. "This is not good."

"The readings on my chrono transmitter are going wild!" Nightscream exclaimed.

"What does this mean?" asked Optimus.

"It means time and space are changing before our very optics!" Silverbolt gasped.

"Halt!" several Transformer soldiers gathered around them. "In the name of the almighty Magmatron!"

"Magmatron?" Silverbolt's optics stretched wide open.

"What's going on?" asked Optimus.

"Our timeline has changed," Botanica read on her chrono transmitter. "Your presence in the future for so long has altered the past. We are now looking at the future of Earth without you being in your era."

"How come the three of you weren't affected?" Optimus asked.

"Our chrono transmitters protect us from all temporal anomalies in the time-space continuum," Nightscream told Optimus. "We'll be okay as long as we wear these transmitters."

"Enough talking!" the Predacon soldiers ordered. "Move!"

What was once the central command was now a large throne room surrounded by various Predacon rabble. To the end of the throne room was seated the Predacon Emperor himself who beckoned for the prisoners to be brought before them.

"Who are you?" Magmatron demanded.

"Who are you?" Silverbolt demanded in return.

"Do not play games with me!" Magmatron replied furiously. "I could have all four of you executed!"

"Where's Epsilon Primal?" Botanica asked.

"Epsilon? Who?" Magmatron was confused.

Optimus looked at Magmatron intently. Then he figured it out.

"You… you're a descendent of Megatron, aren't you?" he asked.

"Of course I am!" Magmatron growled. "Just in case you've been living under a rock for the past millennium, the Beast Wars were won by the Predacons, which is why we are now the supreme rulers of the Earth. And also why there hasn't been a single Maximal spark signature detected in my world… until now."

"The timeline really has changed…" whispered Silverbolt in mute horror.

"Guards, take these interlopers to the dungeon!" ordered Magmatron. "I shall interrogate each of them later."

Without warning, Botanica's arms stretched out as several vines dug into the ground. From the ground, they erupted, striking several guards across the chin and knocking them down. On cue, Nightscream turned around. He opened his mouth as a high-pitched sonic scream slammed into the guards behind him and knocked them back.

Silverbolt leaped over two of the guards, throwing his ninja stars. The stars struck the guards on the foreheads, knocking them down. The techno-organic condor maneuvered around two other guards by twisting his body across the air. He landed and kicked one down, then grabbed the other and threw him into a wall.

As the future Maximals fought, Optimus could only stand there, watching fearfully. Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him. Turning around, he saw Magmatron. Magmatron backhanded him, knocking Optimus across the floor. The Predacon tyrant stomped towards Optimus, raising his sword.

"No!" cried Optimus, not even trying to defend himself.

"Optimus!" Botanica realized.

Nightscream flew past one of the guards and opened his mouth. Before the sword could come down on Optimus, he opened his mouth. A direct sonic scream hit Magmatron in the chest, throwing him directly into his throne.

"That's going to cost you both wings, little bat," Magmatron growled.

Botanica arched her arm back, striking the remaining guards down with her vine whip. As Magmatron charged, the three future Maximals stood ready. Gripping two seeds in her hand, Botanica was the first to attack. She threw the seeds, both of which hit Magmatron in the chest, erupting into vines which wrapped around his body. Undaunted, Magmatron ripped the vines apart by expanding his chest. He continued his assault once more.

Nightscream let loose his most powerful sonic scream. This time, Magmatron was more prepared.

"Computer, mute all volume sensors!" Magmatron cried.

The sonic blast hit Magmatron who stood there, bracing it. It did not prevent fully prevent the scream from damaging him but it did weaken the sonic blast's potential. Magmatron walked forward, bracing the scream. When he came in close, he punched Nightscream across the face, knocking the Maximal across the room.

A vine wrapped itself around Magmatron's arm. Botanica stood there, holding him there. Soon, Silverbolt leaped up, kicking Magmatron in the chest.

"You know," Magmatron grinned. "I didn't think there were any Maximals left in this sector of the galaxy. How glad I am to be proven wrong."

He yanked his arm forward, throwing Botanica into the wall. Just as Botanica got up, however, a red blast struck her from behind, knocking her unconscious.

"Now I have the pleasure of hunting my first Maximals!" Magmatron cried.

Silverbolt unsheathed his katana, charging with a battle cry. He and Magmatron clashed. Magmatron raised his sword, bringing it down. Silverbolt blocked it and struck back. They struck at each other several times before pausing.

"Your friend is quite the coward," Magmatron pointed towards Optimus who was still unable to act.

"Leave him alone," Silverbolt told Magmatron. "Your fight is with me."

Before Silverbolt could attack again, metal tentacles wrapped themselves around him.

"Do not move, Silverbolt," the familiar voice told him. "Resistance is futile!"

"Sentinel!" realized Silverbolt. "Why are you helping Magmatron?"

"You Maximals really are gullible," Sentinel told Silverbolt. "In all those centuries you truly thought I was helping you."

"What do you mean?" demanded Silverbolt.

"In all this time I was working behind the scenes," Sentinel explained. "Using you and your technology to strive towards this day! All I had to do to gain your trust was to provide your kind and humanity with a few comforts to enhance your day-to-day lives."

Then it hit Silverbolt. This Sentinel was not a product of the timeline changing. This was the real Sentinel, the Sentinel who had hid his intentions from them all along.

"You… you were planning on altering the timeline this whole time," Silverbolt realized.

"Correct!" Sentinel replied.

"Take these Maximals down to the dungeons," Magmatron told Sentinel. "I'll deal with them later."

"Understood," Sentinel answered.

* * *

"I don't believe this," Nightscream muttered. "Sentinel was against us from the start."

"If he turned on us, there's no reason to believe he won't turn on you," Optimus pointed out. "Sentinel's always had a lust for power at the expense of everyone else."

"Perhaps it is time we re-examined our sparks for why we were so eager to accept his help," Botanica pointed out.

"Are you feeling alright?" Silverbolt asked Optimus in an un-characteristic show of concern.

"I… I don't know," Optimus replied. "It seems that every time I want to act, something holds me back. I'm frozen with fear whenever the situation gets tough. That virus Scorponok hit me with has really done its damage."

Silverbolt lowered his head. Due to the alteration of the timeline, Epsilon Primal was now gone, and with him the anti-virus he had which could cure Optimus.

"Listen," Silverbolt said to Optimus. "Ever since I was a child, I was brought up with stories of you and how you were able to stare danger in the face and conquer it. In all the schools I've attended, the adventures of your story were told and re-told to us through the history vids we were taught. And you know what they said? They said that no matter what the odds, you would come through and overcome all obstacles with nothing but your determination and resolve."

Optimus looked at the future Silverbolt, not knowing what to say.

"What I'm trying to tell you is that somewhere deep in your spark," Silverbolt finished, "lies the heart of a warrior. Don't let this spark virus beat you. You have to defeat it somehow."

Before Optimus Primal could answer, a small blue object flew through the wall and landed at their feet.

"Is… is that the Matrix of Terra?" Nightscream looked down. "How did it survive the alteration of the timeline?"

"Sometimes the Matrix works in ways beyond our comprehension," Botanica pointed out.

The small Matrix hummed and flew across Optimus several times.

"It's chosen you," Silverbolt remarked.

Optimus reached out and took it. Try as he might, however, he could not open it.

"I… I can't open it," he said. "I don't know if I'm worthy…"

Abruptly, the Terra Matrix flew out of Primal's hands. It blasted through the titanium bars with a single laser shot, freeing the four prisoners.

"Well, at the very least it's provided us with an avenue for escape," Botanica pointed out. "Let's go!"

* * *

"Sentinel, tell me something," Magmatron asked. "You've been in my family for several generations now."

"Of course," Sentinel replied. "Why would I hide anything from you?"

Magmatron stood in his throne room with Sentinel's presence bound inside the supercomputer. Several of Magmatron's guards stood there on high alert.

"Oh, it's just that my troops found something in your lab, which has your markings all over it!" Magmatron pointed towards a star-gate his troops had brought in. "When they activated it, they found your programming inside of it!"

The guards raised their weapons, directing it at Sentinel.

"What have you been hiding from me?" demanded Magmatron.

"I suppose it is no longer of any use to hide my intentions," Sentinel told them. "As of now, my services towards you and your family have been terminated."

With a flicker, the monitor connecting Sentinel to Magmatron shut down. At the exact same time, the floor below them rumbled.

"What in the blazes?" Magmatron growled.

The walls busted open as a large robot emerged. It towered above Magmatron and all of his troops. In place of its head was a silver dome, the rest of its body being covered with a golden metal.

"Step away from my quantum gate," Sentinel ordered Magmatron.

"Never!" Magmatron growled. "Soldiers, destroy Sentinel!"

The Predacon troops opened fire on Sentinel, only to be knocked aside with a single backhand.

Magmatron took out his sword in anger but just as he was about to attack, four of the Maximals rushed into the room.

"You again!" Magmatron snarled.

The Maximal trio of Silverbolt, Botanica, and Nightscream attacked Magmatron all at once. In a split second, Silverbolt kicked Magmatron in the chest with both feet. Botanica followed up on it by striking Magmatron in the head with a vine whip. Magmatron brought his sword down, striking at the three. They each leaped aside and Nightscream blasted Magmatron from behind with a sonic scream.

"W-What are you doing?" Optimus glared at Sentinel.

"I had hoped to have sent you to a time era where you would no longer be a problem," Sentinel said to Optimus. "Instead my machine malfunctioned and sent you here, where you simply won't stop meddling in my plans!"

"Looks like you're not so perfect after all," Optimus pointed out. "You can still make mistakes in your design specs."

"That will no longer be the case," Sentinel pointed towards the quantum gate. "After centuries of research, I have finally created the ultimate weapon. With the quantum gate, I shall be able to travel anywhere, at any point in history. Time and space will be at my command!"

"I… I won't allow you to do that!" Optimus took out his gun.

Sentinel lashed out with his foot and kicked Optimus across the floor with one blow.

Optimus raised his head, dazed as he watched Sentinel walk towards the three other Maximals who were currently engaging Magmatron.

Just as Nightscream and Botanica blasted Magmatron with a twin blast, Sentinel came from behind Silverbolt and grabbed him, knocking him down.

"Ugh!" Silverbolt cried.

"No!" cried Optimus.

Helplessly Optimus watched as Sentinel stomped down on Silverbolt with one foot. Something deep inside him was reacting and this time it was not just fear. Seeing a future Maximal suffer at the hands of Sentinel brought out a deep sense of righteous anger this time. Slowly, Optimus got up, fighting the pain. He had to do something or else Silverbolt would die.

As Silverbolt struggled to get up, Sentinel pointed his wrist at the defeated Maximal. From that wrist emerged a metal tentacle, aimed right for Silverbolt's spark.

Suddenly, Optimus leaped right in front of Silverbolt, taking the full force of the blow. At that last second, he had conquered his fears… but at the cost of his own life.

The tentacle impaled Optimus right through the chest, striking a mortal blow to his spark.

"Optimus!" screamed Silverbolt.

Optimus Primal's body fell to the floor. Soon, a gray hue emerged over the body, indicating that his spark had just been extinguished.

"Optimus no…" Botanica whispered softly.

Even Magmatron stopped what he was doing and became silent.

"You were always an idealistic fool," Sentinel gloated, standing over Primal's slain body. "It is only fitting that you met your end at my hands."

"I was wrong to have doubted you," Silverbolt whispered. "You are one of the greatest heroes this planet has ever seen."

Both Nightscream and Botanica lowered their heads in silence as Magmatron looked on with a mixture of disbelief and disgust.

Slowly, the Matrix of Terra floated above Optimus. Silverbolt looked up in surprise and backed away. A ray of light shined over Optimus by the Matrix. Soon, his entire body glowed with a pulsating golden energy. As Primal's body was lifted into the air, two large wing-like structures emerged from his arms. Progressively, his body grew larger and larger. The very shape and structure of his face began to change, as his originally brown and gray armor transformed into a combination of yellow, blue, and white.

Finally, when it was all over, Optimus Primal stood triumphantly before them, completely transformed through his baptism of fire. At long last, he had proven himself worthy to the Matrix of Terra through his selfless sacrifice.

"Look who's back and feeling Prime!" Optimus declared in a deep voice.

"No!" Sentinel cried. "This can't be! I killed you! I extinguished your Maximal spark!"

Two missile cannons emerged from Optimus Primal's chest, blasting Sentinel straight through the wall and out of the citadel.

"Ha!" Magmatron walked up to Optimus. "I don't think you're as tough as you look!"

"Don't challenge me, Magmatron!" warned Optimus. "This won't end well for you!"

Snarling angrily, Magmatron took out his gun and fired two shots at Optimus. The shots bounced off the new Optimal Optimus Primal's armor ineffectively. Clencing his right hand into a fist, Optimus swung, punching Magmatron and knocking him clear through the roof. Magmatron's body traveled for some time before it crash-landed a few miles in the distance.

"Alright Optimus!" Nightscream congratulated. "Way to go!"

"It's not over yet," Silverbolt pointed out.

At that moment, an enraged Sentinel flew through the wall he had been blasted through and slammed into Optimus. The two giants tussled at each other until Sentinel blasted Optimus in the chest, knocking him out of the building in retaliation.

Optimus stayed afloat in the air and braced for a second impact. Sentinel rammed into him from the side, punching at him repeatedly. Already, Optimus had had enough. The next fist Sentinel threw at him, he caught, squeezing down on it hard until he had completely crushed Sentinel's hand.

"No!" cried Sentinel.

Clutching his fist tightly, Optimus punched Sentinel hard enough to send him flying. By the time Optimus was sure that they were away from the city, he let loose. Punch after punch he unleashed on Sentinel until the supercomputer's armor began to crack. He unleashed an uppercut which sent Sentinel flying into the air. Promptly, he flew up and raised both hands, slamming them down on Sentinel, who was now badly damaged beyond repair, sending him plummeting towards the ground.

As Sentinel fell, Optimus flew down and grabbed him by the neck, holding on to him tightly until they both smashed into the ground, triggering an intense eruption where rocks, sand, plant-life, and other debris went flying for miles on end.

Silverbolt and Nightscream both flew over to where the damage had been done as Nightscream allowed Botanica to ride on his back. By the time the smoke cleared, Optimus stood there victoriously over the now-destroyed Sentinel.

"Good work, Optimus!" Botanica cheered.

"Yeah, you really showed 'em!" added Nightscream.

Suddenly, Optimus Primal's body began to contract. He grew smaller and smaller until he returned to his original Transmetal body. The Matrix of Terra left Primal's body and became compact again. He smiled at the future Maximals who smiled in return.

"Perhaps now we can undo the damage that's been done to the timeline," he said.

The quantum gate which Sentinel built had been left unharmed in the ensuing battle thankfully. After a few tries, they finally activated the machine and set the date to the time Optimus had disappeared.

"That should do it," Silverbolt pulled the lever. He held in his hands the quantum trigger which could activate the time machine to take him back to his own time after they were through sending Optimus back.

"Let's go!" Nightscream declared.

The four Maximals leaped through the warp gate that had opened up. Unknowingly to them, the Matrix of Terra hummed to life and followed them from behind.

* * *

After a small while of travel, they finally landed back in the present, Optimus Primal's time.

They stood in a hidden place, several miles from where Cheetor, Rattrap, and the two human siblings were.

Suddenly, Silverbolt received a transmission. He activated the screen on his arm-band. To his great relief, he saw Epsilon Primal in the screen, as well as the familiar background of the Central Academy where he studied. The timeline had now thankfully been set back to its proper place again. Everything was as it should've been.

"Silverbolt, what just happened?" Epsilon Primal asked. "One minute I was working on a cure for Optimus and the next minute I can't even remember what happened. How did I end up in the dining hall?"

Silverbolt smiled as Nightscream and Botanica chuckled.

"It's okay sir," he said to Epsilon. "When we get back, we've got quite a story for you."

After ending the communication, Silverbolt turned back to Primal.

"I don't know what to say," Optimus said. "Everything that's happened has been eventful."

"Don't say anything," Botanica put her hand on Optimus. "What matters is that the future is now in good hands. You gave us a future where Transformers no longer have to hide from the world and for that, we thank you. In the meantime, you have your own life to live in your own era."

"I'm really gonna miss you," Nightscream confessed.

"We all will," Silverbolt said honestly.

"Will I ever see you again?" Optimus asked.

"No," Silverbolt shook his head ruefully. "But the important thing is that you never lose hope."

Suddenly, Silverbolt's optics glowed a bright blue as he gazed into Primal's eyes. Their minds connected momentarily as Optimus Primal's eyes also glowed in response. Silverbolt put his hand on Optimus' forehead gently, slowly erasing the memories of these events from his mind.

By the time he was done, Primal's eyes were still glowing.

"Should you have done that?" asked Botanica. "Especially after everything we've been through together?"

"Yes," Silverbolt answered her. "You were right, Botanica. It isn't right for someone to know everything in store for their future. Sometimes you have to let things happen naturally, as they are."

"In that case, let's head home!" Nightscream declared happily.

Silverbolt activated the quantum trigger, opening up another warp gate back to their time period. Holding hands with Botanica and Nightscream, the three friends leaped into the warp hole, returning to their own time. Unbeknownst to them, the Matrix of Terra flew over their heads and landed right next to Optimus Primal's feet just as the gate finally closed.

When Optimus regained consciousness again, he shook his head. The last thing he remembered was confronting Sentinel. Everything else was a blur. Truth be told, he didn't remember anything at all beyond that.

"What just happened?" he asked himself quietly.

He looked down. Right at his feet was a small capsule, resembling the legendary Matrix of Leadership.

"The Matrix?" he cried. "Here?"

Leaning down, he picked it up. How or why it had suddenly appeared remained a mystery to him.

A low hum emerged from the small Matrix-like device. It was almost as if it was trying to communicate with him in some way.

"Optimus!" a voice cried out.

Optimus Primal turned around. It was Cheetor, along with Rattrap and the human siblings.

"What happened to you?" Cheetor exclaimed breathlessly.

"Yeah, Sentinel sent you through some kinda time warp," Rattrap added.

"I… I'm not certain," Optimus told them. "One minute Sentinel sent me through the gate and another minute, I get sent back here. Seems to me Sentinel's time machine was a failure."

"You could say that again," Cheetor chuckled.

"Are you okay, Optimus?" asked Luna. "You're not feeling any weird side effects, are you?"

"I don't think so," answered Optimus. "In fact, I feel strangely good for reasons I can't explain."

"Whoa, what is that?" Jack pointed at the Matrix of Terra.

"It looks like 'da Matrix!" exclaimed Rattrap. "How'd you pick that up?"

"I'm not sure," Optimus replied. "As soon as I reappeared here, there it was, at my feet."

"Is that even real?" asked Jack.

Optimus held it in his hand. It certainly felt real.

"I believe the answer to that would be _yes_," he told Jack, smiling.

The Maximal leader looked towards the place Sentinel had been. The supercomputer had been torn to shreds savagely. No doubt it had been Cheetor's handiwork.

"Nice job, by the way," he said to Cheetor.

"Thanks Big Bot!" Cheetor smiled.

"So what will you do with this Matrix thinamajig?" asked Luna.

"I'll be sure to examine it later," Optimus said. "But for now, let's go home."

Rattrap transformed to vehicle mode, allowing Luna to get on top of him as Jack climbed aboard Cheetor, now in flight mode. As they sped off, Optimus trailed them from behind.

Though he had no memories of anything that transpired, there was a new sensation deep in his spark. It was a feeling that, despite all the negative events that had transpired recently in his life, things would eventually work out for the best.

And that feeling was all he needed.


	60. Realm of Heroes

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_The Realm of Heroes_

"Halt!" the Imperial Knight of Darkness shouted.

Working in unison, both the red mage and black mage conjured their mid-level spells. From the red mage's staff emerged a fireball while the black mage shot a magical blast of dark magic. Both attacks struck home, knocking the Imperial Knight back. They blasted at him again but this time the Imperial Knight raised his shield, absorbing both attacks. He sent a gust of wind at the two, knocking them over.

"Aw man!" _RatInATrap_ cried. "Half our life points have been knocked down!"

"I have an idea!" _purplepeopleeater19_ replied. "But it's going to take teamwork. Here, take one of my potions.

The black mage gave the red mage one of his potions, instantly restoring his life. Chanting profanely, he granted a protective shield over the red mage.

"Go!" he ordered _RatInATrap_. "I'll prepare the Phoenix of Darkness!"

The red mage attacked the Imperial Knight, summoning a wall of flames around him. Though the attack was not extremely powerful, it was enough to progressively whittle away at the Imperial Knight's health points. Raising his staff, RatInATrap blasted his enemy with several lightning strikes using his red mage character.

Chanting vividly, _purplepeopleeater19_'s black mage summoned a black flame above his head which coalesced into a dark phoenix. Just as he did that, the Imperial Knight struck the red mage, knocking him down, nearly taking away all his life points.

"Oh man!" _RatInATrap_ yelled. "We're all gonna die!"

"Not this time we're not!" _purplepeopleeater19_ declared.

Pointing both hands at the Imperial Knight, the black mage directed the full force of the Phoenix of Darkness towards the nearly unbeatable enemy. The dark phoenix struck the Imperial Knight full force, consuming him in black flames. Finally, it flew into the sky, disappearing, leaving behind a pile of ash which was formerly the Imperial Knight.

"Good job!" _RatInATrap_ complimented. "You're a pro at 'dis!"

"Aw shucks," _purplepeopleeater19_ replied bashfully. "I'm really not all that good."

"Are you kiddin' me?" the red mage insisted. "Without you, I wouldn't have made it 'dis far!"

"Hey, want to hear some special news?" the black mage asked out of the blue.

"Sure, what is it?" the red made responded eagerly.

"You know the new version of Arkadium Online that's supposed to come out next fall?" _purplepeopleeater19_ pointed out. "Well, I've got an uncle in the gaming industry with a special demo of it!"

"Really? Sweet!" _RatInATrap_ replied.

"I could send it to you if you want," the black mage offered.

"Sure, let me get my address ready," the red mage replied. "Hang on for a nano-klik!"

Rattrap stopped what he was doing and turned his attention away from the computer. There was no real way he could get _purplepeopleeater19_ to send the demo here, considering they lived in the middle of nowhere. He did, however, know of an abandoned warehouse near the countryside which happened to be one of Depth Charge's bases of operation. The last time he went there, it had a functional mailbox.

He rummaged through one of his notebooks, trying to find the address. Finally, he found it on the last page.

"Okay, here ya go," Rattrap typed in a response to _purplepeopleeater19_. "Ya ready?"

"Sure thing buddy," Rattrap's online gaming companion replied.

* * *

As Depth Charge flew down from his daily patrols, he saw Rattrap shuffling right through the mailbox near his base. Cheetor was with him, along with Jack and Luna.

Depth Charge frowned. Just what in the Pit was Rattrap up to this time?

"What exactly are you doing?" Depth Charge asked as he landed before them.

"Eureka!" Rattrap pulled out a small box.

"Is that the Arkadium Online game you've been talking about?" asked Cheetor.

"This is the demo for the new version," Jack explained. "It's like an expansion set."

Luna rolled her eyes. "There's a real world beyond online gaming, you know that?"

Rattrap ignored her, looking at the back of the box.

"Sweet!" he exclaimed. "It comes with an extra demo of _Adam Atomizer_!"

"Ahem," Depth Charge cleared his throat, trying to get their notice.

"Wait'll I get online!" Rattrap held up the box in his hands.

"It's just a game!" Luna insisted.

"I dunno," Cheetor shrugged. "Even I like to sit down every once in a while and chill with a nice vid game."

"Hey!" shouted Depth Charge, finally getting their attention.

"Oh sorry, you hollered?" Rattrap asked.

"Will somebody explain why this thing came in to my quarters?" demanded Depth Charge.

"Chillax, fish-man!" Rattrap told him. "I couldn't have it sent to 'da Axalon because it doesn't have an address. Yours was the best I could think of."

"You could've sent it to their address instead," Depth Charge pointed at Jack and Luna.

"Oh no," Luna stepped away. "Don't get us involved in this. Our house isn't going to become a special delivery center for all of Rattrap's online orders!"

"Alright rodent," Depth Charge told the rat. "I'll let it slide this time. But you get one pass and one pass only. Don't ever use my base as a warehouse for your junk again!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure thing," Rattrap brushed the comment aside. "Ya know, since I'm in such a good mode, I'm invitin' all of you to come over and watch!"

* * *

"I can't believe I agreed to this," Depth Charge crossed both arms in frustration.

"Don't worry," Rhinox whispered to Depth Charge. "After a while, Rattrap will probably become so immersed in the gaming, he'll forget all of us. Then we can go off and go about our own business."

"Ladies n' gentlemen!" Rattrap pointed towards his new edition of Arkadium Online. "May I present to you Rattrap's world of online gaming!"

Jack clapped, along with Rhinox, Optimus, and Cheetor. Luna just stood there skeptically.

"I don't get it," she said to Rhinox. "You guys get involved in real battles with missiles and ray guns all the time. This is just a dumb game."

"Well, it isn't so glamorous once you're shot for real," Rhinox replied. "Maybe that's why Rattrap likes gaming so much. All the excitement without any of the life-threatening risks…"

Slowly, Rattrap opened up the box to Arkadium Online. As soon as the lid was open, the box popped out of his hands to the surprise of all the Maximals.

Four legs emerged from the box. The lid opened up completely, transforming into a small robotic drone. From its center eye, a bright green laser struck Rattrap.

"Rattrap, no!" Rhinox charged at the drone.

As soon as Rhinox made physical contact with the drone, he was repulsed and knocked back by a powerful volt of electricity. In horror, he watched as Rattrap was torn apart, molecule by molecule. In just a few seconds, he was gone. Once the robot drone was finished, a cable emerged from its lower belly and connected to the monitor.

"Hello there," the face of Tarantulas popped onto the screen.

"Tarantulas!" the Maximals cried in unison.

"I bet you're wondering what just happened to your little rodent friend, aren't you?" sneered Tarantulas. "Don't worry, because he isn't dead. The new trans-mat drone I built collected all his data bits, molecule by molecule, transporting him into the virtual world."

"Bring him back!" Optimus ordered.

"Oh no, it's not that simple you see," Tarantulas told them. "You're going to have to volunteer to go inside and retrieve Rattrap."

"Let's do it then!" Optimus stepped forward.

"Wait!" Depth Charge held an arm before Optimus. "This is obviously a trap to ensnare all of us into the virtual realm. I'll go inside and find Rattrap. The rest of you stay outside here and monitor me!"

"Are you sure about that?" asked Tarantulas. "I'm certain your chances of survival would be higher in the virtual world with more companions."

"Are you certain you want to do this?" Optimus asked Depth Charge.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Depth Charge replied and then turned to Tarantulas. "Beam me up."

"Heh heh heh, as you wish," Tarantulas chuckled.

Standing still, Depth Charge presented himself before the trans-mat drone. After a thorough scan of his body, the drone blasted Depth Charge with his molecule beam, slowly erasing him from the physical world and gathering his data bits into the virtual world.

* * *

In just a little while, Depth Charge regained consciousness. He fell down on what appeared to be grassy plains. In the distance, he saw smoke coming from some kind of fire. Looking around, he had to admire the scenery. So this was the virtual gaming world, huh?

Depth Charge attempted to activate his jets but for some reason, they would not work. Here, he was incapable of flying.

"Nuh uh uhn!" a virtual image of Tarantulas waved a finger before him. "You play by the rules of the game here."

"I don't have time for your stupid games," Depth Charge pointed a finger at Tarantulas. "Where's Rattrap?"

"Oh, you have the time," Tarantulas replied. "And you _will_ play this _stupid_ game whether you want to or not!"

Two swords materialized in the air and appeared in Depth Charge's hands. They were twin cutlasses, resembling something from a pirate movie. Each of the blue blades gleamed in the artificial sun of the virtual world.

"Better hurry," Tarantulas warned Depth Charge. "Or your little buddy is going to become rat-on-a-stick."

* * *

"Hey guys," Rattrap protested. "Think you could let me down?"

He was tied up to a pole at the moment. Beneath his feet were several wooden logs set around him to start a fire. All around him were orcs and goblins dancing rhythmically. Many of them appeared to be getting drunk.

"Hey greenie!" Rattrap shouted to what appeared to be the orcish chieftain. "How's about you stop 'dis whole thing and release me? Where I come from, I don't think Cybertronian alloy is easy to digest!"

"Ha!" the chieftain laughed. "Not in a million years!"

Rattrap grimaced. This was just a stupid game, after all, like Luna said. But the gaming mechanics in this world were different. He should've been able to easily break free of these leather ropes in his own world but here, in the digital realm, they fastened him down tightly. Escape seemed almost unlikely.

A sudden howl of anger was heard from the other orcs.

"What was that?" the chieftain cried.

Optics widening, Rattrap smiled in relief. It was Depth Charge, fighting his way through hoards of trolls, goblins, and other ghouls.

One by one, Depth Charge took down the orcs. As an orc-ish blade came down on him, he blocked it with his cutlass and kicked the assailant away. Two large trolls rushed at him only for Depth Charge to slice through both of them, causing them to disappear in a flash of blue light.

As a goblin rushed him with a spear, Depth Charge step-sided him, cut down the spear with one blow and destroyed the small goblin with one blow.

"No!" the orc chieftain cried. "Get him!"

But his troops had other plans in mind. Immediately, they bolted after realizing they weren't going to win.

"Cowards, return at once!" ordered the chieftain.

Depth Charge leaped in front of Rattrap, cutting open his ropes with one slash.

"Payback time!" Rattrap cracked his knuckles eagerly.

The chieftain tried to run but Rattrap grabbed the shield of a fallen orc and threw it. The shield bounced off the chieftain's head, knocking him senseless with one blow.

Rattrap walked over to the chieftain, picking his pockets clean.

"Yup, just as I thought!" he took out a large piece of gold.

Depth Charge sheathed both swords back into his scabbards. "Alright, you're the expert of this game. Tell me how we can get out of here."

"Eh, truth be told, I don't think we can escape until we face 'da final boss," Rattrap replied.

"Which must be Tarantulas," Depth Charge finished.

Rattrap looked at Depth Charge's cutlass blades.

"You must've been granted Pirate Class," remarked Rattrap.

"Funny, I don't feel like a pirate," Depth Charge snorted.

"Eh, you'll get used to it," Rattrap told him.

"Let's just get out of here," Depth Charge sighed. "Where do we go first?"

"Whoa!" Rattrap looked up. "I didn't know Orc villages also had pawn shops!"

"Excuse me?" Depth Charge asked.

"Hang on!" Rattrap ran into the shop.

After several minutes, Rattrap emerged from the store. He was dressed in red garbs. On top of his head sat a red mage's hat, complete with an eagle's feather. In his hands was the red mage's scepter, complete with the red crystal ball. With the gold he had taken from the chieftain, he had used it to buy all this.

"Now 'dat's more like it!" Rattrap smiled. "How do I look?"

"No comment," groaned Depth Charge.

"Your quest has only just begun!" the voice of Tarantulas announced to them.

Emerging from a village dome were several familiar faces. Megatron, Scorponok, Terrorsaur, Waspinator, and Blackarachnia came out. Megatron and Scorponok, in particular, were in their pre-Transmetal forms. They were merely gaming sprites, but they looked quite real.

"Grrr!" the Megatron sprite snarled.

"Well, time for us to level up!" Rattrap told Depth Charge. "Whaddya say?"

"I say let's go for it!" Depth Charge agreed.

Megatron opened his T-Rex cannon and blasted at them. In response, Rattrap raised a red energy barrier with his crystal scepter to block the shot. Depth Charge led the charge, knocking Scorponok down with a kick to the jaw. He turned around, slicing Terrorsaur's gun apart, then spinning to the other side and kicking Waspinator into an ogre's hut.

In the meanwhile, Rattrap blocked a kick by Blackarachnia and surrounded himself with a crimson aura. She blasted at him with a missile but Rattrap leaped out of the way and shot back, blasting her apart with one shot from his scepter. As Rattrap looked behind him, Megatron charged him. Rattrap pointed his staff to the earth, splitting it open. From the earth emerged several large monstrous plant vines. They grabbed onto Megatron and heaved him into the air.

After completely tying the Megatron gaming sprite up, they disappeared underneath the earth again.

Just as Rattrap had finished off Blackarachnia and Megatron, Depth Charge slashed through the three Predacon sprites he had been occupied with. In a flash, Terrorsaur, Waspinator, and Scorponok exploded in a flash of blue lightning.

Before Depth Charge could sheath his swords back, a pair of large hands grabbed him and lifted him up before throwing him down violently again.

"Ugh!" Depth Charge bounced off the floor. Rattrap quickly ran up to him.

"Oh man, it's 'da Gargoyle of the Forsaken Village!" Rattrap exclaimed.

Before them, the large stone creature roared, then it spit out fire at them. In response, Depth Charge shielded his own body with his wing. However, the fire struck him and knocked him down.

"I… I felt that," Depth Charge remarked. "My wing shields don't work here!"

"You gotta follow 'da game's rules!" insisted Rattrap. "You gotta think like a Pirate Class Warrior does! Redirect his attacks!"

In an instant, the gargoyle attacked Rattrap, breathing a torrent of flames at him. Rattrap quickly blocked the attack with an energy shield. Then he too was knocked away by the sheer power of the flames.

"Okay, think like a pirate, redirect his attacks…" Depth Charge whispered. "Easier said than done…"

The gargoyle smashed down on him as Depth Charge leaped out of the way. From its gaping maw, the gargoyle fired a second shot of flames at him. Reacting quickly, Depth Charge raised both swords this time, catching the flames. Now he realized what Rattrap meant.

After the flames from the gargoyle's mouth stopped, Depth Charge swished both swords together, firing the flames back. The flames struck the gargoyle, causing him immense damage.

"Good job, Captain Minnow!" complimented Rattrap.

"Let's finish this!" Depth Charge rushed at the gargoyle.

With one slash, Depth Charge sliced off its arm. Then he leaped across the air, kicking the gargoyle in the jaw to send it reeling back. The gargoyle struck back with its remaining arm but Depth Charge jumped onto his hand, running across his arm until he struck the gargoyle across the neck with both cutlasses, beheading the creature in one blow.

The gargoyle's head fell down, near Rattrap, who had to jump to the side to avoid being crushed.

"Hey!" shouted Rattrap. "Watch where 'yer throwing your trash!"

"I'm sorry," Depth Charge responded sarcastically. "I thought you were so good at this game, you could handle any obstacle."

"My, my," the image of Tarantulas appeared before them. "It looks like you two are ready to progress."

"Hey, Tarantulas, tell me something," Rattrap called out. "How'd you even know I played this game?"

"You mean you haven't figured it out by now?" asked Tarantulas. "Very well, I will reveal myself."

A bolt of lightning came down from the sky. A black mage stood before them with the face of Tarantulas.

"Don't recognize your gaming buddy, _purplepeopleeater19_?" asked Tarantulas.

"It was you all along!" Rattrap exclaimed.

"That's right," Tarantulas replied. "Your user name, _RatInATrap_, was what gave you away. Not to mention your distinctive and recognizable accent that you use online."

"Yeah, but it could've been anyone!" Rattrap told him. "How'd you really figure out it was me?"

A screen popped up in Tarantulas' hands.

_RatInATrap: We're all gonna die!_

"Oh," Rattrap's shoulder slung down. "I guess 'dat would give me away."

"Subtlety is not your strong point, vermin," Tarantulas mocked.

"Yeah, but speaking of which, I wonder how it is that you found him," Depth Charge said to Tarantulas.

"What do you mean?" demanded Tarantulas.

"Just 'da fact that you were also playing 'da game with me," Rattrap told him. "Don't tell me you're also an online gamer."

"No!" Tarantulas protested, trying to hide the truth. "Of course I'm not! I was only going into this game to trap you!"

"Sure you were," Rattrap chuckled. "Heh heh!"

"Fine!" Tarantulas finally confessed. "I've been an avid online gaming enthusiast for the longest time! Happy now?"

"Not really," Rattrap looked away wistfully. "So tell me, eight legs, what other games do you play?"

"That's none of your business!" shouted Tarantulas, not wanting to reveal more.

"Enough talk!" Depth Charge lunged at Tarantulas.

Before Depth Charge could grab him, Tarantulas disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"It's true I like video games," Tarantulas told them in a shadowy form. "But none of that will really matter once I'm through with you two!"

In front of them, Depth Charge and Rattrap saw a road which led out of the village.

"Well, looks like we follow 'da yellow brick road from here on out," Rattrap said to Depth Charge.

* * *

"There," Rhinox re-arranged the last of the circuits on the trans-mat drone. "I've reversed the ion charge."

"What does that mean?" asked Luna.

"It means once I find locate the exact location of Rattrap and Depth Charge's data bits, I can bring both of them back," Rhinox replied, carefully going about his work.

"Come on, where are you two?" Cheetor typed several keys at once, doing his best to locate them in the online gaming world.

It was going to be a difficult task, considering there were thousands of players in the game.

"How's the progress so far?" asked Optimus.

"No luck so far," Cheetor replied. "This is like finding a needle in a haystack."

"Don't give up," Optimus encouraged. "Somehow we'll find them and bring them back."

* * *

After having travelled far enough, both Rattrap and Depth Charge noticed the skies above them darkening.

"Where are we now?" asked Depth Charge.

"Hoo boy, this ain't gonna be good," Rattrap murmured.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, 'fer one thing, we're in the Graveyard of the Vanquished," Rattrap looked at Depth Charge.

"What is that?"

"It's where all our deceased enemies come back to haunt us," Rattrap explained.

"How many gaming sprites have you destroyed so far?" Depth Charge inquired.

"A few hundred or so," Rattrap answered. "But to be honest, Tarantulas did most of 'da work for me… at least back when I knew him as _purplepeopleeater19_…"

They came before the gates to a cemetery. It was just the kind of graveyard they had been expecting, dark and foreboding. Tombstones lay everywhere and on top of a tree, an owl began to hoot.

"Yeah, so, like, I'm telling you man, this place is like, totally the best area in the game."

Depth Charge and Rattrap turned around. Next to them were a blonde High Elf and a Berzerker Warrior.

"Hey, you two new to this game?" the Berzerker asked.

"I ain't," Rattrap explained, and then pointed to Depth Charge. "But my buddy here is."

"Well good luck dudes," the High Elf told them. "This place is tough to get out of alive, haha."

"lol," the Berzerker snickered.

"Lol?" Depth Charge looked at Rattrap in confusion.

"Online slang," Rattrap explained to Depth Charge.

In reality, both the High Elf and the Berzerker were online players engaging in the game on two separate computers. In real life, they looked nowhere near as attractive as their gaming characters.

The four of them entered into the graveyard, looking all around until a massive hand emerged from one of the tombs. Slowly, the undead warrior pulled himself out of the grave to the shock of all four heroes.

"Shokaract!" Depth Charge gasped.

Soon, he was joined by more undead warriors. Windrazor stood by his side, brandishing her sword. Steelhide, Yarkon, Babel, Serpentine, Prowler, Sonata, and Clampdown joined them.

"Whoa," the High Elf pointed to Shokaract. "That guy's level is over nine thousand…"

"Um, I don't think we can win this," the Berzerker slowly inched away. "Plus I don't think these enemies were included in the gaming manual!"

"Ciao guys!" the High Elf waved to Depth Charge and Rattrap. "Have fun!"

The two online players ran off and disappeared.

"I decided to add a special touch to the Graveyard of the Vanquished," Tarantulas said to the two Maximals. "In fact, I think your former enemies would like a special word with you."

Depth Charge glanced at Rattrap. "We've destroyed these guys before; we can do it again!"

"I agree!" Rattrap brandished his scepter.

Steelhide, Yarkon, Babel, and Serpentine attacked Rattrap while Prowler, Sonata, and Clampdown did the same for Depth Charge.

Rattrap immediately erected a barrier to protect himself from Serpentine's blast of dark magic. He returned fire, knocking Babel down with a single shot, destroying him. Steelhide punched at Rattrap who ducked and rolled underneath his legs. The Maximal turned around, blasting Steelhide right into Yarkon. Raising his staff, he summoned the Hand of Earth. Literally, a large hand erupted from the ground, grabbing the two and dragging them underground once more.

Serpentine shot black flames at him but Rattrap quickly raised his staff, absorbing the blast and reflecting it back at her. The flames consumed and destroyed her on the spot.

Depth Charge struck down, splitting Clampdown apart with one slash. Sonata attacked him next, jabbing at him with several finger strikes. Depth Charge avoided several of them, finally grabbing the Predacon by the hand and throwing him into a tree. As Sonata looked up, Depth Charge crossed both swords together, firing a golden ray which annihilated him on the spot.

From behind, Prowler kicked him, sending him stumbling forward. Then a powerful green flame struck him in the side, injuring him further.

"You again!" Depth Charge glared at Windrazor.

The two attacked simultaneously as Depth Charge raised his sword to block both their attacks.

From out of the blue, an icy shot hit Windrazor, freezing her on the spot. Depth Charge looked up, seeing that it was Rattrap who had helped him out.

"Thanks," he said to the smaller Maximal.

Depth Charge turned his full attention back to Prowler, driving his fist into the Predacon sprite with an uppercut across the chin to knock him on his back. As Prowler looked up, Depth Charge threw both swords. The blades boomeranged across the air, cutting through Prowler simultaneously. Prowler fell to the floor, disappearing back into the earth, defeated.

However, the battle was not over yet. Windrazor broke out of his icy hold, flying into the air and creating a giant ball of green flames. With a cry, she threw it down.

Remembering Rattrap's advice on re-directing an enemy's attacks, Depth Charge leaped right in front of the fireball, knocking it back with one blow of his sword. Windrazor cried in surprise as the fireball flew back, consuming and destroying her.

A blast exploded in front of both Maximals, knocking them back.

"Almost forgot about you," Depth Charge glanced at Shokaract.

Shokaract shot a powerful beam at them, nearly destroying them on the spot. Depth Charge and Rattrap had to dodge again just to avoid being annihilated.

"Hey," Rattrap said to Depth Charge. "I think we're at that point now where we can combine attacks."

"How do we do that?" demanded Depth Charge.

"Just trust me and let me do my thing," Rattrap smiled.

Igniting his staff with a red glow, Rattrap touched both Depth Charge's cutlasses with it. On touch, both swords began glowing with a deep, crimson red. As they cracked with power, a ring of fire surrounded Depth Charge.

"Go for it!" Rattrap shouted.

With a battle cry, Depth Charge lunged at Shokaract, cutting into him with several blows, all of which took away more than half of his life points. With Shokaract now weakened, Rattrap raised his staff, summoning the Solar Wrath. From the skies, a beam of yellow solar power descended, striking Shokaract's sprite and shattering him into thousands of molecules.

After Shokaract was destroyed, three figures on horseback emerged. Each of them held a shield and a lance. They were the Tripredacus Council.

"During the course of my stay on Cybertron," explained Tarantulas. "I had a bit of a run-in with my old masters, the Tripredacus Council. The fact that they're here in the Graveyard of the Vanquished should be telling you something."

General Cicadacon turned around, allowing his horse to kick Rattrap, knocking him into Depth Charge. As the two got up, Depth Charge shifted to the side, grabbing General Ramhorn by the lance and throwing him off his horse. As Ramhorn looked up, Depth Charge beheaded him with a clean strike. Grabbing Ramhorn's lance, Depth Charge thrust it behind him, stabbing and destroying Seaclamp in the process.

Rattrap leaped on top of the horse that Ramhorn had been on, charging towards Cicadacon, thrusting his scepter ahead. A red glow enveloped the scepter, transforming it into the Crimson Lance. The two struck each other with a single blow. When it was over, Cicadacon fell from his horse and disappeared.

"Nice handiwork," Depth Charge stared down at his now upgraded weapons.

"Yup, time to get a move-on!" Rattrap pointed to the direction of the road.

* * *

"I don't believe this!" Tarantulas glared at Depth Charge and Rattrap furiously. "You've actually made it this far!"

The two of them were travelling across the central plains, coming closer and closer towards the Diamond Palace.

"Believe it, web-breath!" Rattrap retorted. "We'll be gunnin' for you next so be prepared!"

"We shall see, vermin…" the image of Tarantulas disappeared.

The two Maximals came closer and closer to the castle.

"You're the gaming pro," Depth Charge asked Rattrap. "What can we expect here?"

"Dunno this time," confessed Rattrap. "I never made it 'dis far."

"Then we're just going to find out ourselves…" Depth Charge looked at the silvery, ornate gates which he and Rattrap now stood in front of.

Slowly, the gates lowered. To their shock, a familiar figure stepped out.

"Greetings," Megatron said. "Please, come inside for some refreshments."

This time it was the first Transmetal version of Megatron. He stood there calmly, without any antagonism to his voice or actions. Instead, he seemed quite receptive to their presence.

"What's your game, Megsy?" asked Rattrap.

"No game at all," Megatron told them, raising both hands to show that he meant no harm. "I only wish to bring you inside to celebrate your great victories!"

"Alright," Depth Charge pointed his weapon at Megatron. "But you lead the way. I'll be keeping an eye on you."

"Of course," Megatron turned around, walking into the hall.

The Transmetal Megatron sprite lead them through several corridors until they reached the main chambers. Not surprisingly, Tarantulas sat on the throne room with a golden crown hanging over his head.

"I thought I'd see you here!" Tarantulas got up.

"So you're going to be the final boss?" Depth Charge sneered. "Talk about anti-climactic!"

Without warning, the glass from above shattered as a large red dragon flew down. Instantly, it transformed into Megatron in his latest red armor. From the ground, the pre-Transmetal Megatron emerged from a branch of thorns. Soon, all three Megatrons surrounded Depth Charge and Rattrap.

"Don't underestimate me," Tarantulas wagged a finger at them. "But more importantly, don't underestimate them."

Depth Charge and Rattrap held their weapons tightly, preparing to do battle with the three Megatrons.

"No, something's not right," Tarantulas stroked his chin. "Oh, that's it! I've got it!"

Tarantulas snapped his fingers. At his mere command, the three Megatron sprites flew up and glowed brightly. They fused together and became one in a flash. The new Megatron leaped down, standing before them in a silvery variation of his ordinary Transmetal armor. On his back were the metal wings he had acquired from his dragon form. Glaring at the Maximal duo, he snarled.

"I think I'll call him _Megatron X_!" Tarantulas exclaimed. "That's a good one!"

Depth Charge folded both his cutlasses together, spinning them around and generating a powerful energy wave which struck Megatron X in the chest. At the same time, Rattrap unleashed a red beam from his staff, striking the Megatron sprite at the same time. However, it was ineffective. Megatron X took the full brunt of the attacks and launched himself at the Maximals, knocking them both back with a backhand.

Rattrap got up, seeing Megatron X walking towards him ominously. Quickly, he slammed his staff into the ground. Vines rapidly shot out through the floor and wrapped themselves around Megatron X. The small Maximal leaped on top of the Megatron lookalike, preparing to put a paralysis spell on the monster with a strike of his scepter. Megatron X, however, broke free of the vines and grabbed Rattrap by the head with one hand, throwing him against the wall.

Two swords spun through the air like twin boomerangs, cutting Megatron X from behind, causing him to howl. The two cutlass blades swung back to Depth Charge who grabbed them both and spun them together again, generating a second wave of blue energy which struck the sub-boss.

As Depth Charge blasted away at Megatron with his attacks, Rattrap looked up to see the Holy Crossbow hanging above his head. It was one of the game's most powerful weapons and one that could be fused with any existing weapon.

Megatron X took the blast and fired back through his own arm-mounted blaster. The purple shot blasted its way through the blue Maximal's energy wave, striking Depth Charge in the chest and knocking him down. The gaming sprite flew over to Depth Charge and picked him up by the back of the neck.

"It seems that I am victorious," Megatron X declared triumphantly.

"Not so fast, Mega-sprite!"

Megatron X turned around. Rattrap held both the Crossbow of Light and his red mage scepter together. He threw his scepter. The weapon fell down on top of the Crossbow, fusing with it.

Rattrap fired. The red-tipped arrow flew across the air right towards Megatron X's forehead. Megatron X, however, caught it with one hand.

"Not even close," snarled Megatron X.

Still in Megatron's grip, Depth Charge sprung back into action, planting both feet into Megatron X, knocking the sub-boss back. As Depth Charge rolled away, Rattrap fired again. This time the explosive shot went straight through Megatron's stomach, leaving a gaping hole in its wake.

Depth Charge and Rattrap combined the power of both their weapons, firing at once. The second shot blasted right through Megatron X, leaving behind nothing but a smoking mechanoid skeleton of the Predacon sprite.

"Too bad," Tarantulas got up from his seat. "And I had so many plans for Megatron X too…"

"Okay Tarantulas," Rattrap said to the spider-bot. "We played 'yer dumb game enough. Time to let us go!"

Tarantulas replied by ripping off his black mage cloak and surrounded himself with a surge of orange electricity. As this orange energy surged through his body, Tarantulas pointed both hands forward, firing. Depth Charge and Rattrap leaped aside to avoid the shot.

"Not just yet, heh heh," Tarantulas chuckled. "There's one boss left."

Depth Charge crossed both swords over the over, unleashing a blast of flames which struck Tarantulas. Unfazed, Tarantulas absorbed the fires into his own power.

"In the realm of cyber-space, I reign supreme," he told Depth Charge.

Rattrap pointed his Crossbow of Light at Tarantulas firing. Tarantulas phased into an intangible form, allowing the arrow to go right through him.

"I make all the rules!" Tarantulas sneered.

From his hands, a blast of orange energy erupted, blasting Rattrap several yards across the throne room.

As Depth Charge attacked Tarantulas, the same thing occurred. The large Maximals was thrown clear across the air until he crashed into a portrait against the wall.

"Any ideas how to stop him?" asked Depth Charge.

"Yeah, hit 'em with everything we got!"

Depth Charge threw both swords as boomerangs. The twin blades struck Tarantulas across the chest, causing no damage. Rattrap leaped up and shot a second arrow at Tarantulas. Instead of travelling in a linear direction, the arrow split into five other arrows which struck the floor near Tarantulas, effectively trapping him in a sort of cage. On cue, the five of them exploded while encircled around the Predacon.

However, once the smoke had cleared, Tarantulas appeared unscathed.

An orange energy whip appeared in the Predacon's hands. Tarantulas swung, lashing Rattrap and Depth Charge across the chest, damaging them heavily. He lashed out again, this time grabbing Rattrap across the neck with it and swinging him around and around. Tarantulas released him, slamming the smaller Maximal into Depth Charge, knocking the both down.

Not giving the two a moment of respite, Tarantulas unleashed another energy blast from both hands, causing the ground beneath them to explode. The ensuing explosion slammed the two into several suits of armor, scattering them all about.

"This ain't going well…" muttered Rattrap.

Tarantulas appeared before Rattrap, holding a sword over him. Before he could strike, Depth Charge slammed into him from the side.

"You want to be the first to die?" Tarantulas chuckled, "Be my guest, hah hah!"

Depth Charge struck at Tarantulas who blocked the strike easily with his own Sword of Zarathustra.

Not intending to give up the fight, Depth Charge struck at Tarantulas again and again with both cutlasses, this time from different angles. All of the blows, however, were either evaded by or countered by Tarantulas easily.

As Rattrap watched the hopeless fight, he suddenly remembered it. There was a special code of ethics among players when they joined together in a guild. If one member betrayed another member of the guild, there were always recriminations.

With a single blow, Tarantulas knocked the twin blades out of Depth Charge's hands. After that, he threw the sword straight into the air. While the sword spun in the air, Tarantulas' entire body surged with orange energy. He punched Depth Charge across the face twice, then compounded it by striking the Maximal twice again in the stomach. The spider-bot then blasted Depth Charge in the chest with a surge of energy, flooring him. As the sword fell down, Tarantulas caught it and raised it over Depth Charge, ready to go for the impalement at a moment's notice.

Suddenly, several vines surrounded Tarantulas, wrapping him up into the air and throwing him.

Tarantulas hit the wall, falling down. As he looked up, he saw Rattrap standing in front of him.

"You wanna destroy me?" Rattrap offered himself with both arms. "I'm right here, big guy."

Without even thinking, Tarantulas grabbed his sword, thrusting it right at the Maximal's spark.

All of a sudden, it stopped. The tip reached Rattrap's chest, shattering on the spot. Now sword-less, Tarantulas gasped in surprise.

"Back when you didn't know it was me," Rattrap reminded Tarantulas. "You and I made a pact with each other, remember?"

Now in shock, Tarantulas remembered the Charter Agreement between members of their Mage Guild. Whoever betrayed a fellow mage would have all his powers stripped. And back then, he did not even take that into consideration when he teamed up with Rattrap.

"No!" cried Tarantulas as all his powers began leaving his body.

His former powers surrounded Rattrap, lifting him up and surrounding him with an enormous suit of golden armor.

"Hey Tarantulas," Rattrap towered over the now powerless Tarantulas. "Know what's funny? If you weren't the back-stabbin' snake you were, I'd say we could've been good friends."

This time, Rattrap meant it. Over the past few months, he had come to view _purplepeopleeater19_ as a good online buddy. But now that meant nothing.

Rattrap let loose, driving his fist into the face of Tarantulas over and over. A final punch sent the Predacon spider flying across the room.

Tarantulas reached into his leg compartment, taking out his cyber-venom pistol, attempting to fire it. In his state of desperation, he had forgotten that the rules of his own world did not apply to this. The gun merely clicked harmlessly every time he pressed down on the trigger.

Rattrap raised the golden Shield of Medusa, pointing the center of the shield at Tarantulas, unleashing a ray which froze Tarantulas, turning him to stone. After that, Rattrap took out the Crossbow of Light, arching it forward and firing a light-filled arrow which pierced Tarantulas through the chest, destroying his body utterly in one shot. The ensuing explosion brought out the horrified scream of Tarantulas which lingered in the air momentarily before disappearing.

Turning around, Rattrap granted Depth Charge a healing spell, mending all his wounds. Depth Charge got up, dusting himself off.

"Nice work," he complimented Rattrap.

"Thanks," Rattrap replied, smiling.

Just then, a portal opened before them.

"Rattrap, Depth Charge!" Optimus Primal's voice came through. "We found a way to bring you back! Hurry and go through!"

"Well, looks like it's goodbye to the world of cyber-space," Rattrap noted. "Gotta admit, I'm gonna miss this place."

"Somehow, I prefer the real world," Depth Charge disagreed.

The two of them leaped through the portal. After a few kliks of reprocessing their binary code back into metal, the two found themselves before the Maximals and the two human siblings.

"You're back!" cried Jack.

"How was it in there?" asked Luna.

"Ask the expert," Depth Charge pointed at Rattrap.

"It took us a while but we finally found a way to reverse the process which got you into cyber-space in the first place," explained Rhinox. "Mind telling us what you saw in there?"

"Yeah, I'm interested too," added Cheetor.

"Well," Rattrap told the interested listeners. "It all began when I was in 'da thick of it all—"

"Here it comes," Depth Charge muttered, realizing the self-indulgence and self-aggrandizement which Rattrap would add to the story.

* * *

From his trans-mat station, Tarantulas emerged from the machine, highly damaged from his humiliating defeat.

In anger, he grabbed onto one of his control bars, breaking it furiously. Furthermore, he punched right through one of his own screens in anger.

Then he saw the source of it all. Pressing down furiously on the button, Tarantulas opened up his CD-ROM, taking out the Arkadium Online disc he had. In blazing passion he threw it to the ground, stomping on it repeatedly until it was fragmented completely.

His actions did not go unnoticed. Jetstorm, who just happened to be cruising by, stopped by the door and watched him. He recognized the disc that Tarantulas was destroying.

"Chill dude," Jetstorm told Tarantulas. "It's just a game."

"Raaaagh!" Tarantulas grabbed his gun and pointed it at Jetstorm.

Jetstorm backed away, frightened.

"Okay, okay," he said. "I'm leaving!"

After finally catching his breath, Tarantulas started breathing more normally again. He looked down. His copy of Arkadium Online was now shattered.

Having finally collected himself, Tarantulas sat down on his chair. Perhaps online games were no longer his thing.

Rummaging through his gaming bin, he found what he was looking for, _Alloy Gear Solid: Solid Spider_. Tarantulas popped the game in and sat back, taking his controller and finally relaxing, forgetting about all his earlier troubles.

"Aye, that's the rub!" he stated, immersing himself in the gaming world once more.


	61. House of Predacus I

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_House of Predacus I – Fires from Above_

"Dinobot, where do I put these canisters?" asked Jetstorm.

The Predacon jet, Strika, and Ravage were hard at work, loading and piling up containers which they had gathered. They were in New York City, the cosmopolitan capital of not just the United States, but practically the entire world.

Dinobot directed Jetstorm towards their shuttle. The fuel cells they had were also in need of loading.

From below was Times Square. They were in that city for one particular reason. It was here where the United Nations was stationed. It was here that Megatron would make his bid for world domination. After a long time of preparation, it was decided that the time for conquest was here and now.

"Now, on Megatron's signal, we will begin," Dinobot told the Predacon troops.

"Not today Dinobot."

Dinobot turned around. Optimus Primal flew down and landed, alongside Cheetor, Rattrap, and Rhinox.

"You will not interrupt our plans!" Dinobot hissed, baring his teeth.

Cheetor and Rhinox both charged, tackling Dinobot, bringing him towards the edge of the building. Dinobot regained his footing and kicked Rhinox off of him in one blow. Before Dinobot could retaliate against Cheetor, the golden Maximal punched Dinobot with enough force to knock him off that building.

As Dinobot fell, Cheetor transformed to beast mode, flying down. Unfortunately for him, Dinobot had no flight mode and at this distance, he would hit the ground hard. But Cheetor had more than that in mind. He was set on payback.

Cheetor slammed into Dinobot in mid-air, crashing into him and falling with him into the ground where they smashed into the concrete with such an explosive impact that a few cars were knocked back from the collision. Everywhere, people began panicking and running away from the scene.

The two of them got up. A fall from that height would have killed any human. But they were far more than that. Unwinding with savage fury, Cheetor punched Dinobot viciously across the face. Dinobot stumbled back, still dazed from the fall. Cheetor launched multiple blows across Dinobot's face, then he spinned around and kicked Dinobot, sending the Predacon flying into a taxi cab. The taxi was knocked over immediately from the force of a large Transmetal Two body smashing into it.

Up above, Optimus met Jetstorm in combat. He had hoped to avoid getting the human world involved but now he had no choice. He unlocked the missile launchers on his shoulders, shooting at Jetstorm who immediately returned fire.

Rhinox clashed with Strika, both of them slamming into one another, pressing against each other for an advantage. Strika was far more powerful than any femme-bot he had ever seen before so Rhinox wasn't about to underestimate her. In the meantime, Rattrap un-holstered his gun and fired at Ravage who took out his nightsticks and blocked the shots.

On the ground, Cheetor and Dinobot were still going at it. Dinobot planted both feet into Cheetor, kicking the cat through a store's windows. As Dinobot closed in on him, Cheetor noticed that he was inside a music shop. Once Dinobot got close enough, Cheetor grabbed onto a guitar, swinging it hard enough to knock Dinobot back out onto the streets again. He them grabbed onto an entire piano, leaping out of the store and smashing it down on Dinobot. The entire piano was smashed to pieces in one shot as Dinobot fell down.

Cheetor leaped on top of Dinobot, unleashing punch after punch. After about the fifth or sixth one, Dinobot grabbed Cheetor's incoming fist with one hand, then snapping it back with his second hand.

As Cheetor howled in pain, Dinobot's tail sprang to life, erupting into a fearsome pincher claw. The claw on Dinobot's tail grabbed Cheetor from behind his neck, throwing him off.

Now Dinobot was furious. He charged, driving his fist into Cheetor's stomach. He slammed Cheetor's across the back of the neck with a knife hand, dazing the Maximal even further. Then he drove a knee into Cheetor's stomach, this time taking the wind out of the cat once more. The raptor-bot grabbed Cheetor by his arm and dragged him forward, slamming him into a nearby pickup truck, then grabbing him by the back of the head again and slamming Cheetor's forehead into the side of a marble building.

Repeatedly he slammed Cheetor's face into that building until Cheetor struck back, driving his open elbow into Dinobot's chin. The blow stunned Dinobot momentarily. It was enough time to Cheetor to rip a metal street post from off the cement sidewalk and swing, striking Dinobot across the face. This sent Dinobot flying across the street until he hit a moving police vehicle, knocking it over. However, Dinobot got back up, clearly not yet finished.

"Mayday!" the police officer surrounding the carnage yelled. "Requesting more backup!"

Cheetor took out his gun but Dinobot was just a bit faster. An optic blast erupted from Dinobot's laser lense and struck Cheetor to the side of the stomach. Cheetor cried in pain and spun around, falling to the floor. Ignoring the pain, got leaped right back up to face his rival.

"What do you say we end this?" Cheetor beckoned.

"Gladly!" smiled Dinobot.

The two combatants charged. Just before they could clash, a large ship materialized out of the sky.

"That was your plan?" Cheetor stopped what he was doing.

"No, not ours," Dinobot seemed equally as confused as Cheetor.

Up above, the Maximals and Predacons stopped what they were doing and looked up as well.

"What's going on?" demanded Optimus.

"What in the heck is that?" the police officer below wondered.

Out of the sky, several more large ships materialized. They were all battle-class Predacon warships, judging from the symbol on their sides.

"By the Matrix…" Optimus gasped.

"Predacons? Here?" Rhinox was alarmed as well.

From the ships, hundreds of thousands of Predacon seekers emerged, flying across the city and sending it into an even bigger panic than previously.

A few of the Seekers flew at Optimus, firing at him. Optimus took out his maces, deflecting several shots. Still, however, he was forced back.

"Maximals, regroup and retreat!" he ordered.

There was no way they could take on and fight this many Predacons at this point.

"This ain't over," Cheetor told Dinobot, then transformed to flight mode and flew off to pick up Rattrap.

The skies, however, were filled with Predacons. Optimus picked up Rhinox while Cheetor picked up Rattrap. Hot on their trails were the Predacons seekers who blasted at them. There seemed almost no means of escape.

Rattrap looked down.

"Down there!" he pointed out.

The Maximals flew down to the sewer lid Rattrap had pointed to. Cheetor grabbed the sewer lid, yanked it off, and threw it at the nearest Seeker, knocking him over. Rhinox pummeled the human-sized manhole with a punch, making an even bigger hole to fit them. In the face of an increasing barrage of Predacon firepower, the four Maximals leaped into the sewers, making their escape.

The Predacon Seekers landed. Their leader stepped forth. He was a white and blue Predacon Seeker with a medallion on his chest.

"I'm not going down there," Moonstalker declared, voicing his disgust at the conditions of the sewer he saw.

* * *

"Look at them and how they run," Zaraxes looked at his monitor screen.

In Asia and in places like Tokyo, entire cities with large skyscrapers were being overrun by Predacon forces. In Africa, tribesmen could only stare on helplessly as battalions of Predacon tanks entered into their lands. The Middle East also faced the same as entire troops of Predacons moved across their capitals and their deserts. In Europe, various Predacon hordes entered into the cities, flying across such famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Azure sat at the other end of the table. Towards the middle was a young, child-like Predacon whose size was significantly smaller than theirs. He was Ixa, Predacon child genius of the Royal House of Severus Predacus. Together, the three of them composed the new Tripredacus Council.

"I simply can't believe it was this easy," Zaraxes sighed.

"This will be even easier than Cybertron," Azure smiled. "These organic creatures possess no technology rivaling our own."

"I want this planet for myself once we're done for it!" Ixa declared impatiently. "You two never involve me in the important decision-making!"

"Did we have to make Ixa a Council-member?" Azure sighed.

"Given the circumstances, there was no other qualified candidate," Zaraxes told her. "Ixa stays whether we like it or not."

"Hahaha!" Ixa sneered at Azure, laughing obnoxiously.

"Remember, the primary goal of our mission is to grant our master new life," Zaraxes reminded them. "Everything else is icing on the energon cake."

After saying that, the door slid open. Moonstalker walked in to make his report.

"Good evening milady," he kissed Azure's hand. She giggled as Ixa made a gagging expression.

"You have news for us?" asked Zaraxes.

"During my scouting mission, I encountered something on this planet you wouldn't believe," Moonstalker replied.

"What is it?" asked Ixa impatiently.

"Maximals," Moonstalker answered without wavering.

"Oh?" Zaraxes smiled.

* * *

After having travelled for several miles on foot, the four Maximals finally emerged from the sewers near the coast.

"Predacons in New York?" Rattrap was incredulous. "How'd they get all the way to earth?"

"Last I checked, the Preds didn't even know where earth is," Cheetor added.

Before Optimus could say anything, an incoming transmission came in from Tigatron.

From all the way on the other side of the world, Tigatron and Airazor gazed at the Predacon troops in Tokyo from Mount Fuji. They had already marched into the cities and overwhelmed the local police and military. Fearfully, the Japanese people could do nothing as multiple Predacon squadrons made their way across the streets.

"We have a situation here," Tigatron told Optimus.

He and Airazor stood over the unconscious bodies of three Predacons they had taken out.

"Yeah, Predacons are all over Japan," Airazor included. "And quite possibly all over the continent."

"Is there any way you could make it here?" asked Rhinox.

"Unfortunately no," Tigatron said. "There are too many Predacons here patrolling the cities, the beaches, and even the country-sides. All airplane flights and other means of electronic communication have been cut."

"The only thing Tigatron and I can do is take part in hit-and-run tactics when we see them in small numbers," Airazor told them sadly. "We can't assist you where you are. I'm sorry."

"Understood," Optimus replied. "Whatever you do, do not attempt to engage them in the open. And be careful."

"We hear you," Tigatron responded with equal sadness. "Be careful as well, all of you."

After that, the line connecting them to Tigatron and Airazor was cut, leaving only four of the Maximals remaining.

"What can the four of us do?" Rhinox asked doubtfully.

"We kick their tails, that's what we do!" Cheetor growled forcefully.

"Kid, in case you haven't noticed, they've got over millions of troops all lined up to take this planet," Rattrap pointed out. "I dunno about you, but I don't think those odds speak well for our favor."

"Let me try to contact Depth Charge," Optimus tried opening his com-link.

Suddenly, a bright laser struck the ground where they stood. As the Maximals looked up, seven Predacons in hover bikes came down, circling them.

"Look what we got here!" one of the Predacon bikers snorted. "A bunch of Maximals!"

"Didn't expect to find your kind in this backwater little planet," another biker laughed. "Ha hah hah!"

Unexpectedly, a blue blur flew right into the circle. Depth Charge, in flight mode, turned around and struck one of the Predacon bikers with his tail and knocked him straight off his ride. He transformed to robot mode, firing a shot which destroyed the hover bike of another Predacon. That Predacon fell down and crashed head-first into the ground.

The other Maximals saw their cut and attacked. At once Optimus slammed into one of the bikers with his flying surf-board, taking him down. Rattrap and Rhinox both fired simultaneously, destroying two other bikers with well-placed shots, knocking those Predacons down from the air as well.

In a stunning display of agility and acrobatics, Cheetor leaped into the air at a height the remaining Predacon did not expect of him. He planted his foot into that Predacon's chest, taking him out with a single blow. In no time at all, the small Predacon scout group were on the floor.

"I came as soon as I saw what was going on," explained Depth Charge. "I didn't think the entire planet would be under siege by Predacons."

"Depth Charge," asked Optimus. "You went back to Cybertron with Cheetor and Rattrap. Did you find out anything there about some kind of invasion?"

"No," Depth Charge shook his head. "We never found out anything about this. I didn't even think the Preds on Cybertron knew about this planet."

"Well they're here somehow," Optimus looked towards the darkened skies. "And I have a feeling that they're not about to leave anytime soon…"

* * *

"Master, have you made contact?" asked Dinobot.

"Yes, they should be arriving shortly," Megatron nodded.

He stood there with Dinobot, Obsidian, and Strika. The four Predacon Earth residents anticipated the arrival of the flagship soon enough. From the darkened skies, a massive battleship appeared and came forth. It was one of the biggest ships Megatron had ever seen, easily rivaling the Nemesis in size, scope, and power.

From the ship, a blue beam surged into the ground, revealing three Predacons. One of them was a femme-bot while the other two were males, one being the older leader of the group while the other was little more than a Predacon adolescent. All three of them, however, were significantly dwarfed by Megatron who towered over all of them.

"I remember seeing you from before!" Azure pointed out. "You're Megatron!"

"What gave me away?" asked Megatron.

"Your face, haha!" Ixa cackled.

Megatron was not sure whether he should have felt flattered or insulted by that.

"Greetings Megatron," Zaraxes introduced himself. "I am Zaraxes and these are Ixa and Azure. We are now the new members of the Tripredacus Council."

"I see, and what happened to the old Council?" asked Megatron with a hint of glee to his voice.

He had never liked the Tripredacus Council and just the simple news that they were now gone was enough to stir that giddy feeling in his spark.

"They are gone," Zaraxes replied, lowering his head. "They were betrayed and killed by a treacherous former lieutenant who goes by the name of Tarantulas."

"Tarantulas?" muttered Megatron in pleasant surprise. "Oh my…"

"You know this Tarantulas?" asked Azure.

"I do not," Megatron lied, "though I have heard rather shocking and lewd stories about his character."

"Tell me, how long have you been on this planet?" asked Zaraxes.

"Long enough," Megatron sighed, "ever since the Maximals chased me here."

"No doubt due to your theft of the golden discs," pointed out Zaraxes.

"I prefer to think of it as borrowing," Megatron smiled.

"I know what you may be thinking," Zaraxes told Megatron. "You think we're just like the old Tripredacus Council. But the new Predacon Alliance is nothing like that. Cybertron is under our control and we would like to offer you a place in our new society."

After a brief moment of contemplation, Megatron decided to consider it. Being a part of mainstream Predacon society again was something he had always longed for. Besides, what better way to take over Cybertron than to do it from within the safe confines of a Predacon ruling class?

"Tell me more," Megatron beckoned.

* * *

"I can't contact Silverbolt," Optimus told his companions. "He must be facing the same problems in Europe that Tigatron and Airazor are facing."

The five of them were standing atop a mountain far away from the city. The problem they faced was global, as the Predacon invasion had taken the entire world. What had to be done was to find a plan on somehow ending the invasion.

"Eh, who needs him?" snorted Rattrap. "He and 'dat spider-dame are probably drinking energon champagne while the Preds take 'da City of Love by storm."

"Rattrap!" Rhinox looked at Rattrap sternly for his inappropriate remark. "That was uncalled for!"

"Hey," protested Rattrap. "How is it unfair? Silverbolt turned his back on us, so I got every right to turn my back on him!"

Depth Charge ignored Rattrap and went to Rhinox for some questions.

"Is there any other help we could get?" he asked. "What about that ant-bot down in the jungles?"

"Inferno's a bit rough around the edges," Optimus answered. "And he's a bit of loose cannon."

"Didn't stop you from requesting my help," Depth Charge pointed out.

"Good point," conceded Optimus. "We could ask him for help if he's available."

* * *

"This just in," the news anchor spoke into the camera. "The rainforests of the Amazon are under siege. Having just placed our world under submission, the newly arrived aliens have begun extracting Earth's resources, taking whatever they deem valuable at the expense of humanity."

The Predacon seekers flew from above her, seemingly unconcerned with the organic human beings below them.

"Wait, there appears to be a fight of sorts," the anchor turned around.

To her shock, a giant red ant emerged from the ground, shrieking horrifically.

"Aaaaahhh!" she screamed, running away.

"How dare you defile the Colony!" screamed Inferno. "I swear upon word of the Royalty I shall make you burn!"

He transformed to robot mode, launching himself towards the Predacons with his rocket boosters.

"Whoa, what the heck is that?" the Seekers looked down.

Inferno leaped on top of one of them, knocking him out of balance. He turned around, firing two shots. The blasts struck the other two Seekers, bringing them down from the sky. Multiple Seekers attacked him, firing at him.

Inferno dodged the blasts, firing back. One after another, he shot down Seeker after Seeker. Finally, after having taken down the last of the two dozen Seekers, he landed.

A transmission was coming in for him.

"Speak," he spoke into his com-link.

"Inferno, this is Optimus Primal."

"What do you want, Primal?" demanded Inferno.

"If you can hear me, this probably means the Predacon invasion has reached your part of the world," Optimus said to him. "This is happening the world over."

"Feh, you wish for my assistance?"

"This is not a request," Optimus replied sternly. "This is a cold-hard fact. If you don't realize we're all in this together, this entire world, along with your Colony, will suffer."

Inferno looked around at the fallen Predacon troops before his feet. If what Optimus Primal said was true, then he may not have any other choice, despite his antipathy towards working on any sort of team. If what Primal said was indeed correct, then it would only be a matter of time before his Colony would be destroyed once the Predacons were done with other parts of earth.

"Where are your coordinates?" he asked Optimus.

* * *

Up and down the hall way Zaraxes walked. He was in the _Hyperion_, the biggest warship of the Predacon Armada. They were in his personal quarters, a room of sizeable quality and filled to the brim with priceless Cybertronian artifacts and treasures. He had always been an avid collector of these rare cultural items. Near the wall mounted in glass was the arm-cannon that the original Megatron had used. Next to the arm-cannon was a small metal bust of Shockwave, another brilliant warrior and tactician from that ancient era.

To his right were five warriors. They were his elite soldiers, chosen and handpicked for the special services they had been granted.

"Attention!" he called out.

"Razorbeast, reporting for duty!" a small red Predacon announced. He had the beast mode of a red warthog.

"Shadowlord!"

"Silverstreak!"

"Hanuman!"

"Metalborg!"

"I see that you five have attained the forms of this planet's inhabitants," Zaraxes noted.

Flanked next to Razorbeast was Shadowlord, a Predacon covered from head to toe in sharp, black armor. His beast mode was based off that of a raven. Besides Shadowlord was Silverstreak, a fast and thin looking 'bot with the beast mode of gray fox. The one named Hanuman balanced himself on one hand, looking quite limber and agile. He was a monkey. And the last one remaining was fearsome looking beetle.

"With these forms we hope to serve you better," Razorbeast told Zaraxes. "If our new forms are displeasing to you, we shall revert back to vehicle modes."

"No, there is no need," Zaraxes raised a hand. "You are fine as you are. All I require from you five is the ability to hunt down and sniff out a few pests on this planet."

"What kind of pests are we talking about here?" asked Hanuman, who began scratching himself.

The other Predacons looked at him with a degree of disgust. Of all the beast modes they had attained, he was a special exception. To some extent, his beast mode was able to dominate his habits more than his robot mode.

"That's disgusting, you know?" Shadowlord grimaced.

"Sorry, I can't help myself," Hanuman gave a weak smile.

"I'm talking about pests of the Maximal kind," Zaraxes informed them.

"Maximals? Here?" Metalborg looked confused. "How was it that they arrived?"

"These Maximals are mere scientists who pursued Megatron to this planet," Zaraxes answered. "They should be no problem for you."

"In that case, let's get a move on!" Silverstreak declared.

Almost faster than lightning, he blasted out of the room at a speed so great, the others were hardly even able to keep up with him. The others soon followed; only Razorbeast lingered behind briefly.

"What about you, sir?" he asked.

"I will be preparing my speech before the nations of this world," Zaraxes looked at himself in a mirror. "I will tell the world's leaders my terms and they will obey. It's funny… Cybertronian society is only divided into Maximal and Predacon. This planet is fragmented into hundreds of thousands of factions and countries. This takeover is going to be easier than I thought."

* * *

"Having completed their conquest of the entire world, these strange new alien invaders have stationed themselves at the United Nations building in New York City," the television reporter announced. "It is believed that in front of the world's nations, these aliens will make their demands here."

"It's all over the world now!" Luna turned off her television set.

"Where we are, the Preds haven't come," Jack told the Maximals. "Our neighborhood doesn't have the resources or technology they need."

"Still, we can't stay here and burden you for too long," Optimus said to the children.

"Yeah, this is an ongoing crisis," Rhinox pointed out.

"C'mon guys, just stay a bit longer," pleaded Jack. "We'll find some way of dealing with this, I promise!"

"The longer we stay here, 'da more you're at risk," Rattrap told the two kids. "We've gotta leave soon."

"This invasion is even bigger than that Vok one from a few years ago," Luna reminded them. "The Vok came to destroy the planet. The Predacons came here to occupy it."

"Jack, Luna!" their parents' voice cried out from upstairs. "What's that noise we hear?"

"Uh oh, mom and dad are coming," Luna gulped.

"If they see you, they'll flip," Jack told them.

"We'd better go then," Optimus nodded towards the other Maximals.

* * *

The trip to back to New York had been long and uneventful. The Axalon had been fitted with a special cloaking device to escape Predacon detection. They had parked several miles away from New York itself, in the woods. Now that they were back in the city, they still remained apprehensive. After all, how could one hope to fight an entire army?

There were no more people in Times Square. The entire place had been evacuated.

"Remember, we stick to the shadows," Optimus told the Maximals. "Don't get into any unnecessary conflicts."

"Easier said than done," Cheetor muttered. "We stick out like a sore thumb."

"What's the first plan of action?" Rattrap asked.

Rhinox took out a small holographic camera. He turned it on to reveal the United Nations building.

"The main Predacon forces are stationed around here," he explained. "All the world leaders are being held hostages in this building. We'll have to get there first."

"What next?" Rattrap shook his head. "Negotiate with the Preds? You know they ain't into diplomacy."

"Where the world leaders are being held, the Predacon leaders of this invasion will also be there," Optimus pointed out.

Suddenly, the sound of an explosion alerted them.

They looked out from behind the alley they were in. Inferno was there, fighting against a small battalion of Predacon tanks. These tanks were more heavily armored than the typical Predacon infantries. But that did not stop Inferno from firing at them wildly. A shot erupted from one of their cannons, splitting open the ground beneath Inferno. Inferno flew up, firing back with a steady stream of flames.

"Oh for 'da love of Primus, why does he have to be here?" groaned Rattrap.

"He still needs our help!" Optimus took out his gun and charged into battle.

One of the Predacon tank troops transformed to robot mode, firing a salvo which struck Inferno in the chest, knocking him down. He towered over Inferno with his gun, ready to fire a second time.

From out of the blue, Optimus slammed into him, knocking him away from the fire ant.

"Primal, you're here!" Inferno was surprised

"You're welcome," Optimus replied sardonically.

Cheetor and Rhinox, both in beast mode, plowed into the Predacon tanks, scattering them in all directions. After transforming to robot mode, Cheetor attacked them, punching and kicking his way through them one after another. Soon, Depth Charge had entered the fray as well. In no time at all, the Predacon tank squad had been defeated.

Depth Charge walked up to one of the fallen soldiers and picked him up by the scruff of his collar.

"Where are the leaders of this invasion?" he demanded.

"Down there," the Predacon groaned in pain.

Rattrap looked at Inferno, their newest addition.

"Well, 'dat makes six of us," he remarked.

"Six still won't be enough," Rhinox shook his head. "We'll need an entire Maximal army to deal with this kind of crisis."

Suddenly, a bolt of silver and white launched itself across the streets, punching Cheetor and Inferno with enough force to send them flying across the sidewalk.

"Who did that?" demanded Cheetor, after getting up.

"We did," Silverstreak turned around, kicking dust up from his heels.

The Maximals saw several new Predacons standing on top of the roof. They were different from the other, more mundane troops, being specially outfitted with their own designs and beast modes.

"Whoever you are, I see you got beast modes as well," Optimus commented.

"We've been ordered to hunt down and exterminate the Maximals on this planet," Shadowlord informed them. "And we won't stop until the six of you are in the scrap heap."

"Why have you come here?" pressed Optimus. "How did you find out about Earth?"

"That's none of your concern!" Metalborg growled.

In an instant, all the cars and street signs rose in the air around them.

"What da—?" Rattrap looked up in alarm.

"Our powers were augmented for this invasion!" Shadowlord informed them. "A higher power saw fit to make us his elect!"

Shadowlord flew down, black energies emanating from him. From his body, black tendrils emerged. They grabbed onto Depth Charge and flung him into the side of a building.

Depth Charge got up. "What are you?"

More black tendrils made of dark energy emerged from Shadowlord. They enveloped themselves around Depth Charge and threw him into a truck.

"Oh!" Hanuman leaped up and down, pointing at Optimus. "Let me take the monkey!"

"Birds of a feather…" Razorbeast shook his head.

Hanuman leaped down, taking out his metal bo. He swung it around his body gracefully before striking at Optimus Primal. Primal blocked the incoming blow with his mace and struck back. Hanuman blocked the strike in return by shifting his bo to the right. For a moment, the two combatants struggled against each other.

Rattrap pointed his gun at Hanuman but was knocked aside by a powerful force. As he stared up, he saw Razorbeast in front of him with the beast mode of a wild boar. Razorbeast snorted and charged again. This time Rattrap rolled aside to avoid being gored.

Try as he might, Cheetor could not land a single blow on Silverstreak. The fox-bot was simply too fast for him to hit. Cheetor spun around with a leaping wheel kick but Silverstreak simply tilted his head to the side to avoid it. Somehow, this Predacon had attained a form of super speed greater than his own.

"My turn!" Silverstreak turned to the offensive.

The smaller Predacon drove his fist into Cheetor's stomach. Then he punched Cheetor multiple times, taking care to land each blow on a different part of his body. As Cheetor fell back, Silverstreak ran at full speed, pummeling Cheetor with a blow so fast that it nearly snapped his neck.

Cheetor got hold of himself but another blow to his back knocked him flat on his face. These punches were not the hardest he had ever taken but sooner or later they would have their effect if he did not take Silverstreak down.

Silverstreak stood before Cheetor, kicking him in the side. Cheetor clawed at him but Silverstreak quickly bounded out of the way. He waited until Cheetor got up and then pounded him with a barrage of punches, running around the Maximal in circles.

Razorbeast rolled across the ground, picking up a trash can lid and holding it as a shield while several of Rattrap's blasts struck it.

"I urge you to surrender!" he called out.

"Surrender?" Rattrap snorted. "How 'bout you guys leave and call off 'yer little Predacon vacation?"

"Can't do that," Razorbeast sighed. "Orders are orders."

Rhinox felt himself being lifted into the air as if by some invisible force. He was promptly thrown into a van. Above him floated a beetle-like Predacon clad in blue armor.

"I control all metal!" Metalborg informed Rhinox. "There is no resisting me!"

"We'll see about that!" Rhinox took out both chain guns and fired.

The machine gun bullets shot towards Metalborg at full speed but stopped at the last second. Thousands of machine gun bullets floated in the air. With a gesture of his finger, Metalborg sent all the bullets flying back to their source. Alarmed, Rhinox quickly yanked the door off a car to use as a shield. Some of the bullets he managed to stop but the others struck him in his legs and in his arms.

"Aaagh!" shouted Rhinox, falling down after the last hail of bullets struck him.

* * *

"We refuse!" the South African ambassador protested. "Your demands cannot be met!"

Zaraxes stood in the room with Azure and Ixa by his side. He had counted on the beings on this planet to stubbornly refuse.

"We are involved in an intergalactic war with robots far more ruthless than ourselves, the Maximals," Zaraxes told them. "If we do not place your planet under protection, they will surely come and place your planet under even harsher jurisdiction."

"Then why are your Predacons occupying our planet by force of arms?" demanded Japan's top diplomat.

"Yes, we demand that you leave!" a representative from India spoke up as well.

"Do not act foolishly," Zaraxes warned them. "We will only stay temporarily until we are sure the threat of the Maximals is gone permanently."

"Just what are these Maximals?" demanded the ambassador from Paris. "We do not even know what they look like."

Before Zaraxes could answer, several Predacon troops rushed in.

"Sir, your elite troops are currently engaging the Maximals," they informed him.

Zaraxes turned back to the diplomats. "Excuse me for a moment."

He walked away, leaving behind hundreds of frustrated and seething ambassadors.

"This isn't over!" the US Ambassador shouted at Zaraxes as he was leaving. "You still have much to answer for!"

"I'll deal with you humans later," the Predacon glanced back furtively before exiting.

* * *

The battle was not going well. Cheetor was still standing but none of his punches were connecting. At near supersonic speeds, Silverstreak pummeled him with multiple blows. They hit Cheetor over and over again until Cheetor fell down to both knees.

Silverstreak rushed at him again but unexpectedly, Cheetor extended his tail forward, tripping Silverstreak. The Predacon fox sailed across the air until he hit a lamppost.

"Gotcha," Cheetor smiled weakly.

Seething angrily at being duped like that, Silverstreak came in, punching Cheetor with a powerful uppercut that knocked him flat on his back.

Nearby, Shadowlord was dragging Depth Charge into a black void which formed in his chest. The blue Maximal struggled against it, firing shot after shot at the raven-bot. Finally, Shadowlord dragged Depth Charge inside that dark void.

"Torturing this one should be amusing," he mused. "With the amount of darkness in this one's spark, turning him to our side should be most fun."

Suddenly, a hand erupted from his chest, grabbing him by the throat. Slowly, Depth Charge emerged from the dark void.

"How did you resist?" Shadowlord gasped as the Maximal held him.

"I've been to the edge of darkness and back!" Depth Charge growled. "Your cheap tricks won't work on me!"

With that, Depth Charge drove his knuckles into Shadowlord's face, knocking the Predacon to the floor.

While that was going on, Rhinox was being held in the air by Metalborg. The magnetic Predacon had him loftily floating in the air. Metalborg lifted himself up into the air, meeting Rhinox face to face.

"What shall I do with you, hmm?" he smiled. "I could crush all your internal circuitry with a mere gesture."

Rhinox looked around rapidly, seeking a means of escape. Then he saw a gas truck from behind them. Because he was being held by magnetism, he realized with his quick thinking and years of scientific experience that he, too, had taken on some magnetic properties.

"Computer, reverse magnetic polarities!" Rhinox ordered.

"Hah hah hah! This isn't going to help you," Metalborg laughed. "You're still in my grip!"

"Look behind you," Rhinox pointed out.

"Ha, oldest trick in the book!" chuckled Metalborg.

Rhinox smiled. The truck that had sailed through the air crashed right into Metalborg from behind at full force thanks to the trick Rhinox had pulled. The vehicle narrowly missed Rhinox who managed to leap down now that he was free of the magnetic pull. Metalborg fell to the ground, crushed underneath the truck.

Meanwhile, Optimus was still fighting against Hanuman. The monkey-based Predacon was leaping around him, flipping his staff around and striking at Optimus. As Optimus swung at him, Hanuman leaped overhead, bouncing off of Primal's shoulders and front-flipping across the air three times before landing. He swung his staff around, flipping it gracefully and whirling the weapon all around his body.

Optimus was never one for such fancy posturing. He charged at Hanuman who met his attack head-on by smashing his staff against Primal's mace. Hanuman pushed Optimus Primal's arms aside with his staff and struck Optimus across the face. He swung again, catching the Maximal leader on the other side of the face. Then he drove the blunt end of the bo into Primal's solar plexus. After that, he twirled around and struck Optimus in the back of the head with his weapon.

The Maximal commander fell down from the multiple blows.

"Okay, impressive," he muttered.

Optimus got back up. He allowed Hanuman to make the first move this time. The monkey-based Predacon leaped down striking at Optimus with his staff. Primal blocked it with his mace, pushing Hanuman back. Hanuman swung again horizontally but Optimus blocked the staff with one mace and struck the Predacon's fingers with his other mace.

"Aaaaagh!" yelled Hanuman.

Optimus struck again, knocking the metal bo out of Hanuman's staff. He gripped his mace tightly in one hand and punched Hanuman, sending him crashing to the floor.

"Don't get up," Optimus pressed his foot on Hanuman. "Tell us where your leaders are!"

Overhead, a large shadow cast over Optimus and all the Maximals and Predacons in that area. Above them was the large Predacon warship, Hyperion.

In the ship, various Predacon engineers worked to ensure that it functioned. At the central core, it was being piloted by none other than Zaraxes.

"Okay, let's see what this thing can do," he smiled.

He pressed down on several switches to activate the transformation sequences. The Hyperion's back arched back, slowly forming into robotic body. In horror, Optimus and the others watched as the Hyperion transformed into a robot as large as a skyscraper, bigger than any gestalt they had seen. It was silver in color, with an alien design. Jagged spikes brimmed across its helmet while gleaming red eyes shone brightly before them. A large blue orb surrounded its chest cavity like a dome.

After a few kliks, the transformation sequence was complete. A large, imposing Transformer stood there. In its hand was a traditional Predacon sword, enlarged to larger proportions.

"Well, gotta split!" Silverstreak shot off into the distance to the anger of Cheetor.

As Rattrap and Razorbeast struggled against each other evenly, Razorbeast took advantage of Rattrap's distraction and kicked him off while he was being pinned.

"Later!" he waved at Rattrap, then transformed to beast mode and took off.

The other Predacons understood their cue and ran away as well.

"Look at the size of that thing!" Cheetor pointed out.

From his cockpit, Zaraxes pressed down on the fire button. Several missiles emerged from Hyperion, sailing down at the Maximals.

"Take cover!" Optimus ordered the other Maximals.

He flew up towards Hyperion firing at him, joined by Cheetor, Inferno, and Depth Charge. Unfortunately, there were so many missiles that they simply could not dodge all of them. The first struck Cheetor, sending him crashing to the ground. Soon, another knocked Depth Charge out of the air as well. Both Maximals crashed to the ground near Rattrap and Rhinox.

As Inferno and Optimus drew closer, Hyperion raised a single massive hand and struck down, knocking the two to the floor. Cheetor took Optimus, helping him up. They fired upon Hyperion with all the guns at their disposal. But the enormous gestalt was simply too big and his armor too thick to penetrate.

Hyperion leaned over. The blue dome on his chest glowed ominously. Without warning, a massive discharged of energy erupted from it. The enormous laser spanned almost an entire building. It came down, striking everything in its sight, including the six Maximals.

By the time the carnage was over, there was an enormous crater in what was formerly a city block. In that crater were the bodies of the six Maximals.

* * *

Zaraxes zoomed in with the build-in telescope. One blast had leveled that entire area, along with the Maximals. He had made sure not to set the blast on full power. He wanted those Maximals alive so that he could question them.

"You have done well young one," a ghostly image floated before him in the cockpit.

"All that I do, I do for you master," Zaraxes made a short bow.

The spectral image was that of a black mass bearing razor sharp teeth. Two glowing eyes opened up, revealing a ghastly face which would have frightened any ordinary Transformer.

"The notion that these six Maximals could have stopped us is foolish," the creature bore a smile of sorts.

"Of course, neither could they have stood against you," Zaraxes said proudly. "They could not have stood a chance against the Boundless."

"Sir, what are you orders?" asked one Predacon cadet who was unfortunate enough to have entered at this time.

"You dare interrupt us?" roared the Boundless.

One look up on the hideous face of the Boundless was enough to send the Predacon cadet recoiling with fear. As he turned to run, the Boundless opened his mouth spewing a blast of dark energy which consumed the Predacon soldier on the spot. Soon, all that was left were ashes on the ground.

Even Zaraxes could not hide the fear on his face.

"For eons I have been formless and without a body," the Boundless hissed. "But now is the time. This planet presents infinite possibilities with its natural resources and mystical properties."

"There are a lot of unnatural energies being given off in certain sectors of this world," Zaraxes agreed.

"No doubt a remnant left behind by the pitiable Vok," the Boundless confirmed. "With the help of their runes, I shall take new life!"

"What of these fallen Maximals?" asked Zaraxes. "Shall I question them first? Or shall I destroy them?"

"Do with them as you wish, my disciple," the Boundless said to him.

"But master, what of the prophecy? What if one of them is—"

"Nonsense!" the Boundless' eyes glowed mercilessly. "There is no chance that any of these mere Maximal explorers to an uncharted planet could ever be descended from a Prime!"

"Yes sir," Zaraxes bowed.

"I will return to my rest," the Boundless informed Zaraxes. "As with all other things, proceed with our goals as planned..."

Zaraxes bowed as the horrifying image of the Boundless disappeared.

Now that they had the planet under their full control, there was much work to be done.


	62. House of Predacus II

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_House of Predacus II – The Ixa Trigger_

After a certain amount of time had passed, Optimus came to. He was bound to a wall with two energy chains wrapped around his wrists. The other Maximals were also tied up to the wall as well, all of them chained extensively. They had all been fully healed by a CR bath but that did not change the fact that they were rendered as immobile prisoners.

The door slid open as Zaraxes stepped in, followed by Ixa and Azure.

"Greetings," he said to the Maximals. "I am Zaraxes. These are Azure and Ixa."

"Hey losers!" Ixa taunted the captive Maximals.

"I had a feeling we'd meet you sooner or later," Optimus told the new Tripredacus Council.

"Right now you're wondering how we found this backwater planet," Zaraxes smiled.

"I was about to get to that point," Optimus replied.

Five Predacons stepped out of the door, revealing themselves. The five Predacons which formed Chaos stepped in. N-Farious, Archeron, Boltsmasher, Circuitor, and Star-blazer stepped in.

"On their way back to Cybertron we apprehended these five," Zaraxes explained. "Suffice to say, they were no match for Hyperion, even in their combined form."

The five Predacons looked away shamefully. Even as Chaos, they had been utterly crushed by the sheer might of Hyperion in a previous battle.

"We offered these rogues amnesty in exchange for information," Zaraxes pointed out.

"Then how 'bout you let us out in exchange for getting your skid-plates whooped?" offered Cheetor.

"A magnanimous offer, but no," Zaraxes shook his head. "You see, you will be transported as prisoners back to Cybertron by Ixa."

"By me?" Ixa was incredulous. "Why do I have to do it?"

"Because someone has to do the job," Azure told him.

"We need you to do it Ixa," Zaraxes put a hand on the younger Predacon's shoulder. "As a member of the Council, you have a duty."

Ixa sighed. "Fine, I'll do it."

"That's a good boy," Azure patted him on the head.

The two other Predacons left, leaving Ixa with the Maximals. Ixa stared at the Maximals angrily, clearly upset with being stuck with the unsavory duty of transporting fugitives back to their home planet.

"Great," he commented. "Now I'm stuck with you scuzz-buckets."

"Let us go and we'll be outta your pre-pubescent cyber-follicles, kid," Rattrap offered tauntingly.

"Nice try, but no," Ixa sneered, walking out of the room.

"Got any ideas how to get out of here?" Depth Charge asked.

"There's a lock pick in my right arm but I can't reach it," Rattrap confessed.

"I will not be bound!" Inferno howled, thrashing wildly. "No chains shall hold me!"

"Dude, they just did," Cheetor rolled his eyes.

Suddenly, they felt the ship lifting up from the ground.

"Great, now we're being transported back to Cybertron," Rhinox noted. "Things couldn't get any better…"

"Why do you say that?" asked Rattrap.

"Knowing the Preds, we'll be sent to the stockades, first thing," Rhinox pointed out.

The door slid open to their sudden surprise. Razorbeast stepped in, surveying the captives.

"You again!" spat Rattrap.

"Yeah," Razorbeast nodded.

He pressed down on a remote control which untied all the energy chains around the Maximals, freeing them.

Immediately, Rattrap tackled Razorbeast to the ground and pointed a pistol at the Predacon's head.

"You've got a lot of explainin' to do!" he growled.

"Whoa, easy!" Razorbeast raised both hands to show that he meant no harm. "I'm on your side!"

"What do you mean?" demanded Rhinox.

Rattrap got off Razorbeast and allowed him to get up. Immediately, Razorbeast waved a hand over the Predacon insignia on his arm, transforming it to a Maximal insignia.

"I've been one of you all along," Razorbeast told them. "I'm in the Predacon ranks as a spy."

Depth Charge was still skeptical. "Okay then, suppose you're really a Maximal spy. Why are you a part of the Predacon invasion anyways?"

"Because Cybertron is now under Predacon rule," Razorbeast told them.

"What?" Optimus gasped. The other expressions on the Maximals were equally shocked.

"Unfortunately it's true," Razorbeast lowered his head. "With the Hyperion they were easily able to conquer Cybertron. It's been their secret weapon in development for over years. And we never found out about it."

"Who built the Hyperion?" asked Rhinox.

"Well, not counting the hundreds of engineers and construction-bots who physically labored to make Hyperion what it is," answered Razorbeast, "Ixa was the one who constructed the basic blueprint for the gestalt. For all intents and purposes, he is its creator."

"Dat kid built Hyperion?" Rattrap asked skeptically.

"Hard to believe but it's true," Razorbeast replied. "He's a genius on every level. When he was ten stellar cycles old, he built his first fusion generator."

"Hey, what's going on in there?" a voice cried out.

The door slid open again to reveal the elite guard of Zaraxes. Altogether they stared in shock at Razorbeast's betrayal.

"They're free!" Shadowlord snarled. "And Razorbeast was a traitor all along!"

Depth Charge attacked first. He leaped up, kicking Shadowlord in the chest, knocking him against a wall. The rest of the Maximals followed suit. Before Metalborg could activate his magnetic powers, Rhinox slammed into him. The Maximal scientist cupped both fists together, striking Metalborg so hard he was taken out in a single blow.

Cheetor punched at Silverstreak who promptly dodged it and struck Cheetor across the face. The young Maximal swung again but Silverstreak drove his fist into Cheetor's solar plexus. This time, Cheetor fell to the floor. Sensing victory, Silverstreak grabbed Cheetor by head, lifting it up.

"You should've stayed down when you had the chance," he told Cheetor. "Now you're going to get it!"

Suddenly, Cheetor sprung to life. He quickly enveloped Silverstreak in a bear hug, causing the Predacon to cry out in shock.

"This isn't going to work!" he warned Cheetor. "Once you let go, I'll slag you!"

"Not this time!" Cheetor roared.

Using all his strength, Cheetor squeezed down on Silverstreak, crushing his joints until Silverstreak cried out in agony. When it was over, Silverstreak fell down to the floor unconscious. All his main joints in his arms and back had been broken from the bear hug that Cheetor placed him in.

Over to the side, Shadowlord's black tendrils wrapped Depth Charge in a tight grip. A fifth tendril emerged, striking Depth Charge in the chest, drilling deep into his spark, overloading it with dark energies.

"I thought I could turn you to our side!" Shadowlord growled. "Since that won't work, I'll just extinguish your spark!"

For a moment it looked like he would succeed. But miraculously, Depth Charge resisted it. His eyes glowed with a blue fire in his eyes as he broke free of the dark energies of Shadowlord with a cry of defiance. His previous contact with the Matrix through the Matrix Blade had granted him the strength to resist such an attack.

"That's not possible!" Shadowlord stepped back.

"With the Matrix, all things are possible," Depth Charge told the Predacon. "You're finished!"

Depth Charge spun around, kicking Shadowlord into an opening hatchet. The glass busted open as Shadowlord's body struck it, opening both doors to the shuttle. The air from outside quickly sucked the screaming Shadowlord into the skies.

"That's our exit cue!" Cheetor looked up.

"Get on!" Depth Charge told Rattrap and Razorbeast, who promptly obeyed as the aquatic Maximal transformed to flight mode.

As Rhinox mounted Cheetor, Optimus clashed with Hanuman.

"Give it up monkey boy!" Hanuman threatened.

"I don't think so!" Optimus pushed Hanuman back.

He clenched his fist, punching Hanuman across the side of the face and knocking him towards the open hatch. Just like with Shadowlord, Hanuman was sucked into the air.

"And one more thing!" Optimus yelled, shaking his fist. "Gorillas aren't monkeys!"

"What the slag is going on?" Ixa appeared before them in the hallway.

Because they were so high in the sky, the cabin pressure was sucking almost everything out of the ship. Then he saw what was going on.

"Ack!" Ixa shouted. "Son of a—"

Inferno turned around, firing a shot which struck Ixa, knocking him back into his cabin.

"Maximals, let's move out!" Optimus shouted.

Both Optimus and Inferno switched to flight mode and flew out of the prisoner ship just as it was flying over the seas. A few kilometers away, they landed on a deserted island to regroup.

Razorbeast leaped off of one of Depth Charge's wings, dusting himself off. He turned on his com-link.

"Maya, what's the situation on the other side?" he asked.

"Uncertain so far," a female voice came from the other end. "It appears the Predacons are setting up energy absorption devices near several of this planet's landmarks."

"Keep me posted then," Razorbeast confirmed. "And good luck."

"Who was that?" demanded Inferno.

"I'm not the only double agent working within the Predacon ranks," Razorbeast verified. "Agent Maya is working among the Predacons as technical support. She's been feeding me information through a closed com-signal."

"Alright, I believe you're one of us now," Optimus told him. "But what do you propose to end this invasion of Earth?"

"That's the difficult part," the Maximal warthog sighed. "Back on Cybertron, Kairen appointed me to be the saboteur within Predacon ranks. I was supposed to be the monkey wrench thrown in to stop all the gears from running the machine. But it appears that their gears are so big, I'll be ground up if I tried to stop their war machines all on my own."

"Heh, and I thought Optimus was supposed to be 'da monkey wrench," joked Rattrap, whom Optimus rolled his eyes at.

"How is Kairen?" asked Cheetor. "We met her back on Cybertron."

"Last I checked she was functional," Razorbeast replied. "She's leading an underground resistance against the Predacons."

"Razorbeast, do you know the coordinates of where they're setting up those energy absorption devices?" asked Rhinox. "That could be the key to stopping the invasion."

"Of course!"

"Where are we right now?" asked Cheetor.

Rhinox turned on his personal computer.

"According to the data, we're on an island a few miles off the coast of Morocco," Rhinox told the others."

"Where's the closest energy absorption device they've set up?" Optimus looked to Razorbeast for an answer.

Razorbeast rummaged through his compartment for a second before finding a tiny holographic projector. It turned on, revealing a map of the entire world. He ran his fingers through the globe until he finally found a red spot on there.

"It's over there," he pointed out.

"That's Egypt," exclaimed Optimus.

"We're going to have to travel by foot," Rhinox nodded his head.

"Aw man, I'd hate to get sand in my ears," complained Rattrap.

"Fool," snorted Inferno. "I do not mind such a venture across the sands."

"That's 'cuz you're a bug," Rattrap pointed out. "Bugs like getting' down and dirty."

"Do not speak to me in such a way rodent!" Inferno threatened, "or else you will become food for the Colony!"

"Enough!" Optimus got in between the two. "Let's just go now. The fate of the world is at stake here and we can't afford to fight amongst ourselves."

* * *

Nervously, Ixa turned on the monitor screen to make contact. Soon enough, the faces of Zaraxes and Azure appeared.

"Ixa," Zaraxes nodded. "Report."

"Um, I got some bad news," Ixa confessed.

"Spit it out then!" Azure ordered. "What is it?"

"You know the Maximals I was assigned?" the young Predacon twiddled both fingers together nervously.

"Yes?" Zaraxes said apprehensively.

"They kind of escaped," Ixa told them.

"You allowed them to escape?" shouted Zaraxes.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!" Ixa shouted back. "It was Razorbeast who freed them! He was a traitor working behind our backs the whole time! If anything, it's your fault for trusting him!"

"Razorbeast… well I'll be slagged," Zaraxes looked down with an expression of regret. "I always thought there was something too clean about him."

"Listen Ixa," Azure told him. "We'll let your negligence slide this time. But don't screw it up again! Find those Maximals and bring them down by any means necessary!"

"Are you authorizing the use of lethal force?" Ixa smiled sadistically.

"Yes we are," Zaraxes told him. "Now go!"

The screen turned off. Ixa turned around, spinning happily in his chair.

"Yes!" he cried. "Maya, did you hear that?"

"I did!" a female Transformer walked in.

She was a racecar with a combination of pink and white. On top of her head was a helmet with a blue crystal at the center. She also wore white boots which acted not only as instruments of walking, but as rocket boosters.

Maya had been a technician with the crew that Ixa had taken a particular interest in. And who could blame him? She was relatively attractive by Transformers standards and being a young adolescent Predacon, Ixa could not help but act his age and live by his cyber-hormones.

What he didn't know, however, was the fact that she was a Maximal spy.

"I'm going to hunt me some Maximals!" Ixa said enthusiastically.

"Yes sir," Maya told him, doing her best to conceal her unease. "Will you need additional troops?"

"Nah," Ixa beckoned for her to come with him.

She followed him until they went into the main halls where over two hundred Predacon fighters bowed. They had been the Predacons who had gained beast modes through their time spent on earth, partly due to idleness and partly due to curiosity.

"Your beast modes," Ixa told them. "Transform into them!"

The Predacons did as they were told.

Ixa walked along the Predacon ranks, surveying them. He had to have the right kind of troops for this mission. Finally, he stopped alongside two particularly large Predacon soldiers. One had the beast mode of a wooly mammoth and the other looked resembled a bison.

"You two," Ixa demanded. "Your names!"

"Bronze Bison at your service!" the bison transformed to robot mode, bowing.

"Blacktusk at your service!" declared the mammoth.

"I choose you two," Ixa told them. "You shall accompany me to subdue the Maximal insurgents."

"Sir, yes sir!" they saluted.

Ixa walked away to make preparations for the journey. As he walked away from the Predacons, Maya walked alongside him. With a frown, Maya glanced at Blacktusk and Bronze Bison. They were two of the larger Predacons, no doubt useful for brute force. But as for actual intelligence… Ixa would not be too well served by having those two as his servants.

"Sir, why did you choose just those two as your special guards?" she asked curiously.

"Because I like 'em big and stupid," he replied plainly. "Those two will suit me just fine."

* * *

Megatron sat a few feet away from Zaraxes. He was accompanied by Dinobot, Obsidian, and Strika while Zaraxes had Team Chaos by his side. The gestalt team looked at Megatron uneasily; they did not trust him in the least.

"Master," N-Farious whispered to Zaraxes. "Can we really trust Megatron? He is quite power-mad."

"That's for me to decide," Zaraxes whispered back.

Bemused, Megatron could only sit back and smile. He really was making some of the Predacons in the room uncomfortable.

"Talking behind my back, are you?" he looked at N-Farious.

"No, not behind your back!" N-Farious glared back. "I don't trust you Megatron! You're just looking out for yourself! You don't care about the Predacon cause!"

"As I recall, neither do you," Megatron retorted, "which was why you and your team fled Cybertron to come to earth. You're hardly one to question my loyalty to the Predacon cause."

"Alright, settle down," Zaraxes told them, trying to cool things down before they got out of hand.

"No way!" Archeron leaped onto the table. This was their chance to payback and they were going to back it.

The Predacon archer fired a high-voltage arrow at Megatron but Dinobot leaped overhead, landing neatly on the table and slicing the arrow in two with a single slash. He opened his optical lens and fired a shot which struck Archeron and knocked him into the wall.

"Enough!" Zaraxes got up. "Team Chaos, you are dismissed!"

Grumbling, the entire team left the room, dragging Archeron with them.

"I apologize for that little spat," Zaraxes said to Megatron. "Even I have a hard time keeping them under control."

"I'm sure you do," Megatron scoffed.

"Let's talk about your new place in Cybertron," Zaraxes folded both hands together.

"Now this was what I had been waiting for," grinned Megatron.

* * *

"Oh man, 'dis place is hot," Rattrap groaned as they walked across the hot deserts.

"Do not complain, rodent!" Inferno ordered. "If you were living under the Colony, the Queen would have your head for this behavior."

"Colony?" Rattrap cocked his head. "Queen? You mean 'dat half-rusted stasis pod you think is some kinda royalty?"

"You are fortunate I am far more concentrated on the task of saving the Royalty from destruction," Inferno informed the Maximal rodent. "Otherwise I would bite your head off myself."

"I'd like to see you try!" Rattrap shot back.

"Hey!" Rhinox shouted. "Knock it off, both of you!"

"Yeah really," Cheetor told them. "The heat's bad enough as it is."

"We're… we're reading an oasis!" Optimus pointed out.

Sure enough they had reached a small tropical spot in the desert where a river and several trees lay in wait. As Maximals, they didn't really require water to survive but inside their beast modes, they still felt that craving for the liquid as nourishment.

Cheetor and Rattrap ran down for a drink.

"How much longer until we reach Egypt?" asked Optimus.

"According to my tracker, we've still got a few several thousand miles to go," Rhinox informed him.

"Quit hogging the water, rat-face!" Cheetor growled as the rodent nudged past him.

"Finders keepers!" Rattrap told Cheetor sarcastically.

"Look," Depth Charge pointed to the sky. "Something's coming."

Optimus and Razorbeast looked up in alarm. Several Predacon biker 'bots were coming down on them. Along with them was a large flying machine shaped like a pinwheel. On all sides were razor-sharp blades spinning at top speeds.

Suddenly, two large shapes emerged from the waters. One of them grabbed hold of Rattrap and threw him across the oasis floor. The other swung at Cheetor who quickly leaped aside.

The two large Predacons stood before them menacingly. The first was a Predacon with fangs dangling from his mouth. In his hand he held a shield in the shape of a mammoth's head. In his other hand was a Predacon war-hammer. The other was a shaggy Predacon with black and brown fur. He had horns mounted on his head and a Predacon war-pike to compliment the situation.

Blacktusk took out his hammer and struck at Cheetor. Cheetor caught the weapon with one hand and struck Blacktusk across the face both times with his open hand and then kicked the mammoth-based Predacon into an oasis tree.

"So who are you losers?" asked Cheetor.

Bronze Bison helped Blacktusk up and the both of them combined their attacks, blasting at the Maximals with their weapons. The Maximals quickly leaped out of the way to avoid the attack, scattering to all sides.

"Heads up!" Razorbeast cried.

The large Predacon wheel came down, slashing through several tracks of sand, narrowly missing Cheetor and Rattrap. It flew up into the air, ready to come down again.

Quickly, Depth Charge spun around, firing and knocking two Predacons off their speeder bikes.

"We'll take care of these guys, someone's gotta stop that wheel!" he told them.

"We're on it!" Cheetor growled. "Come on Rattrap!"

"Right behind ya, cloud kitty!" Rattrap agreed.

Blacktusk leaped into the air, coming down with his war-hammer. The war-hammer generated a vibrating pulse which struck Inferno and knocked him right into a palm tree. On contact, the palm tree was destroyed.

"I'll take you, ant-boy!" he growled.

Bronze Bison charged, slamming into Rhinox and tackling him into the sand. From behind, Razorbeast leaped onto him, grabbing him and putting him in a chokehold. Bronze Bison smiled, grabbing the Maximal warthog and throwing him off easily.

The distraction was all Rhinox needed. He punched Bronze Bison, knocking him off.

In the meantime, Optimus and Depth Charge fought side by side, fending off multiple Predacon bikers. Optimus fired a shot, knocking one of them down as Depth Charge hurled his tail spear, destroying the engines of another with one throw.

* * *

While in the air, Ixa piloted the Predacon wheel down, destroying a great swath of desert sand as his flying machine cut through it effortlessly in an attempt to mow down Rattrap and Cheetor.

The two of them fired on the machine but to no avail. It was simply too fast and too precise. Then the machine swooped past them, allowing Cheetor to see the pilot, Ixa, on the side.

"I got an idea," he told Rattrap. "But I'll need your aim."

Rattrap cocked his gun. "That's what I'm good for!"

As the Predacon wheel struck down again, Cheetor flipped past it and transformed to beast mode, grabbing Rattrap by both arms. He flew into the air after the flying wheel.

Ixa looked down towards the sands to spot Cheetor and Rattrap but could not find them.

"Where the slag are they?" he yelled.

"Yo kid, over here!" Rattrap's voice rang out.

Ixa turned to his left. There were Rattrap and Cheetor. Cheetor was the one flying while Rattrap was dangling from Cheetor's paws. In his hand was his pistol.

Taking precise aim, Rattrap fired a shot which destroyed the control pad on Ixa's piloting engine, sending the wheel into a sputter.

"Nooooooooo!" screamed Ixa as he and his Predacon wheel plummeted.

The wheel struck the desert sand. Piece by piece it broke apart until Ixa's cockpit crash-landed against a well in the sands, throwing Ixa into the air. Ixa fell down face-first in the sand, groaning in pain.

"Ow…" Ixa moaned.

Cheetor and Rattrap quickly returned to the fray. From the sky, Rattrap fired a shot which struck down one of the Predacon bikers. Cheetor put Rattrap down and leaped into action as well, launching himself into the Predacons like a cannon-ball.

With a powerful punch, Blacktusk floored Inferno. He stepped over the fire ant, stomping down with the intention of crushing him. Inferno grabbed the foot with both hands and held it at bay.

"Ha!" Blacktusk boasted. "This is like an elephant stepping on an ant!"

Before Blacktusk could fully stamp Inferno into the ground, Inferno unveiled a row of sharp teeth and bit down on Blacktusk's foot.

"Aaaaaaagh!" screamed Blacktusk, falling off of Inferno.

Inferno leaped back to both feet, attacking wildly. He fired several shots at Blacktusk who attempted to block them with his mammoth shield. Most of the shots hit home anyways, blasting away at Blacktusk's armor. As Blacktusk fell back, Inferno threw both guns aside and tackled him to the floor, punching him repeatedly. Finally, after what seemed like hours, a hand grabbed him and made him stop.

"Enough!" Optimus ordered. "We've won the battle."

Inferno looked up. All the other Predacons were running away. On the ground was Blacktusk, broken and battered, not to mention locked in stasis.

The Predacon ant yanked his hand away from Optimus.

"I knew that," he snorted.

In the air, Depth Charge and Cheetor had scared off the last few Predacon troops who were now on the run. Bronze Bison was also fleeing from Rhinox.

"Yeah, look at 'em run!" Cheetor yelped for joy.

Cheetor and Razorbeast high-fived each other.

"So, shall we have a burial or cremation?" Inferno pointed his gun at the fallen Blacktusk.

"How about neither?" Optimus told him. "He's already beaten."

"This is war, Optimus," Inferno looked Primal in the eye. "The enemy would not hesitate to take advantage of you if the tables were turned."

"Then it's a good thing I don't play tables," Optimus crossed his arms.

"Yeesh," Razorbeast whispered to Rattrap. "What's with this guy? He's always ready to slag something."

"Inferno kinda woke up on 'da wrong side of the stasis pod," Rattrap answered him. "He's been a lovable, trigger-happy pyromaniac since."

"Ahem," Depth Charge coughed. Everyone turned to him.

"Shall we continue our journey?" he suggested with more than a hint of impatience.

* * *

"Slag, slag, and double slag!" cursed Ixa as his rescue ship came down to pick him up.

Maya stepped out to help Ixa up. Near her were Blacktusk and Bronze Bison, along with most of the other Predacon swoops under Ixa's command.

"Sir, are you alright?" she asked.

"No I'm not alright!" Ixa growled. "Those Maximals made a fool out of me! Me! The greatest mind of Cybertron!"

The Maximal spy had to repress a giggle. Ixa was such a spoiled, obnoxious, and self-centered brat that it was a miracle he was even this high-ranking of a Tripredacus Council member. But she couldn't say that out loud to him, at least not yet.

She helped him into the ship and beckoned towards a CR bath.

"Might I recommend a CR bath to heal your injuries and then resume your plans?" she offered.

Ixa looked down, considering it. Then he smiled widely.

"Sure, wanna join me?" he asked eagerly.

Before Maya was forced to come up with an excuse, a Predacon Seeker rushed in to give him news.

"Master Ixa, the Maximals are fast on the move again. Now they've reached a neighboring State called Libya."

"Huh?" Ixa scratched his head. "What's that supposed to mean? And where is that?"

"Sir," Maya whispered to Ixa. "It means the Maximals are closing in on the energy absorption machines we've set up in Egypt."

"Oh… slag!" cursed Ixa. "Forget the CR bath! We're going on another excursion."

Maya breathed a sigh of relief. Now she would not have to be in the same CR bath as that lecherous Predacon brat. However, now that he was focused again, it only meant trouble for the Maximals she was meant to aid.

"Sir, what do you want to do?" she asked, hoping to find some excuse to delay them.

Ixa walked over towards the wall and pressed down on a lever. The wall opened up to reveal a giant body. It was a body shaped in the form of one of the earliest of Predacon gladiators. The helmet was shaped in similar fashion to that of a medieval knight and both sword and shield were equipped with that blue and gray suit of armor.

The young genius opened up the cockpit to that body and stepped inside, closing it up. Ixa took one giant step out of the wall in his new suit.

"I'm going to go kick some skit-plates!" he snarled.

* * *

Because of the Predacon occupation in that town, Optimus and the other Maximals had to find some other means of moving through it quietly. Rhinox had been the first to suggest that they do their best to blend in with the native populace.

And here they were, dressed in fully covering North African garments. The only one who was too big for those garbs was Depth Charge. His role was to function as part of the bazaar they had. Depth Charge was covered with a gray cloak and underneath his belly were a pair of wheels to move him along.

"This is so humiliating," Depth Charge murmured.

"Look on the bright side," Rattrap told him. "Consider this a lesson in humility!"

"I fail to see the lesson in this," Depth Charge shot back.

"Cool it you two," Rhinox told them. "We don't want to attract any attention."

"Yeah really, Depth Charge," Rattrap scolded him. "Cool your jets or we'll all be discovered."

"Lousy rodent," Depth Charge muttered.

As Rattrap walked by a camel, he noticed a large glob of saliva falling down on his head.

"Aww, gross!" Rattrap wiped the spit off of him. The camel leaned down, snorting on Rattrap's face with a gust of air.

The rest of the Maximals laughed.

"I think he likes you," commented Cheetor.

"No good flea-bitten camel!" Rattrap shook his fist at the large creature. The camel merely snorted.

"Rhinox, how much further until we reach Egypt?" asked Optimus.

"We've been travelling for over a day already," Rhinox replied. "At this rate, it should take us two to three days with our group speed."

"Tell me Razorbeast," requested Optimus. "Just how exactly did the Predacons take over Cybertron?"

"Well, remember the Hyperion?" Razorbeast asked.

"Yes?"

"That had been their secret weapon the whole time," Razorbeast confirmed. "However…"

"However?" Rhinox inquired.

"There was something else not right about the Preds," Razorbeast continued. "Somehow they'd gained strange powers which enabled them to make short work of us."

"You mean like that group of Preds we fought earlier with superpowers?" asked Cheetor.

"Yeah," Razorbeast nodded. "It was almost as if the Matrix itself had granted them extraordinary abilities."

"There's no way the Matrix of Leadership could've done that," Depth Charge crossed his arms.

"I agree," Razorbeast told him. "That's why I believe there's something else behind all this. I have heard rumors…"

"What kinda rumors?" Rattrap sat down on a rock.

"I heard the new Tripredacus Council had made a bargain with a power greater than themselves," Razorbeast told them ominously. "I heard that they sold their very sparks to a primordial Cybertronian deity that's existed since before the advent of Autobots and Decepticons."

Suddenly, an explosion rocked a building behind them.

"What was that?" Optimus looked up in alarm.

In the air was a massive Predacon battleship. From the ship, dozens of Predacon helicopter 'bots emerged, ready for battle.

"They've found us!" Rhinox shouted.

The copter 'bots surrounded them in a tight formation as Ixa emerged from his ship, floating downwards at a slow pace, joined by Maya, Blacktusk and Bronze Bison. From his descent, the Maximals could see that he was dressed in new battle armor, ready for round two.

"I figured I'd find you idiots here," Ixa told them. "Your Maximal spark signatures gave you away easily."

Now that they had no more use for their disguises, the Maximal threw off their desert robes to face their adversaries.

"I'll especially relish sending you to the scrap heap," Ixa stared at Razorbeast malevolently. "I don't suffer traitors gladly!"

"Bet you didn't know there was another mole in your organization, did you?" Razorbeast wagged a finger at him.

"Huh?" Ixa was confused. "Whaddya mean?"

Without warning, Ixa's flagship exploded high in the air. Ixa watched in horror as bits and pieces of his once-proud ship fell to the ground.

"What?" he shouted. "Who did that?"

"I did," Maya stepped forward, holding a remote explosive.

"You!" Ixa screamed. "How dare you!"

He raised his wrist-laser and fired at her. Optimus quickly leaped in the way and deflected the shots with his maces. Before Ixa could fire more, Inferno tackled Ixa.

"Get them!" Ixa shouted.

At once the copter drones attacked. Rhinox clashed with Blacktusk, driving his fist into the mammoth Predacon's face. Blacktusk struck back, grazing Rhinox's cheek with a powerful punch. Very soon, Depth Charge and Rattrap leaped into action. Depth Charge transformed to beast mode as Rattrap climbed on top of him. The blue Maximal flew into the air, blasting several of the copter 'bots down from the sky. He rolled past a few more as Rattrap opened fire, taking down several from the air as well.

Cheetor did the same. He transformed to robot mode in mid-air, leaping down and kicking a Predacon copter. He bounced off that copter 'bot and leaped onto another, blinding him by poking him in the optics. Then he leaped onto several more, taking them down one by one.

On the ground, Optimus knocked down one of the attacking Predacons with his mace, then turned around, punching another Predacon assailant out.

"You okay?" he asked Maya.

"Don't worry about me sir!" she fired her pistol, taking down a Predacon flyer. "I can take care of myself!"

Bronze Bison grabbed Razorbeast by the neck, lifting him up.

"You're gonna pay, traitor!" he growled.

He threw Razorbeast against several jugs of water, breaking them. Razorbeast leaped out of the way as Bronze Bison fired at him, firing back with his own pistol. The shot grazed Bronze Bison across the arm but otherwise did not stop the Predacon. Bronze Bison charged viciously, forcing Razorbeast to leap out of the way as he crashed into the nearby house the Maximal saboteur happened to be standing in front of.

Razorbeast got in front of Bronze Bison, punching him. Bronze Bison was more amused by the punch than anything else. He responded by grabbing Razorbeast and lifting him up.

"Got a present for you," Razorbeast got out a small electro-magnetic pulse grenade.

"Say what?" demanded Bronze Bison.

Razorbeast planted the device on Bronze Bison's cranium. The grenade generated a powerful pulse which knocked the Predacon out instantly. Bronze Bison fell down to the floor, knocked unconscious by the shock.

"The bigger they are…" Razorbeast noted.

* * *

In one blow, Inferno was sent smashing through a half-destroyed coliseum. The fight had taken them to some old Roman ruins of North Africa. All around them was the grandeur of a once-powerful civilization.

Ixa drew his sword. His battle suit had enhanced strength, firepower, and added protection. It saved him the trouble of actually having to train for fighting.

"Any final words?" he asked.

"The only words I'll speak are on behalf of the Royalty!" Inferno got up.

Angered at the fire-ant's defiance, Ixa slashed at him with the blade. Inferno ducked underneath it, rolling out of the way. As Inferno got up in front of a Roman pillar, Ixa slashed again, destroying the pillar in one blow. Inferno leaped into the air, somersaulting on top of another pillar. He took out his gun and rained several shots down. The shots struck Ixa, causing him to fall back. Ixa took out his shield, deflecting some of the shots. He returned fire, shooting at Inferno with his wrist lasers. Inferno leaped down from the pillar, kicking Ixa in the chest, knocking him down with one blow.

In return, Ixa slashed Inferno across the mid-section with his sword.

"Aaaagh!" Inferno bellowed in pain.

Ixa got up, punching Inferno hard enough to send him skidding across the floor. Inferno crashed head-first into the broken steps of a Roman building. Ixa stepped in front of Inferno, raising his sword. As struck down, Inferno quickly rolled to the side to narrowly avoid the sword and drew another gun, firing a direct shot into Ixa's face. Though Ixa's helmet gave him protection, the shot took him completely by surprise.

Inferno took advantage to grab a Roman pillar and swing it. The pillar struck Ixa to the side and knocked him through one of the Greco-Roman buildings. On the ground was Ixa's shield which Inferno grabbed.

The now-crazed ant 'bot charged angrily, smashing the shield into Ixa's chest plate. Ixa punched at Inferno who ducked underneath and drove the shield into Ixa's chin, knocking his helmet off.

"Stay away!" Ixa shouted.

The ant would not comply. He knocked the sword out of Ixa's hand and smashed the shield into Ixa's armor over and over again, demolishing it. Ixa raised a fist, punching Inferno who took the blow with a satisfied smile to his face.

"Fool, pain is my friend!" grinned Inferno. "Allow me to introduce you to it!"

Inferno lifted Ixa up in his armor and threw him into a wall. He took out his gun and set it to flame-thrower mode.

"Burn whelp!" screamed Inferno, pressing down on the trigger.

"Aaaaaaahhh!" shouted Ixa as his body was consumed in a torrent of flames.

Ixa finally fell down on his back. Inferno leaped on top of him, transforming to beast mode and tearing the Predacon's armor off piece by piece with nothing more than his powerful mandibles. Finally, he grabbed the screaming Ixa with both mandibles, tossing him into the sand.

"Help!" Ixa cried. "He's a maniac! Don't let him get me!"

In front of the Maximals who had just arrived, Ixa grabbed onto Optimus Primal's leg.

"Save me!" he screamed, pointing a finger at Inferno.

"Looks like you got a good spanking," Maya pointed out.

"Shut up you traitor!" Ixa shouted.

It was then that Ixa noticed he had been defeated. In the distance, his troops had been sent packing, along with Blacktusk and Bronze Bison. All his copter 'bots had been chased off by Depth Charge, Cheetor, and Rattrap.

Optimus took Ixa by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up.

"Take a hike," he ordered.

Then he dropped Ixa. Ixa grumbled angrily, scurrying away down a dark alley.

"Well, we've won the day," Maya declared proudly.

"I don't know," Rhinox pointed out.

In the distance were the townsmen who had just witnessed the terrible destruction brought about by both Maximal and Predacon in the ensuing conflict. They were afraid, and rightly so.

Optimus lowered his head, realizing how their conflict had just cost them their standing with the humans of this area.

"Come on, let's go," he said to the other Maximals. "We're not wanted here…"

* * *

Moonstalker flew down to the energy absorption unit. On the tower near the bridge to the massive absorption unit was Azure.

"Is everything ready?" she asked.

"Primed and ready, my dear," he bowed deeply.

"Good," she gave him her hand. He took it and kissed it.

"I don't understand," he told her. "I can understand draining this pyramid's powers for the purpose of powering our fleet. What I don't understand is why you insist on diverting a large portion of that power to a small containment field in the Hyperion."

"You'll find out soon," she promised. "Now go, there's more work to be done."

The Seeker nodded and flew off. As soon as he disappeared, the face of the Boundless appeared before Azure.

"Is everything prepared for my revival?" he asked.

"Yes master," she promised. "You will soon be gifted with a body once more."

"Good," the Boundless smiled. "It has been long since I've taken physical form."

"I have some information delivered to me by the troops," Azure told the Boundless. "They say that one of the Maximals goes by the name of _Optimus_ Primal. What if he's the—"

"Impossible!" the Boundless glowered at Azure. "He is not the one! Do not mention such a thing ever again!"

"Yes sir…" Azure cowed before him. "Forgive me for my presumptuousness."

"Prophecy or not," the Boundless turned away portentously. "I make my own destiny…"

**A/N:** A few months ago I actually saw Revenge of the Fallen for the first time. I know the film got some pretty bad reviews but I actually enjoyed it for what it was, a giant CGI spectacle with large robots fighting. It's sort of a guilty pleasure for me even though a lot of people hated it. And it got me thinking... maybe I should write a Beast Wars equivalent of ROTF. My House of Predacus multi-parter is basically loosely inspired by the second Bayformers movie. Plus I'd been itching to do a second "alien invasion" plotline, except this time based on a Predacon invasion of Earth where the Maximals are on the run. Hopefully _House of Predacus_ will turn out alright. With a little energon and a lot of luck...


	63. House of Predacus III

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_House of Predacus III – Red Tides_

After what seemed like days, they had reached the banks of the Nile. Being the first time they had ever seen the river, the Maximals were overwhelmed by the sight.

"Last one to the river is a rotten Quintesson!" Cheetor shouted, racing towards the river.

"Hey, you ain't gonna outpace me!" Rattrap began to run as well, eliciting a sigh from Depth Charge.

The rest of the Maximals only shook their heads and chuckled.

"Looks like we're in Egypt now," Rhinox confirmed, looking down at his scanner.

"How much further, Rhinox?" asked Optimus.

"We should be there in just a few more miles," answered the Maximal scientist.

Optimus watched as Cheetor, Rattrap, and the others went over to the river for a brief respite. Sitting down next to a palm tree, he took out the Terra Matrix from his compartment.

"You brought that here?" asked Rhinox.

"Yes, I can't help but wonder what this strange thing is," Optimus said. "I can feel that there's something special about it."

"Whoa, what is that?" Razorbeast walked up. "That looks like the Matrix of Leadership!"

"I'm not entirely sure what it is," replied Optimus. "At one point it just showed up without my knowledge of what happened."

"Is it real?" Razorbeast tapped it once.

Razorbeast's touch elicited a light glow from the Matrix of Terra, which hummed briefly.

"Well it certainly seems real," Maya walked up.

"Unfortunately the Matrix of Leadership on Cybertron was undone in our darkest hour," Razorbeast explained. "The Predacons were able to defeat us even with our Matrix."

Suddenly, a blast of flames came down from the skies, causing the Maximals to take notice.

"Megatron!" shouted Primal.

The Predacon tyrant descended with a group of twenty or twenty five of Cybertronian helicopter troops. As part of the agreement between himself and the House of Predacus, he had been granted a special status as their new ally.

"Ah… if it isn't my old friends!" Megatron smiled, glaring at the Maximals. "It would appear that you Maximals are now on the run!"

"You're helping this invasion?" demanded Optimus.

"Initially no," Megatron replied. "But after making contact, I was offered a partnership with the new House of Predacus."

"So now you've become their lackey!" Rhinox said sarcastically. "Who would've thought?"

"Watch that tongue, Rhinox!" Megatron warned. "Or you will most certainly regret it!"

From the trees, a camouflaged figure appeared, swinging his tail and striking Cheetor across the face. The Maximal cheetah fell on his back, snarling in surprise.

A green and brown camouflaged warrior leaped down, becoming visible. It was an oversized chameleon, one too large to be native to the planet.

"Camo, terrorize!" he shouted, transforming to robot mode.

The new Predacon warrior wore a spiked green helmet with red optics typical of many Predacons. His chest plates were a mixture of green colors typical of most military uniforms. On his shoulders were spiked shoulder pads.

"Azure wants all of you out of the way," Camo told them. "We'd be all too happy to oblige!"

"Predacons, attack!" ordered Megatron.

"All units, Maximize!" declared Optimus.

Soon, the Maximals in beast mode transformed to robot mod to engage Megatron and his new Predacon troops.

Camo made a grab for Cheetor who quickly leaped over him. The cat bounced off a tree and kicked Camo across the face, knocking the Predacon into the sand.

Depth Charge was the first to take out both guns, firing several shots to take down the Predacon helicopter bots who were flying towards him. Soon he was joined by Rhinox and Rattrap who engaged the Predacon assailants.

Casually, Megatron walked towards Optimus Primal, certain of his own power and strength. After all, he had beaten Primal to an inch of his life before in his new dragon-based body.

Razorbeast and Maya attacked him only to be knocked aside into a sand dune with a single glancing blow. Inferno leaped onto Megatron's arm only for Megatron to grab the fire ant by the throat and throw him into a large rock.

"Any more Maximals to hide behind, Primal?" smiled Megatron.

"You want me, you got me!" Optimus took out his mace.

Immediately, Optimus attacked, only to be grabbed in mid-air as he leaped up.

"Was that the best you could do?" taunted Megatron.

With a powerful thrust, Megatron slammed Optimus down into the sandy banks. Optimus struck at Megatron's arm with his mace to no avail. The Predacon had simply become too powerful and strong in his new body.

Laughing vicariously, Megatron threw Optimus into the air. As Optimus fell, Megatron spun around and kicked Optimus, knocking the Maximal across the sand.

Meanwhile, Cheetor ducked a few more swings by Camo.

"Too slow!" Cheetor snarled.

In two punches, he really let Camo have it. One punch across Camo's chin was enough to almost daze the Predacon. As Camo struck at Cheetor again with his tail, Cheetor avoided it and punched the Predacon chameleon hard enough to floor him.

"Ugh…" Camo moaned.

"That was way too easy," Cheetor smiled and grabbed Camo by the collar, lifting him up.

"It was!" Camo managed to smile. "But as the old saying goes, appearances can be deceiving!"

"What?" Cheetor blinked.

Without warning, Camo grabbed onto Cheetor's wrists. In that instance, powerful electrical currents surrounded the two as Camo began absorbing Cheetor's energy.

"W-What?" Cheetor shouted, unable to break free.

"I have the ability to drain away any Transformer's strengths and abilities!" Camo smiled, grabbing Cheetor's head with both hands.

"Aaaaahh!" screamed Cheetor.

Finally, Camo let go after having taken enough of Cheetor's powers. Cheetor stumbled back clumsily, almost losing his footing. As he got up, he began to feel sluggish, as if all his strength and speed had left him.

"You… did this!" Cheetor groaned, feeling much weaker than ever.

Camo responded by punching Cheetor so hard that the young Maximal was sent crashing through several palm trees. Lifting his head, Cheetor could only give one dazed look before passing out.

"Wow, I've never felt so good!" Camo grinned, liking his newfound powers more and more by the cycle.

* * *

"Nothing to save you now, Optimus," Megatron put his foot down on Primal's chest. "Our epic struggle against each other ends here."

Helplessly, Optimus tried to pry Megatron's foot off of him but could not. In the distance were Rattrap, Rhinox, and Depth Charge who were still too busy fending off the other Predacon troops. Plus the others had been quickly dispatched by both Megatron and Camo.

A few feet away from them lay the Matrix of Terra. At once it sensed the trouble that Optimus was in and began to glow ever so slightly.

"Any last words, Primal?" Megatron asked.

Instantly, the Terra Matrix flew up right in front of Megatron.

"What?" Megatron growled, taken completely by surprise.

The Terra Matrix unleashed a blast which knocked Megatron off of Optimus. Megatron flew back until he crashed into a mountain of sand.

"Raaah!" shouted Megatron angrily.

As Optimus got up, the Matrix of Terra glowed, summoning a vast sandstorm which struck Megatron all at once. Soon, a mountain of sand began to heap upon Megatron, burying the Predacon further and further.

"No!" shouted Megatron.

Soon, the ground beneath him began to give way, as if he was standing of quicksand.

"This can't be!" screamed Megatron.

Soon, the sandstorm that the Terra Matrix summoned died down. At this point, Megatron had been buried hundreds of feet underneath the shifting sands of Egypt.

"Whoa, what just happened?" Razorbeast got up.

"This… Matrix," Optimus pointed out. "It just saved us."

"It may have saved you from Megatron," Camo told the Maximals. "But it won't save you from me!"

Before Camo could attack, a signal came in through his com-link.

"Azure to Camo, return to base," the voice instructed. "We need your remaining troops to help with the construction!"

"Yes ma'am," Camo nodded, turning away.

"You Maximals are lucky!" Camo leaped onto one of his copter bots. "I'll come back in a little while to finish all of you personally!"

By the time all the Predacons had gone, Optimus walked over to help Cheetor up as the Maximals gathered together.

"You okay?" asked Optimus.

"I'll live," Cheetor coughed. "I don't know what that guy did to me… the second he touched me he drained me."

"Can you walk?" asked Maya.

"I think so…" Cheetor began to limp. "We need to get there and stop them!"

"Not in your current condition," Depth Charge told the cat.

"Come on!" protested Cheetor. "I can do it!"

Without warning Depth Charge threw a punch at Cheetor, stopping just inches from his face. Cheetor backed away, flinching, but not able to avoid it in time.

"You should've been fast enough to dodge that," Depth Charge pointed out. "In your current state, you won't be able to fight."

"Depth Charge is right," Optimus agreed. "Once we get there we'll have to find you a safe place."

"I'll watch over him," volunteered Maya.

* * *

"Agreed," Optimus consented.

"My dear, we are near preparation!" Moonstalker informed Azure.

"Excellent," Azure stood near the top of the pyramid they were on.

The structure they stood on was a pyramid with multiple steps. On the very top of the pyramid was the energy absorption unit. It was a large metal ring, floating just above the pyramid, with the sole purpose of draining the ancient energies of the enormous infrastructure.

Her flagship was only a few feet away, surrounded by multiple Seekers who were hard at work flying the equipment around and helping with the construction.

"If I may ask," Moonstalker began. "Just what is the purpose of this? The House of Predacus is diverting an awful lot of power into one private section of the Hyperion."

"All will be explained in time," Azure told him. "But for the moment, I will need your obedience."

"Hmm, very well," Moonstalker conceded.

The two of them moved in closer to an intimate moment. Just as they clasped hands, however, they were interrupted as Camo appeared before them, unveiling his invisible form.

"Camo!" Azure growled. "What is it?"

"You wanted me to return!" protested Camo. "So here I am!"

"Have you brought your troops back?" she demanded.

"I have," he nodded.

"Good, then you are dismissed," she told him.

"Am I free to hunt the Maximals on my own?" he asked.

"Yes, now go!"

Camo didn't need to be told twice. He leaped off the pyramid with greater agility than he normally possessed. With his newfound powers, he would soon make short work of the Maximal team.

"Sir, we require help!" one of the Seekers waved to Moonstalker.

Moonstalker sighed. His moment with Azure would have to be interrupted for the moment to concentrate on the task at hand.

"I will return milady!" he promised.

"See that you do," she smiled.

As soon as Moonstalker left, an eerie holographic face appeared from behind Azure. It came through one of the Predacon probes given to her by Zaraxes.

"Will the energy absorption unit be ready soon?" asked the Boundless.

"It will, master," she told him.

"Good then you know what to do," he smiled wickedly. "Have all the power transferred to my holding cell within the Hyperion!"

"It will be done," she bowed.

* * *

"Is this a good hiding place?" Razorbeast looked around.

The Maximals had reached the location where Predacon activity was at its highest. Now they were hiding behind several old Egyptian ruins. It was the closest place they could find where it could be a good hiding place for the drained Cheetor.

Optimus and Rhinox both helped set Cheetor down.

"I feel it…" Cheetor told them. "I think some of my strength is coming back."

"Then that means the drain is only temporary," Maya pointed out.

"Even so, Cheetor's not fully recovered," Optimus told her. "Please stay here and watch over him."

"You can count on me," she promised.

"Let's go then," Optimus told the rest of the Maximals.

* * *

Before the awesome might of the Predacon armada, Optimus and the other Maximals could only stare in awe. They stood behind one of the old Egyptian temples a few feet away from where the Predacon activity was taking place. It was one of the few buildings in the area which the Predacons had chosen to neglect since it presented no practical benefit to them.

Azure commanded perhaps the largest segment of the Predacon navy and it would be no easy task to fight them.

"Look what they're doing over there!" Rhinox pointed towards the pyramid.

"It would appear that they're draining the power of that pyramid," Optimus rubbed his chin.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Inferno growled. "We should go in there and destroy it!"

"Whoa, let's not go in with all guns blazing now!" Rattrap raised a hand. "We gotta have a plan!"

"I agree, we need some kind of strategy to face these overwhelming odds," Depth Charge said grimly. "Their navy is too big to fight head-on."

Razorbeast had one solution. It would not be a popular solution but it was still something that could potentially work. However, it would require the consent of all the Maximals present and accounted for.

"Guys, I think I know how we can get past them," he told them.

"Yes, Razorbeast?" Optimus beckoned.

"I know what I propose isn't going to sound pleasant," he said. "But I propose that we all change our activation codes to Predacon."

"Are you serious?" Rattrap's optical sockets almost bulged out. "That don't sound right!"

Optimus contemplated it for a second. Rattrap was indeed right that it didn't sound right. But what other choice did they have? It was a plan plausible enough to help them get past enemy defenses.

"Alright," Optimus told Razorbeast. "We'll do it."

"Then it's settled," Razorbeast looked at puddle of mud nearby. "But first I'll have to get a quick paintjob."

* * *

On top of the pyramid's center, Moonstalker stood there directing the fliers on how to add the finishing touches to the energy absorption device. While he directed, Rhinox, Optimus, and Depth Charge walked up towards the top.

Luckily for them, Moonstalker did not detect any trace of Maximal programming on them. They had, after all, changed their activation codes to that of Predacons. It had been a quick and relatively painless, though unsavory, process.

It guaranteed that they would not be found out… unless of course they were questioned.

"You three," Moonstalker looked at the Maximals. "State your names! I don't recall you being part of this crew!"

"I'm uh… Death Charge," Depth Charge lied.

"Ceranox here," Rhinox added.

"And I'm Primal Force," Optimus said to Moonstalker. "We were transferred from Ixa's unit."

"You were?" Moonstalker took out a personal computer. "Let me run a scan of that."

Nervously, the three Maximals stood still as Moonstalker looked through the records.

"Nope, don't see your names on there," Moonstalker frowned.

Nervously, Depth Charge put his hand near his gun, just in case their cover would be blown.

"But then again Ixa did run into a lot of trouble with recently escaped Maximals," Moonstalker shrugged. "He probably didn't have time to make a full report of everything that's been going on."

At hearing that, the three Maximals were relieved.

"Anyways, back to work," Moonstalker told them, handing them the necessary equipment for the job. "We'll need this absorption unit ready within the next five cycles."

* * *

Within the warship, Inferno, Razorbeast, and Rattrap had blended in with the rest of the crew quite effortlessly. It helped that some of the Predacons in there also had gained beast modes, making it so that the three of them didn't necessarily stand out too much.

Before they entered into the ship, Razorbeast had made sure to roll around in some of the mud near the Nile so that he had a yellow-ish complexion. Rather than a red warthog, he now looked like a yellow and brown warthog. With any luck, he would not be identified as being the Razorbeast who betrayed the Predacon cause. After all, more and more Predacons were gaining beast modes even in the higher ranks. Hopefully the sight of another warthog in their midst would not set off any alarms.

"So where are we headed again?" asked Rattrap.

"To the main control room," Razorbeast told him. "Azure should be there, she's the one who's heading this mission."

"I would like to be able to greet this Predacon personally," Inferno said eagerly. "She and the rest of her kind shall burn for desecrating the sanctity of the Colony!"

"Not too loud!" Rattrap shushed Inferno. "We're in 'da lion's den!"

Already a few of the Predacons in the halls were looking at them strangely, noticing that something about them was off.

"Oh slag…" Razorbeast shook his head. "Let's just hope that the Preds on this ship haven't been told about my betrayal."

"Here we are," Rattrap pointed towards the main door that they had reached.

"Azure should be right in here," Razorbeast pointed out.

Suddenly, the door opened up with several Predacon troopers training their weapons on the three.

"Uh, knock knock?" Rattrap joked nervously.

"Poor Razorbeast," Azure stood from behind the Predacon troopers. "You really thought I couldn't detect you from a mile away?"

Razorbeast sighed. "I should've known changing my activation code back wouldn't have been enough."

"Take them to the holding cells," ordered Azure.

Without warning, Razorbeast transformed to beast mode and slammed into several of the soldiers before they could react properly. On cue, Inferno did the same, tacking the others down, leaving Azure right open for Rattrap.

Rattap un-holstered his gun and pointed it at the Predacon femme who took out a Cybertronian sword of her own which closely resembled that of a katana. He fired at her a few times only for Azure to deflect the shots with her blade.

Azure slashed at Rattrap who quickly rolled out of the way of the sword and fired back. Just as Azure deflected another shot, Inferno grabbed her from behind and hurled her against the the wall.

Before she could get back up, Inferno grabbed her and pinned her there.

"Call off your attack on this planet!" he ordered.

"How about… no?"

Azure drove her knee into Inferno's mid-section to loosen his grip. As Inferno let go, she slammed the butt of her sword into his chin to knock him off.

Soon enough, up to four of the troops had physically overpowered Razorbeast and forced him onto the floor.

Two more of the Predacon soldiers fired a capture net from behind Inferno, catching him off guard and pinning him onto the ground.

Noticing Rattrap's shadow from behind her, Azure swung around, kicking the gun out of Rattrap's hand. Before Rattrap could make a grab for his tail spear, Azure struck Rattrap upside the chin with a front snap kick, knocking him down.

"Take these prisoners down there," she ordered, pointing towards the pyramid.

* * *

"Have you planted the last of them?" asked Optimus.

"Just about," Rhinox whispered.

All the while the three Maximals had been planting multiple pulse grenades on top of the energy absorption unit instead of going about the duties assigned to them by the Predacons.

"Are the others okay up there, you think?" Rhinox looked at Optimus.

"Hopefully they'll be alright," replied Optimus.

"You there!" Moonstalker pointed towards the two. "Stop babbling and get back to work!"

"Oh that won't be necessary Moonstalker," Azure floated down to them aboard her flying skiff.

Rhinox, Depth Charge, and Optimus gasped as they saw who was on there. Aboard the skiff were Rattrap, Razorbeast, and Inferno, all tied up and captured.

"Surrender or your friends die," Azure gave them the ultimate warning.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" asked Maya.

Slowly but surely Cheetor had been recovering. Now he was able to move faster and was no longer so sluggish.

"Like a million bucks," Cheetor flexed his arm, punching through a rock he had thrown into the air.

"So far I haven't gotten any com-signals from the guys," Maya looked towards the sky.

"I think I can go check it out right about now," Cheetor told her. "I'm almost at a hundred percent now."

"Optimus did tell you to stay here," Maya reminded him. "What if you haven't fully recovered?"

"I should be good now," insisted Cheetor, looking towards the direction of the Predacon activity. "Besides, they could probably use my help."

"Aaaagh!" a scream from behind alerted Cheetor.

"No!" Cheetor turned around, "Maya!"

From behind Maya, Camo had grabbed her, draining her of all her strength and energy. Soon, he dropped the weakened Maximal femme-bot to the floor.

"Nice appetizer," Camo licked his lips. "But that won't satisfy me. Nothing will. I've gotten a taste of your powers and only that will gratify me!"

"Then come get some!" snarled Cheetor.

Camo was all too happy to oblige. He leaped at Cheetor who had to quickly leap out of the way as Camo crashed into the broken statue Cheetor stood in front of. Thankfully at this point Cheetor had made a fully recovery and regained all of his speed. Camo's agility had increased some due to his contact with Maya but it was still not fast enough to be able to easily catch Cheetor.

"You can make it easier on yourself by staying still," Camo ordered.

"I'll pass," Cheetor frowned.

Camo charged again. This time Cheetor ducked underneath him and spun around, striking Camo in the back of the head with a spinning wheel kick.

The chameleon-bot stumbled forward and caught himself against the Egyptian temple. When he turned around, Cheetor was gone.

"Where'd that feline go?" Camo wondered aloud.

From up above, Cheetor had squeezed his body in between a temple wall and a nearby obelisk. Using all of his leg strength, he began to push upon the obelisk. Soon, the obelisk began to give way.

Suddenly, Camo noticed a large shadow looming over him.

"Huh?" he turned around.

By then it was too late, the obelisk Cheetor had loosened fell right down on top of Camo, crushing him underneath several hundreds of tons.

Turning away from his defeated foe, Cheetor went over to where Maya was to help her.

"You alright?" he asked.

"I will be," she smiled weakly. "Now go help your friends!"

Cheetor nodded and helped her lean against the statue of Anubis. After transforming to beast mode, he activated his jet pack and blasted off.

* * *

Helpless to do anything, Optimus could only watch as the Predacons began finishing up on their final touches to the energy absorption unit high above the pyramid.

They were now on the ground floor, each and every one of them sealed within a containment jar which sapped them of their strength. It was almost like a stasis cuff, except one which contained them.

"You won't get away with this!" Optimus shouted.

"Oh yes we will!" Azure walked up towards the captured Maximals. "You see, with all of you bound and helpless, nothing will prevent us from bringing the Boundless back into existence!"

"Did you just say the Boundless?" Razorbeast's eyes widened.

Consternation broke out among the Maximals soon after Azure mentioned that name. At various stages of their life, all of them had heard of the name, with the exception of Inferno who had no memories of Cybertron.

"That can't be!" Rhinox shook his head. "I thought the Boundless was just a legend!"

"Oh he is all too real," promised Azure. "And once he returns, there will be nothing in this universe which can stop him!"

"If she's telling the truth, then we're in bigger trouble than I thought!" Razorbeast shuddered. "The Boundless is one of the most evil beings in all of existence, second only to the legendary Unicron!"

"No wonder you guys hooked up quite nicely," Rattrap glared at Azure.

"Don't try my patience, rat!" she growled. "I could just as easily end your life here!"

Moonstalker flew down next to her.

"Everything is ready, my dear!" he told her.

Up above, the machine around the pyramid hummed to life, drawing energy from the pyramid's ancient powers.

"No!" shouted Optimus.

"Optimus," Razorbeast turned to the Maximal commander. "If they're telling the truth about the resurrection of the Boundless, then life as we know it… on Earth and on Cybertron… is in grave danger."

"Yes! Yes!" shouted Azure. "The ancient one will soon walk again!"

Out of the blue, a shot rang out, destroying the machine which powered the containment units which held the Maximals. From the skies, Cheetor flew down.

"Whoo!" shouted Cheetor. "Back in business!"

"Atta boy!" Rattrap smiled.

All of the Maximals broke out of their containment units and attacked the Predacon guards near them, overwhelming them instantly.

Azure took a step back as Moonstalker grabbed her by the shoulder.

"We must not let them near the machine!" Azure told him.

Moonstalker carried her in his arms and flew into the air to the top of the pyramid.

On the ground, an entire army of Predacons began their assault.

"There's just a few of us and a lot of them," Rhinox noted.

"Rattrap, you and Razorbeast get aboard that pyramid and stop them!" ordered Optimus. "We'll try to hold the rest of them off!"

Without hesitation, Rattrap transformed to vehicle mode and beckoned for Razorbeast to get on. Soon, the two of them raced onto the pyramid.

"Odds don't look good," Depth Charge pointed out.

"Then it's a good thing I always gamble against the odds!" Inferno bore his sharp teeth.

With a fearsome battle cry, the five Maximals hurled themselves against the entire might of the Predacon navy.

* * *

"Oh man, hope we can stop that thing in time!" Rattrap cried.

"You got the demolitions?" asked Razorbeast who sat on top of the speeding Rattrap.

"Got 'em," Rattrap confirmed. "Now all we gotta do is get past those Preds."

As the two finally reached the top of the pyramid, two purple lasers came down, nearly striking them. In the air, Moonstalker fired upon Rattrap and Razorbeast mercilessly.

"I'll handle this guy," Razorbeast said to his partner. "You disable that machine!"

"Got it!" Rattrap promised.

Racing towards the energy absorption unit, Rattrap took out two pulse charges but a quick kick to his face alerted him of another presence nearby.

Rapidly, he blocked the kick with his forearm. Azure was also there, ready to defend the energy absorption unit.

"Hey, I ain't got time for this!" Rattrap told her.

"Make time, rodent!" she growled.

Meanwhile, Moonstalker fired at Razorbeast endlessly who was handicapped by the fact that he had no flight mode. Razorbeast could only fire back in return and occasionally dodge the Seeker's shots.

"Hold still!" Moonstalker threatened, firing more blasts.

Azure grabbed her sword and slashed at Rattrap, hoping to decapitate him in a single stroke. Rattrap fell back, feeling his back pressing against side of the mechanical ring surrounding the pyamid.

With a roar, Azure made a stab at Rattrap's spark. Fortunately, Rattrap got out of the way just in time as Azure's sword thrust deep into the machine. Angrily, Azure tried to yank it out but could not do so in time.

Quickly, Rattrap tackled her, separating her from her weapon. The two of them wrestled on the ground briefly before Azure kicked him off with one leg.

As Rattrap got up, Azure punched him viciously across the jaw, causing stars to erupt across his head. This particular femme-bot could hit every bit as hard as Blackarachnia and was at least equally as skilled.

She quickly thrust forward and grabbed him by the throat with both hands, squeezing down. With a burst of strength, Rattrap got his forearms in front of both her arms and broke the choke apart. Without thinking, Rattrap grabbed Azure in an embrace and did the thinkable.

"Mmmmwah!" Rattrap grabbed Azure and kissed her passionately.

At that point both Moonstalker and Razorbeast stopped their battle and could only look on in shock.

Finally, Rattrap broke the embrace.

"Aaaaagh!" screamed Azure in disgust.

What Rattrap had done to her felt so vile and scandalous that she felt just about ready to hurl all of the energon she had previously consumed. And that was exactly the kind of distraction Rattrap had planned on.

Irrationally, Azure charged at Rattrap in a blind fury. And that was what he had counted on. With a quick sweep kick, Rattrap tripped Azure and sent her crashing down the pyramid.

"Aaaahhh!" she screamed as she tumbled down the pyramid until her body finally hit the desert sand.

"How dare you!" Moonstalker shouted, turning his gun on Rattrap.

Sensing a moment of opportunity, Razorbeast aimed his wrist-mounted laser at Moonstalker and fired, knocking the Predacon Seeker clear out of the sky.

"Nice work!" Razorbeast complimented. "I don't think you could've paid me a million credits to kiss that Predacon femme!"

"You gotta do what ya gotta do," Rattrap shrugged, wiping away at the corners of his mouth as if he had just gotten cyber-cooties.

Instantly, Rattrap took the two pulse grenades he had planned.

"Back to business," Rattrap promised.

Very soon, they had planted enough charges on the machine to completely de-stabilize it. With the quick press of a button, the charges on the energy absorption device completely overloaded the machine with an electrical pulse.

"We'd better get outta here," Razorbeast gulped.

"Get on!" Rattrap transformed to vehicle mode.

As the two raced down the pyramid, a large grinding sound was heard as the energy absorption device began to malfunction. Internally, all its gears came to a grinding halt. After a low rumble, the large ring split in half and fell apart down the pyramid.

* * *

Depth Charge dodged a punch from one of the construction-bots who swung at him and grabbed the large Predacon by his arms. With one swing, he sent the 'bot flying into a group of his fellow soldiers.

The fight had dragged on for as long as possible. They were starting to tire out at this point.

Optimus looked up. Atop the pyramid, the large ring which surrounded it fell to the ground after having split.

"They did it!" Optimus exclaimed.

"Yeah, but they've got us," Rhinox looked around.

On all sides they were surrounded. As the Maximals gathered together, the Predacon troops readied their weapons.

Abruptly, a blast rained down from the sky, blowing away a large portion of the Predacon troops in the area. The Maximals looked up towards the sky. The warship which had loomed overhead was now firing on its own Predacon soldiers. Shot by shot, the warship rained down bolts of lasers from the sky, causing all the Predacons to forget about the Maximals and scatter.

Before long, the field had been cleared. Rattrap and Razorbeast soon joined them.

"What the heck is going on?" Rattrap looked up. "Why's that ship helping us?"

"Did you really think you could leave me out of this?" a voice came through the com-link.

"Maya?" exclaimed Razorbeast. "Is that you?"

"Yes it is!" Maya's voice replied. "While you were engaging the enemy, I snuck aboard their ship and hacked into their mainframe. It didn't take long before I took control of their ship!"

"Heh," Inferno smiled. "Not bad… for a female."

"You sure know how to give backhanded compliments!" Maya said to Inferno through the com-link.

"Ignore ant-boy," Cheetor smiled. "You did good, Maya!"

"Where to now?" asked Rattrap.

"Well, now that we've stopped one of their schemes, we'd better get back to base and plan our next move," Optimus proclaimed.

"It shouldn't take too long getting back," Cheetor looked at the warship. "We've got a sweet ride after all."

* * *

From the desert sands, the head of a red dragon emerged. After what seemed like hours, Megatron finally saw the light of the setting sun.

"Bwah!" shouted Megatron as he finally freed himself from being buried under tons of sand.

"What was that Primal possessed?" Megatron mused, dusting himself off. "It couldn't have been the Matrix of Leadership…"

He transformed to beast mode and flew into the air. After a while, he saw the scene of what appeared to have been a heated battle. Around the nearby pyramid were the broken rings of an energy absorption device which had been set up earlier. Apparently, somebody had sabotaged it and destroyed it.

"Just what were they doing with this?" Megatron wondered aloud, looking at the ruins of their machine.

* * *

"I have returned," Azure opened the door to the inner chamber of the Hyperion. "I did not succeed in harvesting enough energy."

"Heh, looks like somebody didn't succeed in their mission," Ixa looked at her mockingly.

"I have half a mind to slag you right now," Azure glared at Ixa.

To her surprise, the face of the Boundless had been replaced by a large red spark which pulsated with energy all around it.

"Master, are you feeling alright?" she asked.

"Though you have not fully given me all the energy," the Boundless explained, "your harvester still gathered enough to restore some of my powers. As for the rest, I will require the assistance of you three."

"What do you wish for us to do?" asked Zaraxes.

The Boundless glowed eerily, creating a circle around the three. Zaraxes recognized the symbol immediately. It was an occultist Cybertronian circle used by Predacon mystics from ancient times.

"Stay within this circle!" the Boundless ordered them.

With a deafening shriek, the Boundless howled and began draining the powers of the three Predacons.

"W-What's this?" Ixa demanded, shifting his feet nervously.

"Stay where you are!" Zaraxes ordered him.

After siphoning enough of their spark energy, the Boundless cried out again as he began to take new form.

Soon, a torso emerged through the powers of the dark one, in addition to arms and legs. From behind him a billowing cape flowed down.

"I… I can't believe you took this shape!" Azure's optics widened.

Standing before them was a dark figure towering over the three. To the untrained eye, his form looked almost exactly like that of the legendary Optimus Prime. Rather than the traditional blue and red colors which decorated the original Prime, this figure was colored by black and gray hues. In his hand he held a battle axe while his eyes glowed with an evil red.

"Master?" asked Zaraxes. "How are you feeling?"

"I… I walk again!" the Boundless stretched out his arms. "After eons of formlessness, I have taken shape once more!"

"Okay, this is creeping me out," Ixa muttered.

"You three!" the Boundless looked at them. "Remain within the mystic circle! I will be leaving this ship to make my… incursions into the physical world once more."

"Yes master," Zaraxes bowed. "We will do as you please."

The Boundless smiled underneath his new body's faceplate and walked through the door. As he walked out, several of the Predacons stopped what they were doing and looked on in awe. None of them, however, dared to approach him. And it was just as well for them and their personal safety.

After having gone into the open, the Boundless looked into the sky as dark clouds gathered overhead on his command. From those clouds, red lightning erupted all across the land.

Below, the townspeople of the city began to flee as they saw the Boundless and the lightning storm he had summoned.

"Ha, like insects they run," the Boundless sneered.

Reaching out across the world with his mind, the Boundless concentrated as he psychically began to track down where the Maximals were.

Soon, he uncovered their location and opened his optics once more.

"Interesting," he said. "It would appear that one of them is indeed the descendent of a Prime."

At this point, he had his own body. Despite what the prophecy had stated, he was for all intents and purposes a god. And the Maximals on this planet were not much more than ordinary Cybertronian mortals. What chance could they stand against him?

The fear that he had once felt over the prophecy in his formless stated had vanished as the Boundless stretched out his hand, blasting apart a building with a powerful bolt of red lightning.

"Soon, very soon," promised the Boundless. "Both you and I will meet, Optimus Primal."

**A/N**: It wasn't intentional but I think I accidentally made Razorbeast and Maya into Maximal equivalents of Sam and Mikaela, minus the head-spinning Michael Bay-esque camera shots of them kissing of course, haha. I decided to add Razorbeast into the story because I liked some of what I saw of him in the expanded universe. Thus far he's been the third canon Expanded Universe character from Beast Wars I've brought over into my series, the first two being Shokaract and Magmatron. Maya is an original character for my series alone. Also, I should have mentioned this earlier... but the appearance of Sentinel in the chapter _Timelines_ will be his final appearance. I really enjoyed writing this new spin to Sentinel for my series and making him the bad guy. But I think at this point, I've accomplished just about everything I could with his character, plus he was always getting his body destroyed in every appearance he made. _Timelines_ is the final chapter in the Sentinel sub-plot and hopefully an appropriate one at that. He did manage to kill Optimus Primal in that one... only for Optimus to come back from the dead to promptly destroy him. But nonetheless, I believe the Timelines chapter was overall an appropriate sendoff for Sentinel's character.


	64. House of Predacus IV

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_House of Predacus IV – Incarnate _

The ride back to base had been like a pleasant cruise across the sea. On their way, the Maximals had been fortunate not to have encountered any Predacon ships to stall them. Their luck was due to the fact that most of the Predacon occupying forces were busy enforcing their will across the major cities of the world.

Now, they were back at base. It would be here that they would have to plan their next move. They had won one major battle but the war had not yet been ended.

"So what're we going to do next?" asked Razorbeast.

"Before we do anything further, we're going to have to do a quick study," Optimus confirmed. "Rhinox, do you have access to the archives right now?"

Rummaging through several files, Rhinox finally took out one of the Cybertronian books he had in their library.

"I've finally found it," he nodded.

"So what exactly are we looking for?" asked Maya.

"Information," Optimus told her. "We need to know everything we can about the Boundless."

Before Rhinox could open the book, Cheetor appeared before them panting.

"Cheetor?" Optimus looked at the younger Maximal.

"Bad news," Cheetor told them. "Something's going down hard in the metro area."

In the room there was a monitor to the wall. Rhinox quickly pressed down on one of the buttons to activate it.

"Crimson City is under siege!" the reporter announced. "I repeat… we are under attack! The Predacons who have attacked our city have made their way here! One of them is rampaging through the city, destroying everything within his sight!"

Suddenly, a red lightning bolt shattered the connection between the human reporter and camera. Soon, the TV showed nothing more than static.

"Maximals, move out!" ordered Optimus.

* * *

Telekinetically, the Boundless lifted several cars into the air. With a mere gesture of his hand, he sent them all flying into the buildings in front of him, sending several more humans in the area running away in fear.

Opening his hand, he unleashed a powerful blast of red energy which destroyed a tanker nearby, causing it to explode.

Out of the flames walked the Boundless. It had been a long time since he had a corporeal form and it was finally time he really put it to the test.

Suddenly several power discs flew down from the sky, striking him on the chest. None of them did any harm however.

Depth Charge was the first to fly down, followed by Optimus, Cheetor, and the rest.

"You… you look almost exactly like Optimus Prime!" Primal was stunned.

"The resemblance is uncanny, isn't it?" the Boundless answered. "You see, it was the original Optimus Prime who drained me of all my energy and left me as a helpless ghost. I thought is best to dishonor his memory by taking his form to wreak havoc!"

"Who are you?" demanded Optimus.

"Why… I am none other than he who walks again," the Boundless replied with brevity. "I am the primordial one who predates both Autobot and Decepticon."

Raising his hand in the air, the Boundless summoned a storm cloud above them. From those clouds, several bolts of red lightning rained down upon the hapless Maximals, blasting open the concrete beneath them and causing them to scatter.

"It's as I feared," Razorbeast got up, looking at Optimus. "He's back."

"So you're the Boundless?" Depth Charge growled.

"Yes," the Boundless drew his battle-axe.

He raised the axe and smashed it down on the ground, sending a seismic shockwave towards Cheetor and Depth Charge who leaped into the air and came down towards the ancient Cybertronian. With a blast from his hand, the Boundless blasted the two with red lightning, connecting with them in mid-air.

"Aaaagh!" screamed the two of them.

Soon, the red lightning knocked both of them back onto the streets.

Rhinox was the next to open fire, pelting the Boundless with an endless spray of machine gun fire. Soon, Rattrap joined in the fray and shot at him several times.

The Boundless spun around and unleashed a powerful red optical blast which engulfed the two in an explosion. When the smoke cleared, both Rhinox and Rattrap lay there on the ground motionlessly.

"No!" shouted Optimus.

Optimus leaped into action along with Razorbeast, Maya, and Inferno. One after another they attacked. The Boundless grabbed onto Optimus as he swung his mace. With a single throw, he hurled Optimus into a taxi cab, knocking it over. As Maya and Razorbeast came in, he stopped the two of them telekinetically and flung them to opposite ends.

In Inferno's case, the Boundless spun around and slashed through Inferno, severing his arm from his body.

"Aaaaahhh!" screamed Inferno.

Razorbeast got back up and fired at the Boundless, doing absolutely no damage. In retaliation, the Boundless picked Maya up telekinetically and threw her into him.

Suddenly, a punch from behind alerted the Boundless. Cheetor leaped over him and spun around, kicking the Boundless in the chest with a spinning sidekick.

Angrily, the Boundless attacked, blasting at Cheetor with a powerful red beam. Thanks to his speed and agility, Cheetor quickly moved to the side and came in, unleashing several powerful blows onto the ancient one.

Again and again the Boundless blasted at Cheetor who avoided all the shots and unleashed blow after blow against the chest and head of the ancient Cybertronian. The Boundless struck at Cheetor with his axe but missed, allowing Cheetor the opportunity to kick him across the face with a leaping roundhouse.

Finally, Cheetor got up close and punched again. This time the Boundless caught his fist with an open hand.

"Your defiance amuses me," the Boundless informed Cheetor, clenching his fist.

With a single blow, the Boundless punched Cheetor so hard that the young Maximal was sent crashing through five buildings before finally landing head-first into a delivery truck.

"Ugh…" Cheetor groaned before falling down on his face.

Now only Optimus, Maya, Razorbeast, and Inferno remained.

"Which of you four wishes to have their sparks extinguished first?" the Boundless demanded.

"Sorry, think I'll pass," Razorbeast shrugged and then opened fire.

Clenching his hand, the Boundless punched at the ground near Maya and Razorbeast. With his god-like strength, the punch proved so powerful that it generated a shockwave which sent both Razorbeast and Maya crashing through the buildings above.

"No!" shouted Optimus.

At once he and Inferno began to rain down firepower on the Boundless.

"Soon you two will fall before my might as well!" the Boundless looked up towards the two, readying his optic lasers.

Suddenly, two boots connected against his back, causing the Boundless to misfire and stumble forward from the kick. The misfired laser beam missed Optimus and Inferno narrowly and destroyed half of the building that was behind them. As one of the pieces of rubble fell on Inferno, Optimus quickly went over to help get it off of him.

Cheetor and Depth Charge were there, damaged but still functional. Depth Charge transformed to flight mode and flew towards him, blasting at the ancient Cybertronian with more energy discs.

Immediately the Boundless brought his axe up and chopped off one of Depth Charge's wings as the blue Maximal soared over him in mid-air. The resulting damage sent the aquatic Maximal crashing to the ground. As Depth Charge transformed to robot mode once more and got back up, the Boundless fired five separate blasts from his fingers, all of which struck a different part of Depth Charge's body, injuring him further.

"Aaagh!" screamed Depth Charge.

In return, Depth Charge took out his missile launcher and fired a shot which exploded against the Boundless. Scowling underneath his face plate, the Boundless psychically broke off a huge chunk of the building above Depth Charge and brought it down on the Maximal, crushing him and burying him.

From behind, Cheetor clenched both hands together and struck the Boundless across the back of his helmet. As the Boundless swung around with an open fist, Cheetor leaped over him and jumped onto the back of the Boundless. The Boundless reached for him again but Cheetor leaped off, blasting the Boundless point-blanke in the face with his rifle.

Unharmed, the Boundless returned fire, blasting Cheetor in the chest with a red optic blast, knocking Cheetor into the ground. Relentlessly, the Boundless blasted Cheetor with that optic blast until the cat had been drilled nearly six feet into the ground from the force of the beam.

"And then there were two," the Boundless looked up, watching as Optimus pushed off the final piece of rubble from Inferno.

"You're going to regret coming to this planet!" Inferno threatened.

"And what are you going to do to me if I don't leave?" the Boundless asked condescendingly.

"Inferno, I don't think we can win this one," Optimus told him.

"You wish to give up and allow him the spoils of victory?" demanded Inferno.

"No, but we need a plan," Optimus said to the fire ant. "We've thrown everything we had at him and he still isn't slowing down."

"Then what do you propose?" asked Inferno.

Suddenly, Optimus had an idea.

"Follow me," he activated his jetpack and flew off.

Soon, Inferno decided that it was best not to argue and entered into flight mode as well, trailing Optimus from behind.

"So, those two truly believe they can escape?" the Boundless sneered.

Telekinetically the Boundless lifted himself off the ground and gave chase.

* * *

Within the confines of the Maximal base, water began to cover the floors due to the city-wide loss of power. Unfortunately for Rhinox, he had not managed to contain Rampage's holding cell with the backup reserve power generators yet.

As more and more watered flowed out of the holding cell, a slow rumbling sound was heard.

Suddenly, a hand punched through the holding cell, splitting the metal doors and the remaining ice which encased him.

"Raaagh!" screamed Rampage, busting out.

"Attention! Unit Rampage has escaped!" the alarm next to the holding cell rang out.

With a single punch, Rampage demolished the alarm.

"I'm going to do more than just escape!" Rampage snarled. "I'm going to feast on Maximal sparks tonight!"

He looked around him. The entire area was indeed the Maximal base but he could not sense any of the Maximals nearby. In fact, he sensed the eerie presence of another spark on this planet, one which was both ancient and demonic.

It was the essence of a spark which hit very close him to that of his own.

"Interesting," Rampage gripped his chin with his fingers. "It would appear that we have another player in the grand stage of the Beast Wars."

* * *

As the ancient deity pursued them, Optimus turned right towards the downtown business center and sped towards a nearby gas station which had already been abandoned by the fleeing humans.

The two Beast Warriors stopped in mid-air and fired upon the Boundless with all the firepower at their possession. Not to be deterred, the Boundless grabbed Inferno and hurled him to the side of a building.

Optimus was next. The Boundless struck him with a light blow. That one blow in itself, however, knocked Optimus clear over into the gas station. As Optimus got up, he realized that he had landed near a gas pump. An idea soon came to his head.

"Inferno, open fire!" shouted Optimus.

Realizing what Optimus was telling him, Inferno grabbed his own gun and fired a shot just as Optimus Primal leaped out of the way.

The shot struck the fuel pump near the Boundless, engulfing him in a spectacular explosion which was felt by both Transformers as they quickly hid behind several cars for protection.

"Let's hope that did something," Optimus said warily.

From out of the fire, a large boot stomped into the ground. Soon, the Boundless emerged from the flames completely unharmed.

"Fools, I am the living embodiment of fire!" the Boundless cried, summoning the flames around him in a whirlwind.

With a gesture, the Boundless sent that whirlwind of flames towards Inferno, engulfing him in it.

Soon, the charred body of Inferno flew from that whirlwind and landed near a telephone pole.

Summoning the flames again, the Boundless allowed the flames to form a circular motion around his hands before unleashing a powerful flame blast in the form of a serpent. Before it could strike Inferno, however, Optimus grabbed the rogue and got them both out of the way.

"I can sense your relationship with this insect," the Boundless told Optimus. "He cares not for you, your friends, or your cause! Why do you save his life?"

"Because to do otherwise wouldn't be the right thing," answered Optimus defiantly.

"Pity…" the Boundless summoned a powerful energy ball in the air.

Before he could throw it, however, an intense blast of emerald flames struck him from behind.

"Aaaahhh!" screamed the Boundless, unprepared for a blast of such magnitude.

He stumbled forward. The blast actually managed to hurt him, searing him across the back with enormous pain. The Boundlss fell to one knee, breathing heavily as both Optimus and Inferno looked up in surprise.

"Tigerhawk!" Optimus cried.

"You've fought well Optimus," Tigerhawk acknowledged. "No one could ask any more of you. I'll take it from here."

"Who are you?" demanded the Boundless.

"All you need to know is that I will defend this world to my last breath!" Tigerhawk assumed a combat stance.

"And your last it shall be!" the Boundless cupped both hands together and blasted at Tigerhawk with a red laser beam.

Tigerhawk flew into the air to avoid the blast and struck the Boundless in his chest with a bolt of emerald lightning. At once, the Boundless was sent flying back until he crashed through a building.

"Raaahh!" screamed the Boundless as he emerged from the wreckage, flying into the air to confront the winged fuzor.

The two of them struck each other, engaging in a dazzling display of power. Clenching both fists together, Tigerhawk punched the Boundless with two thunderous punches, sending shockwaves through the air as he struck the Boundless across the chin.

In return, the Boundless knocked Tigerhawk into the air with an uppercut and then flew up. Cupping both hands together, he struck the fuzor in the back to send Tigerhawk falling into the ground.

As Tigerhawk got up, the Boundless came down with him. The Maximal fuzor quickly rolled aside to avoid the ancient deity's earth-shattering punch which split the ground underneath them both and nearly leveled the entire city block.

The two of them blasted at each other with an incredible display of red and emerald lightning. The various bolts of lightning struck each other, cancelling each other out. From the sides, Optimus and Inferno could only look on helplessly.

Finally, the lightning storm ended as both opponents stopped for a brief respite, neither being seemingly able to overwhelm the other with their powers.

"Your power is considerable," acknowledged the Boundless. "But judging from the fact that I've not known about you since now, I'm going to assume that I surpass you far in age."

Tigerhawk said nothing. He realized the Boundless was merely goading him and sizing him up.

"With age comes wisdom," the Boundless raised a hand, summoning an aura of energy around it. "And with advanced age… comes experience!"

Turning around, the Boundless pointed his hand towards Optimus and Inferno and fired to Tigerhawk's shock.

Moving at light-speed, Tigerhawk quickly got in front of the blast meant for Optimus and Inferno, taking the full force of it.

"Aaaaaaahhhh!" screamed Tigerhawk as the blast tore away at his armor.

Finally, by the time it was over, Tigerhawk fell down, forced down onto both knees from the agony of the attack.

"Pitiful," the Boundless sneered.

With a single blast, the Boundless struck the injured Tigerhawk aside. With the fuzor out of the way, both the ape and the insect were fair game.

The injured Inferno charged but a quick back hand into a bus took him out of the fight for good.

"You, Optimus Primal, are the one I'm interested in," the Boundless proclaimed.

"Why me?" demanded Primal.

"Because it was stated in the prophecy that I would meet my end at the hands of the descendent of a Prime," the Boundless told him. "As for right now, that possibility is becoming more and more unlikely."

"Prophecy or not, I'll stop you!" Optimus raised a fist threateningly.

"There is no need," the Boundless told him. "I'm offering you the chance to surrender to me and become my disciple."

"Why would I want that?" demanded Optimus.

"Think of it…" the Boundless stretched out a hand. "You could have everything you ever wanted! The universe itself could be at your command!"

"No thanks," Optimus replied, holding his mace tightly. "I have everything I could ever want here!"

"Such a pity," the Boundless shook his head. "You and the Maximals would have made far better disciples than the Predacons!"

"What do you mean?" asked a bewildered Primal.

"You truly don't know?" the Boundless scoffed. "Predacons have truly been the worst servants I've ever had to deal with. As a society, they are incapable of long-term loyalty and are characterized by nothing less than incessant treachery! Is it any wonder they and their ancestors the Decepticons lost the Great War? The Autobots and Maximals on the other hand… know the values of long-term loyalty and cooperation. If I were to have you on my side, think of what we could accomplish together!"

"Sorry but I'll still have to decline," Optimus replied resolutely. "You just want to use us to conquer the galaxy and enslave its inhabitants. I'll never agree to that. Because as a wise 'bot once said… _freedom is the right of all sentient beings_."

For a moment, a cold wind blew in between them as if to signify the severing of the offer.

"So be it… Optimus!" the Boundless snarled angrily.

* * *

While standing in the mystic circle, the House of Predacus had witnessed the entire battle between their master and the Maximals through a cyber-bee's lenses.

They had heard everything, including how the Boundless had mocked the Predacon race for their alleged treachery and backwardness.

"Did he… did he just say we were worthless?" Ixa was shocked.

Azure's mind, however, had already been made up the moment she heard her master insult her and the Predacons.

"The fossil!" she growled. "We should have never revived him!"

"I agree!" Ixa shouted. "This'll be the last time we help that relic."

"Wait, what are you doing?" demanded Zaraxes. "We still have a duty to the Boundless!"

"Not anymore," Azure growled, stepping outside of the occultist circle.

Soon, Ixa did the same. The power of the circle after that began to diminish. All around him Zaraxes looked on helplessly as the center of power for the Boundles began to disappear.

"No… what have you done?" he gasped.

* * *

With a heave, the Boundless slammed Optimus into the ground with a single hand. As the Maximal struggled, the Boundless placed his foot on top of Optimus holding him down firmly in place.

He raised his battle axe in the air, ready to annihilate Optimus.

"It turns out that the prophecy was for naught," the Boundless sneered.

He swung down on his axe. Instead of cleaving the Maximal in two, the weapon became intangible and passed straight through Optimus.

"What?" the Boundless shrieked.

Bewildered, Optimus was equally as confused as the now-formless weapon disappeared.

"No, what is happening?" the Boundless looked at his own body.

Particle after particle flew away from his physical form. It didn't take long before the ancient Cybertronian realized that his body was fading from physical existence.

"Nooooo!" he screamed.

Soon, his entire body became intangible, fading from view slowly more and more until nothing but a large red spark remained.

"This is not over!" the Boundless cried, floating in the air. "We will finish this later!"

At top speeds, the disembodied spark flew off into the sky, leaving behind the defeated Maximal team.

* * *

"I can sense it," Rampage walked through the woods, sensing the powerful spark of the Boundless.

He was not yet sure what he would do once he met that spark. Logic dictated that he should try and absorb that large powerful spark into his own so that he would gain a vast increase in power.

"So, you are Protoform X…"

Rampage spun around in surprise. Above him was a large red spark.

"Who are you?" demanded Rampage.

"That is not important," the Boundless replied. "What is important is that you give yourself to a greater cause!"

"Of what cause do you speak of?" Rampage asked.

"Surrender yourself to me so that I may have a new body!" the Boundless demanded.

"Never!" Rampage took out his gun and fired.

Rapidly, the Boundless avoided the shot and struck Rampage directly in the chest, merging himself with that of X's spark.

"Aaaahhh!" both the Boundless and Protoform X screamed at once.

The experience was painful on both sides. For Rampage, it felt as if his spark was being pulled apart slowly, atom by atom. For the Boundless, it was the first time he had ever encountered a spark this strong, a spark which had a will to resist him to this degree. He had to concentrate nearly all his power just to complete this enormous task.

Finally, the spark of the Boundless disappeared completely within the newly reformatted Rampage.

As the Boundless looked up, he raised a single hand. He had successfully merged with and taken over Rampage's body.

"Yes!" he shouted. "I can feel the power coursing through me! This body is strong and will serve my purposes!"

Instead of the traditional red and orange which characterized Rampage's color scheme, the newly reformatted body in the possession of the Boundless was an amalgamation of demonic red and black linings across the body of Protoform X.

"Now," the Boundless glanced towards the sky. "It's time for the House of Predacus to learn that my will cannot be denied!"

* * *

"So what do we do now?" asked Ixa.

"We drain this planet for ourselves," Azure answered. "That's what we do."

"But no doubt the Boundless will be displeased!" Zaraxes scolded them.

"At this point I don't care what he has to say," Azure shook her head. "That ghost can rot for all we care!"

"Yeah!" Ixa smiled. "We don't need him!"

"Is that a fact?"

In shock, the three Predacons turned to the door where the body of Protoform X stood.

"M-Master?" Zaraxes asked. "Is that you?"

Without warning, the Boundless unleashed a powerful lightning storm through a single hand which engulfed Ixa and Azure in hellish electricity. Horrified, Zaraxes widened his optics at seeing his companions screaming at being tortured in such a manner.

"No… no more!" Azure screamed.

"Aaaahhh!" Ixa cried.

"Did you think I was unaware of what you two had done?" the Boundless snarled. "I don't suffer traitors gladly!"

"Master, please spare them!" pleaded Zaraxes. "They don't know their own ignorance!"

"Hmm," the Boundless looked down at Zaraxes. "You have always been my most faithful servant. Very well, I shall spare these two vermin."

"Thank my master," Zaraxes bowed.

After the torture session ended, both Ixa and Azure fell to the floor in agony.

"Ready your troops!" the Boundless ordered. "We attack the Maximal base now!"

* * *

After several hours, the Maximals had been rejuvenated from a dip in the CR chamber. Their encounter against the Boundless had nearly cost them their lives.

Currently, all of them, sans Depth Charge, were gathered around the archives where Rhinox was doing his investigating. The manta-bot was away, to fetch something of supreme importance.

"Do we even stand a chance against 'dis guy?" asked Rattrap.

"I don't want to agree with those sentiments," Razorbeast added. "But Rattrap is correct. The Boundless is simply too powerful."

"Then perhaps it's time we had help," Depth Charge stepped inside the room.

"Whoa!" Maya's eyes widened. "Is that the Matrix Blade?"

Depth Charge tipped his head as an answer. But soon, his demeanor turned serious again.

'First things first," Depth Charge glared at Tigerhawk. "What is _he_ doing here?"

"He's… with us now," Optimus answered. "He helped to save our lives."

"And as I recall, this flying furball nearly destroyed us in the past," Depth Charge pointed out. "How can we really trust him?"

"C'mon!" Rattrap nudged the blue Maximal. "The tabby's okay now."

"Hmph," Depth Charge crossed both arms. "You may as well invite Blackarachnia to the team with open arms."

As the Maximals resumed their discussions, Optimus took out the Matrix of Terra looking into it deeply. Suddenly, the Terra Matrix glowed, engulfing Optimus in a white light.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Rattrap stepped back.

To the untrained eye, it looked like Optimus had undergone a trance of sorts. Looking down, Depth Charge felt the Matrix Blade emanating a similar aura. Soon, he understood the significance of what was going on.

"Don't interfere," he told the other Maximals. "Let Optimus go about this as he should."

"Eh, okay?" Cheetor replied skeptically.

"What do you have, Rhinox?" asked Maya, noticing the book in Rhinox's arm.

"I've finally found a book on Cybertronian ancient history in our archives," explained the Maximal scientist. "This isn't my forte normally but having this may come in handy."

"What does it say?" asked Inferno.

"Before the advent of both Autobots and Decepticons, Cybertron was a planet without factions and without civil strife," Rhinox read. "But peace was not to last. Soon, the dark god Unicron inflamed the sparks of Transformer-kind, with the intent of engulfing the galaxy in darkness. In the ensuing war against Primus and his followers, Unicron was assisted by the other elder Cybertronian gods such as the Fallen and the Boundless."

"Man, where's the popcorn when ya need it," Rattrap commented.

Cheetor lightly slapped him upside the head as a gentle reminder not to talk during the important information session they were having now.

"In time, the war dragged on for eons," Rhinox continued. "Just when the tides seemed the darkest, a hero arose to light the way. Optimus Prime was that hero. In an epic struggle, he slew the Fallen and later on during the war, sapped the Boundless of all his powers by reversing one of his own spells against him."

"How much of this is real and how much of it is mythology?" asked Razorbeast with a healthy dose of skepticism.

"That's the hard part," Rhinox shook his head. "In books like this, history and folklore are blended almost seamlessly. Back then, historical archiving was not as advanced as it is today. We all know there was a historical figure back then named Optimus Prime. But did he actually defeat the elder gods of Cybertron? Frankly, that's really not for me to say."

"Well, at least now we're certain that the Boundless does exist," Cheetor pointed out.

Suddenly, a missile rocked their base.

"They're here!" Rhinox stood up. "Proximity alerts show mass enemy units closing in!"

"Then we need to get out there and slag some butt!" growled Cheetor.

"Um, what about Optimus?" Rattrap pointed towards the inert, trance-like Optimus Primal.

"Let him be," Depth Charge told them. "This is something he needs to do on his own. For now, let's go!"

* * *

Hundreds of Predacon tanks and Seeker jets waited outside for their entrance. From the looks of it, they numbered over the thousands altogether. It was not the entire Predacon army but the sheer numbers were still enough to potentially overwhelm them.

"So, you've decided to come out?" Zaraxes asked, holding his war pike.

Team Chaos stood behind him, all five members ready for combat.

"Here to party?" Cheetor stretched out his claws. "Looks like you've brought along the party flavors!"

"Where is Optimus Primal?" demanded Zaraxes.

"Currently unavailable," Depth Charge held up the Matrix Blade. "You'll be talking directly to us instead."

"Bring him out and we can discuss this like civilized Cybertronians," Zaraxes offered.

"Um, how about no?" Rattrap sneered.

"Then you've sealed your fate!" Zaraxes growled. "Predacons, attack!"

At once, the Predacon troops began their assault. Immediately, Tigerhawk formed an energy shield in front of the Maximals to protect them from the coming onslaught of missiles. Once the smoke from the explosion cleared, a massive blue blast from the Matrix Blade knocked aside hundreds of Predacons who were in the way.

Cheetor was the first to leap out, bulldozing his way through a dozen Predacons before clashing against Zaraxes.

In the air, Tigerhawk flew up, blasting at the star fighters who zoomed towards him, destroying them shot after shot with his characteristic green flames.

From behind Depth Charge, Rhinox, Rattrap, Razorbeast, and Maya opened fire on the Predacon troops.

Zaraxes swung his staff at Cheetor who caught the pike instantly. The Predacon struggled but could not break the Maximal's grip.

"Let go!" he shouted.

Instantly, Cheetor struck down, breaking the war pike in half with a single knife-hand stroke. The next thing he did was punch Zaraxes hard enough to floor him.

At seeing their opportunity, the members of Team Chaos leaped into the air, transforming into the enormous gestalt, Chaos.

"Chaos lives!" shouted the giant Transformer.

With a giant fist, he came crashing down on the spot Cheetor stood at. Cheetor quickly leaped out of the way and leaped up, flipping around and kicking Chaos across the jaw.

As Cheetor landed, Chaos threw another punch at him, only to miss once more.

* * *

"_Optimus… Optimus Primal."_

_Optimus looked all around his surroundings. He had no idea where he was, except that he was no longer present at the Maximal base. Encircling him all across his body was endless space. All around him were sparks floating about blissfully._

"_Where am I?" he asked. "Who are you?"_

"_I am the Oracle," the voice answered. "And you are witnessing the Well of Allsparks."_

"_Am I…"_

"_No," answered the Oracle. "Your worldly body remains alive. However, your friends are in danger."_

"_I… I have to help them!"_

"_To do so, you must first learn to open your spark to the light and transform your destiny," the Oracle told him._

"_How must I do that?" Optimus asked._

"_I will show you," the Oracle informed him. "All I require of you is your trust."_

"_Then let's do this."_

_At once, Optimus felt his own spark expanding as his body started to grow in size._

_

* * *

_

As the intense battle raged on, the Boundless stood atop the mountain, watching what was going on in the skirmish.

"What's going on down there?" asked Ixa. "Are we winning?"

"Don't ask stupid questions!" Azure told him. "Of course we are!"

"Silence!" the Boundless ordered the two.

At once, the two fell silent.

"I sense that the one named Depth Charge is in possession of a weapon comparable to the Matrix," the Boundless stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Optimus, too, he had sensed. The Maximal appeared to be undergoing some sort of change. Soon he would have to contend with the two if they had these formidable powers at their disposal.

But for now, he would see if the Predacon fleet was enough to handle the situation on their own.

* * *

Tigerhawk roared as he summoned a powerful lightning storm from above. Through the clouds, lightning came down, striking the large Predacon warships, shorting them out.

Several Seekers came in, blasting at him. In return, Tigerhawk unleashed a powerful shockwave from his body which knocked all of them back through the sheer force of it.

On the ground, Cheetor was engaging the tank-bots, knocking them down one after another with his fists. As he cleared a path, Rattrap and Maya began to shoot down stragglers as Razorbeast led another charge, plowing down multiple Seekers who stood in his path.

While in the air, Depth Charge noticed that Rhinox was being surrounded. A group of Predacons had grabbed him and were currently holding him down while beating him at the same time.

Swinging his sword downwards, Depth Charge blasted the Predacons away with a beam from his Matrix Blade.

"Rhinox, catch!" he shouted, throwing the mystic sword towards Rhinox who caught it.

"Thanks!" Rhinox called.

With a single blow, Rhinox split the earth beneath him, blasting away hundreds of Predacons from his immediate vicinity.

Just as Depth Charge's back was turned, however, two Predacon copters came up from behind him. Before the Maximal could turn around, they blasted him at once.

"Aaagh!" shouted Depth Charge as he fell from the sky.

Falling several feet from the air, Depth Charge hit the ground with a thud near where Chaos stood. The giant gestalt smiled and walked up towards the injured Depth Charge, holding his sword over the fallen Maximal.

"No one move!" he told the Maximals, "or this little blue shrimp gets it!"

All the Maximals stopped what they were doing.

"Now," Chaos told all of them. "Put down your weapons!"

Reluctantly, the Maximals did so. Tigerhawk's eyes glowed in anger but did not make a move.

"Now to cut you down to size!" Chaos raised his sword, intending to behead Depth Charge anyways.

Without warning, two missiles smashed into Chaos, sending the gestalt crashing head over feet for several yards. The only thing that broke his fall was crashing into a large mound.

Shaking his head, Chaos looked up. Right before all the Maximals and Predacons, a large blue and yellow aircraft landed. Firing two more missiles, it scattered several Predacons who were standing near Depth Charge.

"Optimus Primal, Maximize!"

The enormous jet transformed into a blue and yellow tinged warrior who stood taller than practically all the combatants in the field. Though he sported a new body, his characteristic face remained recognizable to all the Maximals.

"Alright, Optimus!" cheered Rattrap.

Several of the Predacons fired at Optimus to no effect. The thick armor which lined his body proved nearly impenetrable. Unleashing the missile launchers near his shoulder, Optimus fired several rounds, blasting away legions of Predacons all at once.

Finally, the Predacons began to flee. Now it was only Chaos and Optimal Optimus Primal.

"I'm not impressed!" Chaos growled. "You're mine!"

The gestalt charged, taking a wild swing at Optimus who grabbed his fist.

Clenching his own fist, Optimus punched Chaos so hard that the gestalt and knocked backwards in a single glancing blow.

As Chaos shook his head, Optimus punched him again, causing him to stumble back. Returning the favor, Chaos punched Optimus back. Soon, they were punching each other back and forth until Chaos was driven back once more.

Realizing he had to create some distance between himself and Optimal Optimus, Chaos fired at Optimus several times with his arm-mounted gun.

The next thing Optimus did was transform to flight mode, flying away and then back. He fired at Chaos who immediately fired back.

Flying past Chaos once more, Optimus swung around and blasted straight towards the Predacon combiner. At once the two smashed into each other, struggling for dominance. As Optimus slammed into his chest, Chaos grabbed Optimus by both sides near his wings.

Finally, Chaos threw Optimus, hurling the Maximal plane into a large rock. Optimus smashed through the rock and transformed back to robot mode, getting back up.

With a vicious battle cry, Chaos unsheathed his sword and charged. This time he would put an end to the Maximal leader… he would make sure of it!

As he swung the sword down, Optimus caught the sword by its blade with a single hand.

"Game over!" Optimus shouted.

With a powerful squeeze, Optimus shattered the sword to pieces, much to the shock of the large Predacon.

Finally, Optimus unleashed punch after punch onto the large gestalt, pummeling him with so much force that the Maximals watching the battle could feel the sheer shockwaves of the blows.

At last, Optimus drove his fist into the chest of Chaos, punching him so hard that the Chaos immediately split back into the five individual Predacons who had once made up the formidable gestalt.

"Ugh…" N-Farious raised his head briefly before falling to the ground unconscious alongside Star-blazer, Archeron, Boltsmasher, and Circuitor.

In a heap, all five Predacons lay there in ignominious defeat.

"Way to go, big guy!" Maya ran up, congratulating Optimus.

"Yeah, you really showed him!" Razorbeast gave the thumbs up.

"Optimus, what happened to you?" asked Rhinox.

"It turned out that the Matrix I held was actually a gateway to the Matrix itself," explained Optimus. "In our greatest time of need, it saw how we required more than stealth and guerrilla warfare to win this battle."

Tigerhawk walked up towards Optimal Optimus Primal, noting how even he was relatively small compared to Primal's new body.

"It would appear that we have everything we need now to win this war," Tigerhawk noted.

"Perhaps, but the Predacon occupation isn't over yet," Depth Charge added.

Rhinox walked over to Depth Charge, handing him back the Matrix Blade.

"Here," Rhinox gave it back. "Thanks for helping me."

Depth Charge nodded in acknowledgement, taking his mystic sword back.

"So I take it we're gonna go give the Preds a major stomping?" asked Rattrap.

"I agree with the rat," Depth Charge raised the Matrix Blade. "It's time we put an end to this occupation!"

"Then what're we waiting for?" Optimus declared. "Let's transform and roll out!"


	65. House of Predacus V

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_House of Predacus V – Sons and Daughters of Cybertron  
_

"What's taking Rhinox?" asked Cheetor.

"Let 'da big guy work," Rattrap shrugged. "Probably got something important planned."

The Maximals were now in the final stages of preparation. By now, an all-out war was in preparation.

Optimus Primal stood tall, towering over the rest. In his new Optimal mode, he was now a sizable force to be reckoned with. For some reason, this form felt familiar to him, though he could not tell why. It was almost as if he had encountered this same body in a dream or something to that effect.

"We should attack them head-on," Inferno raised both hands in excitement. "We shall spread terror and destruction onto their armies!"

"We will attack," Optimus stared down at the renegade Transformer. "But we're doing it to defend the planet. This is about justice, not destruction."

"Then you are a fool," Inferno gestured towards the blackened landscape before them. "Do you not see what this invading force is capable of?"

It was true that the Predacon armies had devastated several cities and left many areas of the earth badly damaged. Optimus couldn't be in denial of that at all.

"The one way… the _only_ way to end this," Inferno emphasized, "is for us to annihilate all of them!"

"Ain't gonna happen," Rattrap cut in. "Sorry mandible-face, but I think Optimus speaks for us all when he says we're fightin' for justice, not vengeance or whatever other bunk you're selling."

"Besides," added Razorbeast. "Our goal is to end the Predacon occupation of Earth. And to do that, I'm betting we need to cripple the weapon which played a huge part in conquering the planet."

"Are you talking about the Hyperion?" asked Maya.

"That, and the Boundless himself," Razorbeast shook his head. "I can't think of any possible way we can stop him though. The Hyperion we can always sabotage… but now do you stop a living god itself"

"No need to worry about that," Cheetor smiled. "You've got my speed, Rhinox's brains, DC's Matrix Blade, Rattrap's aim, Tigerhawk on our side, and Big Bot himself."

At that moment, Rhinox emerged from the cave with four new inventions he had come up with. In his arms were four backpack-like accessories. He passed three of them to Rattrap, Maya, and Razorbeast.

"What are these?" asked Maya.

"The new jetpacks I'd been working on for a while," Rhinox told them. "We could use it for a battle this big. I figured that since Rattrap, Maya, Razorbeast, and myself weren't fliers, we'd overcome that little disadvantage this time around."

Rattrap was the first to slip the jetpack on his back. Immediately, two wings sprouted out, each containing several small missiles attached to the lower ends.

"Cool, heh heh!" Rattrap exclaimed.

Razorbeast and Maya also attached the jetpacks to their backs and launched themselves in the air, flying around a bit before Rattrap followed up.

"How does it feel to be airborne?" asked Cheetor.

"Gettin' used to it!" Rattrap shouted down.

"You look absolutely ridiculous!" Depth Charge told Rattrap.

"What's wrong?" Rattrap retorted. "Afraid I'll outclass you in flying lessons?"

"Aerial combat is my specialty," Depth Charge snorted, crossing both arms. "You just stick to what you're good at… digging up garbage cans for your next meal!"

"Optimus," Tigerhawk went up to the Maximal leader. "May I have a word with you?"

"Yes?" Optimus went aside with Tigerhawk.

"I want to be honest with you," Tigerhawk confessed. "I truly do not know if I am capable of defeating the Boundless."

"We'll find a way," Optimus put a hand on Tigerhawk's shoulder. "There has to be a way."

"What Razorbeast said may contain a hint of the truth," Tigerhawk replied. "How does one stop a Cybertronian deity as powerful and as ancient as the Boundless?"

"Maybe we can't," Optimus replied. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try."

* * *

"Master, why have you gathered all of our forces to this location?" asked Ixa.

"Be quiet young one," one of the acolytes surrounding the Boundless turned to face the young Predacon. "Do not question the master in affairs which are not of your understanding."

Ixa gulped. "Yes sir…"

"What is he even up to?" Azure asked Zaraxes. "He's been standing there in a circle chanting like that for the last thirty cycles."

"I think he has something up his sleeve," Zaraxes replied.

"No duh," Azure grimaced. "I just want to know what it is."

Finally, the chanting stopped.

"It is complete," the Boundless stated. "I have gained access to it, after eons."

"Gained access to what, master?" asked Zaraxes.

"I have opened a rift to which I may summon the forces of the Cybertronian Netherworld!"

* * *

"It's just overhead," Optimus looked down the hill.

Below them was the entirety of the Predacon invasion force. Altogether they looked to be numbered at least one hundred thousand. Those were formidable numbers indeed.

"If we don't make it out of this alive," Optimus said to his troops. "I want you to know that I'm proud to have served with the finest crew in the known galaxy."

"Likewise," Cheetor smiled.

"We're with ya to the end!" Rattrap gave a thumbs up.

"Let's do this!" Depth Charge shouted, gripping the Matrix Blade in both hands.

With a combined battle cry, all nine Maximals charged downhill towards the Predacon army.

The Predacons in the front were the first to take notice. They barely had time to react before a single blast from Tigerhawk's palm sent all of them scattering.

Optimus flew directly into the heart of the Predacon fleet, blasting his way through several of the Predacon jets. Quickly, he dodged two of the missiles and deflected another with his arm, flying on top of one of the airships.

Several Seekers flew down at him. With a powerful right hand, Optimus punched them away. As another batch flew in close, he swung, knocking them away as well.

"Predacons, attack!" Moonstalker fired several null rays at the now enlarged Optimus.

Primal swatted away another Seeker who flew at him and fired two missiles which struck Moonstalker and knocked him out of the air. He punched down into the Predacon vessel, tearing it open in one blow.

Meanwhile, Tigerhawk was following the same strategy as Optimus, attacking the aerial units of the Predacon army.

He flew past several Predacon Seekers who blasted him repeatedly, causing no damage. The fuzor raised his hands, summoning lightning from the skies which hammered into a nearby vessel, ripping it apart and sending it crashing to the ground in smoldering flames.

Tigerhawk turned around, firing several more missiles which destroyed another Predacon battle-cruiser in mid-air. Again and again, he blasted several spats of green flames, destroying one vessel after another.

On the ground, both Depth Charge and Cheetor were holding their own quite well. Cheetor flipped over two Predacon guards, smashing their heads together simultaneously. He spun around, kicking another one several yards away.

Several Predacon bikers flew towards them, firing multiple plasma shots. Instantly, Depth Charge got in front of Cheetor, deflecting the lasers with the Matrix Blade, blocking all of them.

The blue Maximal gripped his mystical weapon, swinging upwards and sending a massive gust of wind which swept away a dozen Predacons who were running towards him. But before he could turn around to deal with incoming Predacon soldier behind him, Cheetor leaped into the fray, kicking away the assailant.

"They just keep coming and coming," Cheetor noted.

"Then we just keep doing what we do," Depth Charge swung with his front leg, kicking away a Predacon who came too close.

Cheetor ducked underneath a punch by one of the Predacon soldiers and swung back, knocking his attacker out. He closed both fists, leaping into an entire battalion of Predacons, punching and kicking his way through them all.

As Depth Charge continued the fight, he noticed a shadow being cast over himself and Cheetor. It was one of the Predacon battleships which had appeared over them. All its weapons were now focusing down on their positions.

That distraction was all the Predacons needed. At once, all of them leaped onto Depth Charge, piling onto him like flies.

At once, a glow penetrated through the Predacon pile-on. A flash of light burst out, knocking all the Predacons off as Depth Charge held the Matrix Blade high. A powerful beam emerged from the blade, travelling straight into the air and through the Predacon warship. The shot penetrated the ship instantly, blasting a hole straight through it and sending the ship crashing to the ground.

* * *

"Now this is an interesting sight," Megatron looked down onto the scene with his telescope. "It appears that nine Maximals have now engaged the entire Predacon army…"

"What's happening down there?" asked Scorponok.

"It would appear that the Maximals are winning," Dinobot confirmed.

"What?" Terrorsaur's jaw nearly dropped down. "Just a few Maximals against the entire Predacon invasion force?"

"Impossible, Maximals cannot be that powerful!" Waspinator shook his head.

"It would appear that it is possible," Megatron grimaced. "Tigerhawk is now on their side now."

"What'll we do?" asked Terrorsaur. "Shall we join our Predacon brethren in countering the Maximals?"

"We shall do nothing of the kind," Megatron replied immediately.

"Huh?" Waspinator's head perked up. "Megatron don't want us to help? Waspinator is confused!"

"We sit back and watch," Megatron told his troops, being ever the opportunist. "Then we see what new prospects are presented."

He held up his binoculars again for another view.

"And it would seem that Optimus Primal is now sporting a new look," he noted.

* * *

From the air, Optimus dove down, smashing through one of the ships, going through it like a bullet. As the ship crashed to the floor, he turned around, firing several missiles which crashed into a second incoming battle cruiser, destroying its guns.

"Rhinox!" he patched into his com-link. "Are you close to the target?"

"Confirmed," Rhinox spoke. "The central ship is where we'll find the Predacon leaders."

As the entire might of the Predacon fleet was being concentrated on Optimus, Tigerhawk, Cheetor, and Depth Charge, a small team of Maximal infiltrators were slowly making their way through the air vents of the Hyperion to sabotage the enormous battleship.

Beneath them they saw the three central Predacons who were in command of the mission.

"There they are," Rhinox pointed down.

"I don't believe this!" Zaraxes fumed. "We're losing!"

"I say we turn the Hyperion on them right now!" Ixa told him.

"I agree," Azure pointed a finger towards Zaraxes. "End this at once!"

"Fine," Zaraxes turned towards his controls.

"Now!" Rhinox shouted.

At once, Rhinox punched open the vent as he and four other Maximals leaped into the room with guns ready.

Inferno pulled out his gun, firing at the two guards in the room, knocking them against the wall with two shots. Rattrap pointed his arm-mounted barrel gun at Ixa, firing a capture net which caught the small Predacon, tangling him instantly.

"Hey, get me outta this thing!" screamed Ixa.

"Nice new weapons you installed in these jet packs!" Rattrap complimented.

Azure attacked next, firing a deadly energy blast at Rhinox with her scepter. Rhinox quickly activated the force field around his own jet pack, deflecting the blast back to her.

"Agh!" Azure screamed as the shot floored her in one blast.

Inferno stomped forward and grabbed Zaraxes, lifting him up by the neck.

"Hello drone," Inferno smiled, showing his razor-sharp teeth to the Predacon. "I believe it is time we got acquainted."

Immediately, the front door slid open, revealing more Predacon soldiers.

"Uh oh," Razorbeast took a step back. "Looks like we're in for a fight."

"Everyone, move!" Rhinox shouted, being the first to run towards the glass window which shielded the ship.

He smashed through the glass, falling first out of the ship and then activated his jetpack to become airborne.

Inferno grabbed both Ixa and Azure, following Rhinox as well. Rattrap and Razorbeast traded a few shots with the Predacon guards to allow Maya the chance to escape. Then they too leaped out of the window and activated their jetpacks.

"I'll never get used 'ta this!" Rattrap shouted as he flew through the air.

"Incoming!" Rhinox shouted.

In front of them were several Seekers. Rattrap and Razorbeast fired at them, taking out several along the way. Rhinox activated the gun on the back of his jetpack, firing a metal wire which wrapped itself around one of the Seekers, electrocuting him senseless in mid-air.

As they neared Tigerhawk, the winged fuzor covered them with an energy barrier to prevent the Predacon fleet from landing any shots on them.

On the floor, Cheetor pounded away at the ground troops, inflicting savage beatings upon them.

Again and again, he punched out soldier after soldier. He spun around, kicking another Predacon down and raised a fist, knocking out a Seeker who attempted to attack him from behind.

Depth Charge raised the Matrix Blade, bringing it down, sending a massive shockwave through the ground which sent scores of Predacon soldiers flying.

The blue Maximal held his sword up for the frightened Predacons to see.

"Who wants some?" he gestured.

At once the Predacons fled. They were not about to challenge Depth Charge anymore, especially now that he wielded the full force of the Matrix Blade.

"Ha!" Cheetor snorted. "Look at 'em run!"

"Depth Charge, Cheetor!" Optimus flew down. "We've captured the leaders!"

Rhinox set down Zaraxes while Inferno dropped Ixa and Azure unceremoniously to the ground.

"Maximal filth!" Azure cursed.

"Your soldiers have fled," Depth Charge pointed his sword at the three. "I think it's in your best interests to surrender."

"We'll do no such thing!" Ixa snarled. "An unconditional surrender is out of the question!"

"Oh really?" Optimus crossed both arms.

"Really!" Ixa shot back.

"You sure about that?" Cheetor smiled.

"Yeah, I'm sure!" Ixa stated proudly.

"Inferno!" Razorbeast snapped his fingers.

In an instant, Inferno transformed to beast mode and sauntered over Ixa, preparing to take a bite out of his head with his own enormous mandibles.

"Aaaaaahhh!" screamed Ixa. "Keep that maniac away from me!"

The sound of clapping could be heard in the distance. Optimus and Tigerhawk raised their heads.

Just a few yards away was the Boundless, applauding with both hands.

"Bravo," he complimented the Maximals on their victory. "Bravo…"

"You…" Optimus clenched his fist. "To what do we owe the honor?"

"You've defeated the entire Predacon fleet," the Boundless raised one of Rampage's hands as a gesture. "I must congratulate you."

"Does that mean you and your Predacon occupying forces will leave the planet?" asked Optimus.

"Sadly no," the Boundless replied. "But nonetheless I must show you how impressed I am by your actions today."

In his hands five red orbs of energy formed. The Boundless flew into the air, throwing all five of them at the Maximals. The ensuing explosions scattered them all around.

The Boundless fired another energy blast near where Inferno and Rattrap stood, knocking the two of them away. Quickly, Tigerhawk caught the two of them in mid-air with his telekinesis and set them down gently.

Optimus returned fire with two missiles. The missiles were knocked aside by the Boundless who telepathically deflected them into the air. In turn, the Boundless fired back with a red bolt of lightning which struck Optimus as he raised his arm in defense.

"Aaaagh!" shouted Optimus as the red lightning struck him, knocking him on his back.

The Boundless raised both hands, firing a large ball of energy towards the Maximals.

First to react was Tigerhawk. He got in front of the blast, forming an energy barrier to protect the Maximals. The energy blast struck the barrier, triggering an explosion which would have consumed them all, had Tigerhawk's shield not protected them.

"Enough!" shouted Depth Charge, raising the Matrix Blade.

He pointed the sword at the Boundless. From the tip of the sword emerged a blue energy beam which struck the Boundless directly in the chest, knocking him back several yards.

"Raaaahhh!" shouted the Boundless, crashing through the ground until he smashed into a nearby rock.

"Your sword, it can hurt him!" Razorbeast pointed out.

Suddenly, all the sparks of the Maximals began to glow, as if in response to the Matrix Blade's power.

"What… what's going on?" asked Rhinox, looking down at his now-transparent spark.

"Our sparks, they're responding to the Matrix Blade somehow," Depth Charge held the glowing sword.

The Boundless rose from the rubble, dusting himself off angrily.

"You Maximals have proven to be a bigger nuisance than ever," he told them. "This time I won't hesitate to end your existence!"

"If the Matrix Blade needs our help, then let's pool together and give the Boundless the biggest smackdown he's ever had!" Cheetor put his hand on Depth Charge's shoulder.

Optimus and Rhinox joined in, glasping Depth Charge firmly. The other Maximals soon laid hands on them as well, helping to facilitate the transfer of power from their sparks to the sacred blade.

"Not even the power of the Matrix shall save you!" shouted the Boundless, firing a powerful concentrated blast of pure dark energy towards them.

Depth Charge focused the power of himself and his comrades onto the Boundless, firing back a narrow blue beam which clashed against the dark energy. Like an arrow, the beam gathered from the Matrix Blade and the spark energy of the Maximals penetrated through the blast and shot right through the chest of the Boundless.

"Aaaaaaahhh!" screamed the Boundless as his body was sent flying across the air.

He flew for several miles until he crashed into the very top of a mountain, from which a spectacular explosion followed.

"Yeah, we did it!" Cheetor high-fived Razorbeast.

"Nice going, guys!" Maya smiled.

"Master!" shouted Zaraxes.

Ixa, in the meantime, had finally untied the energy cords which held his hands together. He got up, attempting to sneak away.

"Ahem," a voice behind him boomed. "Going somewhere?"

The young Predacon turned around to see the massive Optimus Primal looming over him with a stern expression on his face.

"Uh oh," Ixa groaned.

"I believe it's time we resumed diplomatic discussions," Optimus told the three Predacon captives.

* * *

From the ruins of the caved in mountainside, a spark arose. The Boundless stared down at the body of Rampage. The thrall had served his purpose but now that the Matrix Blade had entered into the fray, he needed drastic new means to securing victory.

"Ugh…" groaned Rampage, managing to lift a single hand before falling down again.

"You served as a useful vessel, brute," the Boundless said to Rampage. "But now your good use is at an end."

"W-What happened?" Rampage began to stir to life again.

The Boundless flew off into the distance, not bothering to concern himself with Protoform X anymore. At this point, the Predacon army had been scattered and the three architects of this mission had most likely been taken captive. It would not be long now before the entire Predacon fleet was made to leave this planet. And _that_ was something he could not allow.

"With the Matrix Blade on their side, I have little chance of victory," the Boundless mused. "I'll need a trump card of my own."

He flew over the remnants of the Predacon fleet which had just been destroyed. In the distance he could see Optimus and the Maximals engaging in some kind of negotiations with the defeated Predacons. Stealthily, he floated away from them, taking care not to make any noise as he moved.

Perhaps there was something from this battle he could salvage, something of importance.

Then he saw it. In the distance was the Hyperion, the massive Predacon gestalt and battleship which had proven instrumental in their takeover of Cybertron.

At that moment it hit him. Why not possess the very core of the Hyperion itself? In the body of such a large and powerful Transformer, he would prove virtually invincible!

"Yes, perhaps this will prove useful," he commented. "I wonder why I didn't think of it earlier!"

Swiftly, he flew inside the Hyperion, travelling through its vents until he reached the central mainframe.

Multiple tentacles of pure energy erupted from his spark as he began fusing his own living essence with that of the Predacon gestalt.

"Yes! Yes! Let there be light!" he screamed.

* * *

"It's not fair!" Azure protested. "We took this entire planet! We should be allowed to keep it!"

"Might makes right, huh?" Optimus looked down at her in an intimidating manner.

"Exactly!" Ixa retorted without thinking.

"If that's the case, why don't I simply annihilate the remnants of your Predacon fleet right here and now?" Tigerhawk threatened, raising a fist as he allowed green flames to dance up and down his knuckles.

"You wouldn't dare!" Zaraxes growled. "You're Maximals! You abide by some code of honor, don't you?"

"Do we?" Rattrap smiled, giving Depth Charge the thumbs up.

On cue, Depth Charge swung the Matrix Blade, blasting apart one of the immobile Predacon battleships with a single beam from his sword.

"That was an already empty vessel," Tigerhawk glared down at Zaraxes. "Shall our next target be one with live crew members?"

"Feh," Zaraxes sneered, choosing not to answer.

Inferno stood to the side, shaking his head. The Maximals could be such amateurs at intimidation sometimes.

"Stand aside drones," Inferno ordered. "I will handle this one."

He walked towards Zaraxes, lifting him up with a single hand.

"You and your forces will leave this planet," Inferno threatened, "or else."

"Or else what?" Zaraxes spat.

Without warning, Inferno threw him to the ground, planting his foot onto the Predacon. He took out his gun and pointed it down at the Predacon, firing twice.

Zaraxes closed his eyes. By the time he opened up again, he saw two smoking holes on the ground side by side to his head.

"Okay, I get the point!" he screamed. "We're leaving!"

"Do we take their word this time?" asked Razorbeast.

"Untie him and let him go," Optimus ordered. "They're finished."

In the distance, a foreboding rumble was heard.

"Is that… the Hyperion?" Zaraxes looked up.

In the distance, the massive battleship began to hum to life. Its two thrusters arched back into legs as it began to transform slowly into robot mode.

Soon, a massive gestalt stood before the Maximals and the entire Predacon army.

"I have been reborn!" roared the Boundless, now clad in the body of the Hyperion.

"By Primus…" whispered Optimus.

The Boundless stared down at all the Maximals as his chest began to glow. Atomic particles gathered around his chest cavity as he unleashed a massive blast meant to disintegrate them all on the spot.

Moving quickly, Tigerhawk erected his most powerful energy barrier around everyone in the vicinity.

By the time the smoke cleared, the Boundless was walking away from them towards the main city.

"We have to stop him!" Optimus declared, flying into the air.

The Maximal leader transformed to jet mode and flew towards the Boundless, raining missiles upon him.

Undaunted, the Boundless continued walking until he reached the downtown area. Finally, he turned around to face Optimus Primal.

With a single backhand, he knocked the Maximal several yards away into a nearby building. Optimus crashed through the building and fell to the ground with an enormous thud.

Now coupled with the full power of the Hyperion, the Boundless raised both arms into the air, summoning a black portal in the sky.

"Legions of the undead, awaken and rise up!" cried the Boundless.

From that black hole, hundreds of undead Cybertronian warriors appeared, descending ravenously upon the city. Sensing immediate danger, Tigerhawk flew into the air, firing a blast into the black hole to close it before even more undead Transformers could emerge.

"You think you can stop me?" the Boundless stared at Tigerhawk. "You cannot defeat a god himself!"

"Don't be so sure," Tigerhawk flew down besides Optimus to help him up.

Tigerhawk placed a finger on Optimus Primal's chest plate, channeling his own energy into the Maximal leader. After that, he turned back to the Boundless, summoning energy around his body and growing larger and larger until he was at full height with the enormous Hyperion. Soon, Optimus Primal's body began to grow much larger as well until he too was even more giant-sized than before.

"Looks like the odds have been evened!" declared Optimus.

With one punch, he sent the Boundless reeling back. The ancient Cybertronian crashed back, falling on top of a building.

"Yeah, go Optimus!" Cheetor cheered.

"Sparks… devour your sparks!" the Cybertronian zombies moved in towards the Maximals.

Maya quickly spun around blasting one of the zombies to pieces with her gun.

"What do you say we take care of these guys while the big boys play?" she suggested.

Cheetor swung his tail, beheading three other Cybertronian zombies with his blade-like tail.

"Couldn't agree more," he smiled.

At once, the Maximals charged, leaping head-first into the armies of the undead.

Punch after punch, Optimus laid into the Boundless, not giving the ancient Transformer a chance to retaliate. He clamped both hands together, striking the Boundless across the chin, knocking him down.

"I've had enough of your insolence!" the Boundless cried.

With a quick summon, he lifted three Predacon spectators who were at the scene. In no time at all, his mystic powers enabled them to grow to giant size as well. Hanuman, Bronze Bison, and Blacktusk stood there, having grown to gigantic proportions as well.

Bronze Bison reacted first, grabbing Optimus and holding him firmly from behind. Blacktusk swung down with his battle axe, cutting through Primal's armor with several strikes.

"Agh!" shouted Optimus.

Tigerhawk moved in to help but the Boundless appeared in front of him in a flash. He immediately placed his hand on the fuzor's chest, blasting him back with a surge of red energy.

As Tigerhawk tried to get up, the Boundless leaped on top of him, pounding into him with both fists. Tigerhawk took several of the punches but caught the next incoming fist. He opened his mouth, spewing a powerful spat of flames which struck the Boundless in both his chest and face.

"Aaaaagh!" screamed the ancient Cybertronian.

With his position weakened, the Boundless stumbled off of Tigerhawk. Tigerhawk got up, punching the Boundless with a powerful enough punch that sent him crashing through a row of skyscrapers.

Tigerhawk flew into the air, firing a powerful blast of emerald lightning at the Boundless. It initially had its effect as the Boundless screamed in agony. Soon, however, those screams turned into laughter as the Boundless began to absorb Tigerhawk's energy.

"Hah hah hah!" he cried happily.

"No!" Tigerhawk realized what he was doing and abruptly withdrew from his attack.

That momentary distraction was what the Boundless needed. A black sword quickly materialized in his hand as he slashed Tigerhawk across the chest, downing the enormous fuzor in a single blow.

* * *

On the ground, the battle was fierce. Though the Cybertronian zombies were slow, they were relentless and large in number. Cheetor punched through several of them, severing their heads from their bodies with each successive punch. He punched off the head of one which came a bit close for comfort and then followed it by kicking another away. As one undead zombie came in from behind, Cheetor swung around and beheaded him with a single chop through the neck.

Rhinox and Rattrap fought side by side. For every zombie that came close, Rattrap blasted it to shreds. Rhinox, in the meanwhile, was wielding his chain guns. Shot after shot rang out from his weapons, tearing hundreds of the zombies to shreds as he fired non-stop.

"Burn in the fires of Inferno!" screamed the fire ant as he doused several of the zombies in flames with his own gun.

"These guys just keep coming and coming!" Razorbeast fired through a row of the undead Cybertronians.

Depth Charge sliced through an entire circle of them and looked up. Optimus Primal's battle was not going well and neither was Tigerhawk. The three Predacons were pounding away at Optimus.

Hanuman grabbed Optimus from behind, holding him by the throat with his staff. The tendrils held him up again as Bronze Bison and Blacktusk punched him repeatedly.

At once Depth Charge's sword began to glow. He looked at the Matrix Blade, realizing that it was trying to tell him something. Finally, it became clear.

"I understand," he said.

Without hesitation he threw the Matrix Blade into the air. The mystic sword flew up, flashing a brilliant white light which blinded Bronze Bison, Blacktusk, and Hanuman all at once.

Optimus saw his chance. He slammed his head forward, headbutting Blacktusk in the face to knock him away. He then drove his elbow right into Hanuman's side, causing the Predacon to stumble back. With a quick punch, he sent Bronze Bison crashing into a nearby building as well.

At once, the Matrix Blade expanded, growing bigger and bigger until it became sizable enough for Optimus to hold. The Maximal leader grabbed the sword, turning around and cutting right through Hanuman's chest.

Without a word, Hanuman managed only to utter a small gurgle of shock. At once his spark exploded, taking his entire body with it as well.

Blacktusk and Bronze Bison charged. Optimus cleaved right through Blacktusk next, destroying him in a single blow. After the ensuing explosion, only Bronze Bison remained.

The Boundless grabbed Tigerhawk by the throat and began choking him, making sure to send a surge of dark energy into the fuzor as torture.

"What are you waiting for?" the Boundless turned to Bronze Bison. "Destroy Optimus!"

Reluctantly, Bronze Bison charged, striking at Optimus with his weapon. Optimus blocked the first two blows and cut the Predacon across the chest. He raised the Matrix Blade again and brought it down, slashing his opponent once more. Clutching the sword tightly, Optimus whirled around and brought it down even harder, destroying Bronze Bison completely with the third and final blow.

At once, the Boundless blasted Tigerhawk with a powerful surge of red electricity, knocking the fuzor away.

"Agh!" Tigerhawk crashed into a building.

Out of the blue, a missile struck the Boundless on the side of his head. On top of one of the buildings stood Rampage with his tri-barrel missile launcher in hand.

"No one takes over my body like that!" Rampage snarled.

The Transmetal crab fired several more shots which exploded against the Boundless. With a single wave of his hand, the Boundless struck the building with his hand, causing the entire tower to fall down, and Rampage with it, covering the behemoth in thousands of tons of rubble.

Seeing that all distractions were gone, the Boundless noticed Optimus Primal with the Matrix Blade in his hands.

"So, it appears the prophecy is unraveling before my eyes," the Boundless turned his attention to Optimus.

"I don't know about prophecies," Optimus pointed the Matrix Blade at the Cybertronian deity. "But I do know that we carve our own destinies in life. I'm going to stop you right here and now, prophecy or not."

"So be it, Maximal!" the Boundless cried, raising both hands.

In an instant, he rained several powerful bolts of lightning which Optimus quickly deflected with the Matrix Blade. The Boundless cried angrily and flung several energy blasts towards the gigantic Maximal.

Optimus swung his sword, knocking away the blasts. He pointed the Matrix Blade towards the Boundless, unleashing his own blast of energy. The blast struck the Boundless on the shoulder, forcing him to fall back.

The Boundless clutched his shoulder, telekinetically ripping a tall building from its hinges and sending it flying towards the Maximal. Optimus took a step back, realizing that in this particular building there were still civilians. Suddenly, the building stopped on its tracks before it could hit Optimus. Primal looked to the side and saw Tigerhawk, holding the building back just barely with his own telekinetic powers.

"They'll be safe," Tigerhawk promised. "Stop the Boundless!"

Optimus attacked the Boundless, swinging at the Transformer god with the Matrix Blade. At the last second, a dark sword materialized in the hand of the Boundless. He brought it up just in time to block Primal's blow.

"One shall stand, one shall fall, eh?" the Boundless sneered.

The Boundless struck at Optimus who quickly blocked and parried. The next thing the Boundless knew, Optimus had struck him across the chest with a deep wound. Furiously, he attempted to strike back, slashing at Optimus a few more times. This time, however, his attacks were easily parried by Optimus.

The giant Maximal brought the Matrix Blade down, severing the sword hand of the Boundless in one clean stroke.

"Raaaaagh!" screamed the Boundless in pain.

"By the power of the Matrix, light our darkest hour!" shouted Optimus.

Optimus Primal swung downwards, cleaving the Boundless in a single blow from top to bottom.

"Noooooooooo!" shouted the Boundless in his final death throes.

Instead of a single explosion, the Boundless began to disintegrate, atom by atom, particle by particle. Soon, every bit of his being was transfigured into a white light and floated away into the sky. By the time it was over, only Optimus Primal remained standing. The horrid cries of death had finally ceased.

Above them, the sun shone brightly once more. One of the greatest evils to have ever threatened the galaxy was now vanquished forever.

"It's over," Optimus said to the Maximal team.

Having finally destroyed the last remaining hoards of the Cybertronian zombies, Cheetor looked up in pride.

"Way to go, Optimus!" he cheered.

"Whoo!" Razorbeast yelled. "We did it!"

Rattrap leaped into Rhinox's arms and planted a big wet one right on his friend's cheeks.

"Um, what was that for?" Rhinox looked at Rattrap uneasily.

"Hey, I was just celebratin' the occasion!" Rattrap told him. Then he got off of Rhinox and leaped onto Depth Charge to attempt to do the same.

As soon as he made it onto Depth Charge's arms, the blue Maximal quickly dropped him to the floor.

"Don't even think about it," Depth Charge warned.

After seeing that, the rest of the Maximals burst into laughter.

* * *

"Why are we leaving?" demanded Azure. "We could easily rule this entire planet or at least turn it into Predacon territory!"

"There's no more point," Zaraxes sat in the Captain's seat looking ruefully into the skies. "We came to this planet to serve our master, the Boundless. Now that he's gone, there's no more purpose."

The last of the Predacon ships, at this point, were leaving the planet. On the order of Zaraxes, the command was that the occupying forces finally leave Earth.

"Too bad," Ixa cross his arms. "I was hoping to rule this planet as its Predacon warlord."

"You're simply not ready for such a task," Zaraxes told him.

"You know, I'm inclined to agree," Azure looked at Ixa condescendingly.

"Why not?" demanded Ixa.

"Because at this point, Cybertron is all we have left and if we want to keep that planet under Predacon rule, we're going to have to return and govern it," Azure told him.

"Besides, there's still that matter of the underground Maximal resistance," Zaraxes turned around. "Who knows how much ground they've gained ever since we came to Earth."

By the time all the Predacon ships had entered into the depths of space, their warp engines kicked into place. In a flash, the entire Predacon fleet entered into warp space and disappeared, just like that.

* * *

From a distance, the Maximals watched as the last remnants of the Predacon fleet entered into warp space and disappeared from view.

"That ends the Predacon occupation," Rhinox commented.

"Maya and I are going to have to head back to Cybertron as well," Razorbeast told the Maximals. "Right now, the Predacons have control of the entire planet. We have to return and rejoin the Maximal resistance there."

"Razorbeast," Optimus told the stalwart Maximal soldier. "I just want to say that it's been an honor fighting alongside you."

"Likewise!" Cheetor agreed.

Razorbeast saluted the Axalon crew in return and shook hands with Rattrap.

"Remember to stay out of trouble, Rattrap," Razorbeast joked.

"Sure, sure," Rattrap smiled. "And you remember to write!"

"If you need any of us to return to Cybertron with you, we'll be willing to help with the resistance," Rhinox said to Maya.

"It's alright," Maya told them. "You guys still have a duty to this planet. This is your adopted homeworld and there's still a lot you can do here."

"And even though the Predacon occupation is officially over, there's still that rogue Megatron," Razorbeast reminded them. "It's your responsibility to see that tin tyrant gets his skid-plates kicked."

"Heh, you just read my mind," Cheetor smiled.

"It's been a blast, guys!" Razorbeast leaped aboard the Predacon starfighter along with Maya. "Hopefully we'll meet again someday!"

"Bye!" Maya waved. "It's been great knowing you 'bots!"

"See you on the flip side!" Razorbeast saluted the Maximals from aboard the starfighter.

The Maximals waved goodbye as the starfighter flew into the air and finally disappeared from view as it entered into warp space.

"Feh, I suppose this is the end of our little teamup," Inferno said to the Maximals.

"Whatever, you know you loved it," Rattrap jabbed him.

"Hmph!" Inferno smirked. "Not in a million stellar cycles!"

The fire ant transformed to flight mode and flew off into the distance.

"I must say," Tigerhawk told Optimus. "It felt strangely good finally doing the right thing. So this is what it feels like to be a Maximal."

"You did good out there," Rhinox said to the fuzor.

"Yeah, you really helped us to turn the tides!" Cheetor agreed.

"I agree," Rattrap smiled. "Don't you, Captain Minnow?"

Depth Charge shrugged. "I suppose."

"You're welcome aboard our team anytime," Optimus stretched out his hand.

"Thank you my friends," Tigerhawk smiled and shook Primal's hands. "Thank you."

As the Maximals celebrated in the distance, Megatron watched with contempt through his zoomed-in vision. From the corner of his mouth, a scowl emerged. The Predacon occupation had come to an end… but the Beast Wars were not yet over, not by a long shot.

A/N: Regarding the prophecy, I wanted it to be more vague and not have Optimus Primal established as the direct descendant of Optimus Prime himself. For all we know, he could be descended from Sentinel Prime, Rodimus Prime, Nova Prime, or any number of officially established Primes in the various G1 continuities. Of course, Optimus could be descended from the original Prime and the prophecy is indeed broad enough to allow for that interpretation. But for all we know, he could be a descendant of Rodimus as well. Which Prime you think Primal to be descended from is ultimately up to your own interpretation.


	66. Forest for the Trees

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Forest for the Trees_

For the past several weeks, events had been peaceful. A Predacon invasion of Earth had been mounted but was thankfully driven back due to the efforts of the Maximals and he, Inferno, had taken part in the resistance movement.

Normally, he was not that altruistic of a 'bot but world-shattering events like these always required his attention. In ordinary circumstances, he preferred to be left alone to his colony in the Amazon rainforests. But when your planet was being invaded by a fleet of several thousand Predacons and a power-mad god, what could one do except to take a stance?

Inferno looked through the foliage. In recent days, he had been getting a feeling that the calm and tranquility of his colony would be disturbed again. Several of the raptor clones had been sighted in the area carrying out strange activities. He was unsure what it was because every time he came close enough, they usually vanished.

The fire ant stopped where he was and began digging. Within this particular area, he had been sensing unusual seismic activities. It was as if some kind of alien activity had been taking part here.

By the time Inferno removed the last rock, he peered through what was a glass opening.

"By the Queen's hand!" Inferno gasped.

Beneath him were hundreds of thousands of Dinobot clones, all of whom were standing erect. To the left was an assembly line, producing and manufacturing even more of those Dinobot warriors.

"I must act!" Inferno declared.

Suddenly, a massive hand grabbed him and yanked him out of the hole he had dug for himself.

"Look what we have here, General Obsidian," Strika held Inferno who dangled in the air.

Strika punched Inferno viciously in the gut and threw him into a tree. Inferno slid down, getting back up on both knees.

"It would appear that we have a spy," Obsidian mused. "Care to tell us why you're committing espionage? Helping the Maximals perhaps?"

"I care not for the Maximals!" Inferno growled. "You are intruding on my Colony!"

"Not anymore it's not!" Strika replied sarcastically.

A small bomb emerged from her hand and she threw it. Inferno had to roll across the floor to dodge the explosive. The ensuing explosion took out a large chunk of the tree where Inferno formerly stood.

Inferno took out his own gun and fired back. Two shots struck Strika in the chest, forcing her back. Obsidian quickly summoned both of his blades and moved in, slicing Inferno's gun open with two consecutive slashes.

In return, Inferno punched Obsidian across the face and then kneed him once in the chest. As Obsidian keeled over, Inferno grabbed him by the wrist and threw him onto the floor.

Quickly, Strika transformed to beast mode and assaulted Inferno viciously. Just as Inferno turned around from having dealt with Obsidian, the enormous bear swiped her claws across Inferno's face again and again, knocking him half-way across the forest floor.

As Inferno attempted to get up, he noticed just how much damage he had taken. As soon as he got up, Obsidian swung past him, slashing him across the side with his blade.

"Aaaack!" screamed Inferno who backed away.

"Leaving so soon?" Strika bore her teeth. "We just got to know each other!"

"It would be a shame for you to leave this mortal coil so soon before we dissect you to see what really makes you tick," Obsidian told him.

Inferno panted heavily. He was outnumbered and outmatched. He only had one remaining gun and there was no guarantee that would save his life.

He watched carefully as Strika took out another bomb. Perhaps now he did have a chance for survival, assuming he played his cards right. It was apparent that they were only interested in putting him in stasis lock for the moment so as to take him captive.

Predictably, Strika threw it at him. Drawing his own gun just as quickly, Inferno fired. The shot rang out and struck the bomb before it could hit him, triggering an eruption. Obsidian and Strika both covered their faces as the explosion consumed the nearby area. By the time they opened their optics again, Inferno had vanished.

* * *

Slowly, Inferno dragged himself into the grotto where he and his "Queen" had made their residency. He was injured and from the looks of it, it would take him quite a while before his internal nanites made their repairs.

Living out in an area like this, he did not have the convenience of a CR chamber. He had to fend for himself.

However, there were still times when he had to rely on more than himself. If anything, the recent Predacon invasion taught him that.

Loathe though he was, Inferno went besides the stasis pod and picked up a small transmitter set next to it. Hesitantly, he looked at it.

"So… it all comes down to this," Inferno muttered.

Finally, after much mulling, Inferno opened up the transmission.

"Inferno to Maximal base," he stated. "I have some information which could perhaps be of interest to you."

* * *

"General Obsidian, General Strika," Dinobot gave the two Predacons a curt nod. "How is progress?"

Obsidian gave a small nudge to Dr. Drake who responded immediately.

"Everything goes according to schedule," Drake answered. "Within one more month, you will have a strong enough clone army."

"With it, we will wreak havoc upon this world," Strika rubbed both hands together. "Earth will be ours!"

Tarantulas was also there with Dinobot. The two of them had been sent by Megatron for an inspection of the clone factory which Obsidian and Strika were currently managing.

"Tell me something Doctor," Tarantulas asked of Drake in a highly amused tone. "What makes you so depraved that you would betray your own species to the Predacons?"

"Are you kidding?" Drake held out a cybernetic arm. "Do you really consider me human at this point?"

"Hmph, you're part organic," Tarantulas told him. "That still makes you human slime in my optics!"

"Don't insult me!" Drake snarled. "My intellect has been augmented by tenfold ever since receiving these robotic implants! It may even surpass yours!"

At hearing that, Tarantulas immediately grew angry.

"You just signed your own death warrant!" Tarantulas drew his gun.

Before Tarantulas could take any abortive action against Dr. Drake, Dinobot got in front of him.

"We have no time for your trivialities," Dinobot warned the spider. "There are more important matters at hand."

"Such as the Transformer Inferno," Obsidian noted. "He was miraculously able to elude us somehow."

"Spoilsport…" Tarantulas muttered behind Dinobot's back.

"The insect will not be a problem for long," Dinobot promised. "Alpha, Omega, Sigma, Zeta! Rise and serve your master!"

From the ceiling, the four Dinobot Generals leaped down. Each of them held their own makeshift weapons.

"Hmph, fancy entrance," Tarantulas remarked snidely.

"Generals, you are to seek Inferno out and bring him before us!" ordered Dinobot.

"Yes master!" they bowed.

"Your clones are loyal," Obsidian remarked.

"Yes, they are like a clan," Dinobot agreed.

"What are you waiting for?" Tarantulas yelled at the four generals. "Go already!"

Dinobot grabbed Tarantulas by the neck.

"They do not go until I give them the order to go," Dinobot hissed.

"Y-Yes, of course! Heh heh!" Tarantulas chuckled nervously.

"Generals, you are free to proceed," Dinobot gave his clones permission to go.

Without another word, the Clone Generals departed the room. After they left, Dinobot let go of Tarantulas who quickly gasped for air.

"Now, I believe you were going to show me a tour of this facility?" Dinobot asked Obsidian.

"Of course," Obsidian gestured for Dinobot to follow him.

As soon as Obsidian, Dinobot, Strika, and Dr. Drake left the room, Tarantulas was left fuming at the treatment he had received.

"That irascible raptor thinks of himself as _my_ superior?" Tarantulas snarled.

Tarantulas did not like to think of himself as being particularly vengeful but in reality, he was petty to the core. He reached into his own compartments and dug out a few spider drones he had brought with him.

If the past few months of working alongside Dinobot had taught him anything, it was that the two of them were as incompatible as oil and water. They were both Predacons but they were different to the core. Dinobot had his inane sense of honor. It was that same sense of honor which drove Tarantulas crazy.

"We'll see who commands who soon enough," he sneered.

* * *

At the exact rendezvous point where he told the Maximals to meet him at, Inferno paced around restlessly.

He had never been a patient 'bot. But this particular case made him even more apprehensive. It was, after all, taking place in his own territory. All he wanted was for the Predacon presence to be gone. The sooner… the better.

A slight shifting behind the foliage alerted Inferno.

"Who's there?" Inferno demanded, transforming to robot mode.

"Terrorize!"

At once, four armed warriors leaped through the undergrowth. Inferno immediately took out his gun and fired, knocking one of them down in mid-air.

As Dinobot Zeta fell to the floor, the four other Dinobot Generals charged. Sigma vaulted into the air again with his staff, kicking Inferno in the chest to knock him back as Alpha and Omega closed in on him. Dinobot Omega quickly crossed his swords underneath Inferno's gun, flipping it out of the pyromaniac's hand. Dinobot Alpha spun around, kicking the fire ant viciously across the face.

Inferno stumbled back, holding on to a tree for support.

"Surrender at once!" Alpha held up his sword.

"Surrender?" Inferno spat. "Not likely, reptile!"

The jets on Inferno's thorax hummed to life, launching him forward. Inferno crashed into two of the Dinobot clones and knocked them over with a twin clothesline. He then leaped across the air, landing on top of a tree branch.

To his side appeared Dinobot Sigma. Sigma swung his metal staff at Inferno who promptly dodged. Quickly, Inferno dodged another swing and leaped even higher into the air, firing a shot which completely destroyed the branch that Dinobot Sigma stood on. Falling down fast, Sigma quickly caught himself but twisting his own staff into a perpendicular position between two lower branches, catching himself between them.

Omega's optic lasers erupted, blasting Inferno across the side of his thorax, damaging his jet pack.

Inferno fell down and hit the floor as the three other Dinobots moved in.

* * *

"Can you believe it?" Cheetor asked the team. "Inferno actually calling us for backup?"

"Well, if you wanna put it that way, he didn't specifically put it like that, kid," Rattrap pointed out. "The guy's got an image to maintain."

Currently, the four of them were flying towards the location where Inferno had requested for them to meet up at. Both Rattrap and Rhinox were strapped to the jetpacks they had used during the Predacon invasion.

"Whatever the reason, Inferno's brought up something we all need to check out," Optimus told them. "If there really is a factory here manufacturing those Dinobot clones, we'll need to shut it down permanently."

Beneath them the sound of fighting penetrated the thick Brazilian forests.

"I think we just found him," Cheetor pointed out.

The four Maximals flew down. Right below the forests, Inferno was struggling to hold back four of the Dinobot Generals at once. Dinobot Alpha was on top of him, attempting to press his sword down onto Inferno's throat.

"Stop resisting!" the clone general ordered.

Inferno snarled back, finally throwing Dinobot Alpha off of him. As they both got up, the Maximals emerged onto the scene.

Immediately, Optimus swooped down, punching Dinobot Omega to knock him flat on his back.

Rhinox was next. From his jet pack, he fired a capture net which wrapped itself around Dinobot Zeta. Zeta howled in fury but a quick electrical charge from the cable on the net quickly rendered him immobile.

As Rattrap flew down, he pointed his gun at Dinobots Alpha and Sigma.

Before he could fire, however, Cheetor leaped in front of him, launching himself across the air with a front snap kick which knocked back Sigma and then followed it up by delivering an uppercut across the jaw of Dinobot Alpha.

"Hey, they were mine!" protested Rattrap.

"Sorry Rat-face," Cheetor told his companion jokingly. "Gotta be faster next time!"

"Yeesh, one of these days, pussy-cat…" Rattrap shook his head. "You're really gonna get in way over your head."

Dinobot Alpha got up, analyzing the situation. At this point, the tides had changed. With five on four, they stood little chance of victory.

"Fall back!" Alpha ordered, beating a hasty retreat.

With the exception of the now-captured Zeta, the rest of the Dinbot clone generals fled from the scene.

"Are you okay?" Optimus looked at Inferno.

"I did not request your help," Inferno retorted. "I could have defeated them on my own!"

"Uh huh," Cheetor rolled his optics.

"Stop being so cerebrally challenged!" Rattrap told Inferno. "If you didn't want us here, why'd you even bother calling?"

"I believed we could exchange services," Inferno explained. "You see, the Predacons have set up their base of operations within my territory."

"They've been eyeing your region for a long time probably," Rhinox pointed out. "This place is ripe with natural resources which the Preds could use to power their weapons."

"If you aid me in removing the Predacon threat from my lands, I will aid you in preventing them from fulfilling their goals," Inferno offered.

"Sounds like we share the same goals already," Optimus replied. "Which begs the question of why you don't simply come back to the Maximal cause?"

"Yeah, you did come from a Maximal protoform," Rhinox added. "And for all intents and purposes, you _were_ born a Maximal."

Inferno's expressions remained unreadable. Finally, they gave way to open frustration and exasperation. Would these Maximals ever shut up about the circumstances of his birth or stop trying to moralize to him? Who were they to judge him?

"I remain loyal to one cause and one cause only," he reminded the Maximals. "And that is to dutifully serve both Queen and Colony!"

"I hear 'da Queen could use a makeover soon," Rattrap whispered to Cheetor. "All 'dat moss gathering around her sides can't be good for her royal complexion."

"Alright then," Optimus agreed, deciding that trying to appeal to Inferno's Maximal nature was altogether futile. "What have you found out about this Predacon base?"

"Before I tell you all I know, let's start by interrogating this reptile," Inferno looked at the captured Dinobot Zeta.

* * *

"What happened to you?" Dinobot demanded.

"We had Inferno," Alpha replied. "But the Maximals soon made their appearance."

Dinobot's gaze darkened, as did that of Tarantulas and the two Predacon Generals.

"Where are they?" demanded Obsidian.

"I do not know," Alpha replied. "They have captured General Zeta."

"Can you clones do anything right?" Tarantulas demanded.

Walking up towards Dinobot Alpha, Tarantulas backhanded him across the head viciously.

Dinobot Alpha snarled but made no move against Tarantulas.

"Oh, so you want more?" Tarantulas raised another hand.

This time, Dinobot himself caught it. He gripped it firmly, not letting Tarantulas go for even a second.

"Only I reserve the right to reprimand my own troops," Dinobot warned Tarantulas. "Is that understood, lieutenant?"

"Y-Yes…" Tarantulas finally backed off in fear.

"Good," Dinobot turned his attention back to his clone generals. "How soon do you estimate they will find us?"

"Not too soon," Alpha replied. "Zeta will not betray us to save himself… that we can count upon."

"They will find us anyways," Strika pointed out. "Obsidian and I found the ant snooping around our base. It will only be a matter of time before he brings the rest of the Maximals with him."

"Then we must act fast!" Obsidian noted. "Dr. Drake, when will the clone army be ready for deployment?"

"They will be prepared soon," Dr. Drake replied. "In the meantime, I've seen some clips of the recent battle the Maximals had against the Predacon invasion force."

Moving his hands towards the monitor, Dr. Drake pressed down on the button to turn on the screen. On the screen was Optimus Primal in his new body, battling back and destroying dozens of Predacon warships.

"Ah yes, that," Obsidian was not happy. "It would appear that Primal had gained access to a stronger, more powerful body."

"Not to worry," Drake announced. "I have my own solution to the problem."

The cyborg scientist walked over towards a metal screen. He pressed down upon the button to open up the door.

"Behold!" he presented his new invention to all the Predacons.

* * *

"Speak!" Inferno commanded.

Without warning, he struck out, punching Dinobot Zeta across the face. The clone grunted in pain but did not say anything.

"You still refuse to answer?" Inferno raised a hand again.

"Inferno!"

Optimus Primal grabbed Inferno by the hand.

"I don't think that's going to work," he said sternly.

Inferno yanked his wrist free of Primal's grip.

"Then what do you suggest, Optimus Primal?" the fire ant demanded.

"Trying to get him to talk will get us nowhere," Optimus told them. "We need a new strategy."

"Do you remember where the Predacon factory was?" asked Rhinox.

"Yes, yes," Inferno nodded, recalling the site. "I could bring you there."

"Rattrap, do you have enough explosives?" Rhinox turned to his smaller Maximal buddy.

"Heh, you know I don't go anywhere without carrying a full charge," snickered Rattrap.

"I think I have a plan," Rhinox proposed.

"Go on," Optimus voiced his approval.

"Knowing how many Dinobot clones that place has produced, the factory will probably be heavily guarded," Rhinox told the team. "We need stealth for this mission."

"Which is why I'm your 'bot!" Rattrap beamed.

"Hmph," snorted Inferno.

"Rattrap will sneak inside and plant bombs near the fault-lines of production, enough to destroy the entire base," Rhinox went on. "In the meantime, the rest of us will serve as the distraction."

"Your plan is pathetic," Dinobot Zeta finally spoke up. "In no time at all, my master will have the five of you skewered!"

"Hey, nobody asked for 'yer opinion, Chopperface!" Rattrap shot back.

"It is too bad for you, rodent!" Dinobot Zeta smiled. "For you shall hear it nonetheless!"

"For Primus's sake, somebody shut 'dis guy up!" Rattrap groaned.

Infenro turned around, punching Zeta violently in the face. This time, he knocked the clone out cold.

"Err, thanks," Rattrap said to Inferno, realizing that the fire ant had just done him a favor.

Suddenly, a pair of green lasers sailed past him.

"Whoa!" Rattrap exclaimed.

"We're under attack!" Optimus raised his head.

Soon, an entire battalion of Dinobot clones surrounded them. From the looks of it, there were at least fifty of them. With the squadron were Tarantulas, Obsidian, and Strika.

"We've found you at last," Obsidian smiled. "And it looks like you're quite outnumbered."

"We offer you one chance to surrender," Strika offered. "Refuse this generous request at your own peril."

"And if we refuse?" Optimus shot back.

"Then we will unleash the dogs of war," Obsidian replied calmly. "Choose wisely."

"You have no choice at all!" Tarantulas chimed in. "Clones, destroy them now!"

Both Obsidian and Strika were shocked at the sheer lack of propriety displayed by Tarantulas.

"Clones, disregard the spider's orders!" ordered Strika. "Let the Maximals choose their fate!"

"Both you and I are going to be having a talk about this," Obsidian said to Tarantulas warningly.

Tarantulas merely chuckled. He was always amused with the way he got under the armor of his teammates.

"Well Maximals, what will it be?" asked Strika.

"I thought you already knew the answer to this," Optimus told her.

"We're Maximals," Cheetor continued.

"And Maximals don't surrender!" Rattrap told the two Generals. "Especially to lowlife Preds like you two!"

"Clones, attack!" Obsidian ordered.

At once, the clones transformed to robot mode and attacked like a swarm of locusts.

Inferno charged ahead of the Maximals, crashing into several of them. As always, he was the first to charge in, irregardless of what kind of damages he could receive.

Two Dinobot clones leaped onto Rhinox who promptly bashed their heads together.

Another clone slashed at Rattrap who leaped aside and fired back. The shot struck the clone and knocked him into several of his comrades.

"Keep them busy Cheetor," Optimus said to his ward. "This'll take but only one nano-klik!"

"You got it, Big Bot!" Cheetor agreed.

As Inferno doused the Dinobot clones in a large burst of flames from his gun, Cheetor leaped across the air, landing and knocking down several more of the clones with his powerful prehensile tail.

Optimus reached within his compartments and grasped the Matrix of Terra. While he was occupied, Inferno slammed into Obsidian, tackling him to the ground.

Strika threw a bomb which Rhinox quickly dodged. From behind, Rattrap grabbed Strika in a rather ineffective chokehold.

"You think you can stop me, mouse?" Strika threatened.

She grabbed Rattrap and threw him off. Luckily, Rhinox caught the smaller Maximal in both arms. However, because of the distraction, Strika closed in on both of him, punching Rhinox across the jaw with a vicious uppercut.

Slowly, Optimus began to transform as the Matrix of Terra engulfed him in its lights. As the battle raged on, he grew larger and larger.

As one of the Dinobot clones stepped back to catch his breath, he felt his back hitting something large and powerful. Nervously, he turned around.

Standing before him was Optimal Optimus Primal.

"Uh oh," muttered the clone.

Optimus opened up the cannons on his chest and fired. One powerful shot was all it took to scatter the Dinobot clones. Again and again he fired until they were on the run.

Obsidian and Strika took notice as well.

"What in the name of the Pit?" Strika exclaimed.

"Fall back!" Obsidian ordered the clones. "We cannot win this battle!"

Soon, the Predacons, along with the clones, had fled.

"That'll show 'em!" Cheetor exclaimed.

"Impressive display Optimus Primal," Inferno said to the now-enlarged Primal. "But will it be enough to stop their operations?"

"Guess we'll just have to find out, won't we?" Optimus replied.

* * *

"You're back?" Dr. Drake exclaimed. "What happened?"

All the Dinobot clones that had been sent on the mission came back looking like they had been through the Great War and back. Obsidian, Strika, and Tarantulas did not look too enthusiastic either. Judging from their expressions, Dr. Drake could easily tell that they had not been able to destroy the Maximals.

"The Maximal had… their trump card," Obsidian answered.

"Optimal Optimus Primal, no doubt," Dr. Drake smiled, "which is why you're lucky to have me here!"

"You?" Strika looked at the cyborg skeptically. "You're just a human, what can you possibly do?"

"Don't sell me short just because I'm a two legged biped," Drake told them. "I'm sure there are plenty of things humans can do that Transformers can't."

"Hmph, such as?" Tarantulas demanded.

"I was the one who helped you to mass-produce all these Dinobot clones," Dr. Drake told them. "Without the assembly line I constructed, you wouldn't have all these workable clone soldiers."

"Enough trivialities," Dinobot told them. "If Primal is here, then we will require special reinforcements."

"I have my battle suit ready," Drake told Dinobot. "It's triple-titanium reinforced. It should be able to deal with the likes of Optimus."

"Then prepare your suit," Dinobot ordered. "We will require it to be ready by the time Primal arrives with his forces."

Smugly, Tarantulas leaned against the wall, relaxing in contentment as Dinobot, Obsidian, and Strika began discussing something amongst themselves. Suddenly, the gazes of the other three Predacons fell upon him. Just what was it that they wanted?

"What?" asked Tarantulas.

"Generals Obsidian and Strika have told me that you were unwilling to be a team player," Dinobot said to the spider.

"I did nothing wrong," insisted Tarantulas. "I was only hoping to destroy the Maximals as soon as possible."

"You spoke out of turn," accused Obsidian.

"You directly contradicted our orders," Strika added.

"Not only that," Dinobot glared at Tarantulas." But both Obsidian and Strika outrank you."

"So?" shrugged Tarantulas. "I've been on this team longer than they have."

Having lost her patience, Strika grabbed Tarantulas by the throat and lifted him up.

Tarantulas gasped but his air supply was quickly cut off by the raging Predacon female.

"I've had enough of you, arachnid!" she growled. "I'm tired of your scurrying and your mind games!"

"Stop this at once," Dinobot grabbed Strika by the wrist.

"Why?" she demanded, squeezing down on Tarantulas even harder.

At that moment, Dinobot applied a stronger pressure to her wrist, causing her to take notice.

"This spider may be a treacherous coward," he told her sternly. "But his intellect is still of use to Megatron."

Finally, she released him.

"That's better," Dinobot told her.

"Spoilsport…" muttered Obsidian, disappointed that he couldn't watch Strika strangle Tarantulas.

Suddenly, Dinobot's com-link opened up. On the other side was Megatron.

"Dinobot, may I have a word with you?" he requested.

"Yes master," Dinobot nodded.

He shot the three Predacons a quick but nasty stare, reminding them that if they were to quarrel while he was gone, they would be skating on thin ice.

Dinobot walked away into a private chamber.

"What is your command?" he asked.

"Should the Maximals engage our forces in combat here, I will require you to refrain from all combat," Megatron ordered.

"Of course master," Dinobot replied. "But what is your reasoning?"

"I would like for you to show me more of this 'Optimal' Optimus in action," Megatron told him. "The Maximal's new body is of great interest to me. I must know how he gained it."

"Agreed," Dinobot nodded. "I will monitor their actions personally for you."

* * *

At this point, Inferno and the Maximals were closing in on the area where the Predacons had built their clone factory.

"Are we there yet?" asked Rattrap.

"Ask that question again and I will render you to pieces with my mandibles," Inferno promised.

"Ooh, big talk for a little ant," Rattrap wise-cracked. "You need that big thorax diaper changed?"

"Rattrap, now's not the time," Rhinox told him.

Inferno merely snorted.

"Sorry about Rattrap," Rhinox said to Inferno, attempting to be diplomatic. "It's just that we're all concerned about this Predacon factory."

"Don't misunderstand me," Inferno told them. "I'm only using you to help aid me in my goals. Once this is over, I expect all of you to leave these lands. I've learned from the past alien invasions that you Maximals can come in handy in situations such as these."

"So that's all there is to this?" Cheetor asked. "We're just pawns on a chessboard to you?"

"What's a chess board?" asked Inferno.

"Nevermind," Cheetor rolled his optics.

"I see it there," Optimus pointed out.

In front of them was one of the smoke stacks from the factory. It led directly to the underground factory where all the Dinobot clones were being manufactured. In front of the smoke stack were several of the Dinobot clones.

"Rattrap, I think you know what to do," Optimus told his lieutenant.

"Primed and ready," Rattrap showed Optimus the explosive charges he had been saving.

"We ready to do this?" Cheetor revealed the razor-sharp talons on his hands.

"Ready as we're ever going to be," Rhinox took out both chain guns.

"Maximals, roll out!" Optimus pointed towards the Dinobot clones.

At once, they attacked. In the initial surprise attack, all the clones were sent into disarray as Cheetor leaped upon them and knocked them around. Several shots and bullets from both Rhinox and Rattrap also made short work of the others.

As several of the raptors attacked, Inferno sprayed them with a powerful burst of flames from his gun.

In no time at all, the clones lay in a heap.

"Be prepared," Optimus told them. "The second batch will arrive soon!"

Suddenly, the smoke stack lifted up. From the hole underneath arose a large mech, easily as big as Optimal Optimus. It was a large green robot in jungle camouflage. On top was a spiked helmet and on its shoulders were armored pads strong enough to take heavy duty damage.

"Hello Maximals," Dr. Drake spoke through the loudspeakers. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time!"

As hoardes of Dinobot clones attacked, Dr. Drake pressed down on the control panels, igniting several missiles which erupted from his mecha. Quickly, Optimus leaped in front of the missiles to shield the Maximals. As the missiles crashed against his body, hundreds of Dinobot clones ran past the Maximal leader and attacked the others behind him. Cheetor was the first to leap into battle, smashing through over a dozen of the clones.

Behind him, Rhinox unleashed several waves of machinegun fire, resulting in scores of the Dinobot clones being mowed down.

In an instant, Dr. Drake, in his new battlesuit, tackled Optimus to the ground. From his vantage point, Optimus saw the opening to the underground factory slowly closing in.

"Rattrap, now's your chance!" shouted Optimus.

Obeying at once, Rattrap transformed to vehicle mode and sped past dozens of the clones until he finally leaped through the underground door.

"Boy oh boy!" shouted Rattrap as he began falling down a dark tunnel.

Finally, he grabbed onto his tail spear and stabbed it into the side of the wall he was falling down to catch himself. He was only a few feet from hitting the ground. Lucky for him he broke his fall before then.

"Okay, first things first," Rattrap leaped onto the floor and took out his demolition charges.

* * *

"Primal's new body is powerful," Megatron watched through the holographic projector. "I'll give him that much."

Dinobot stood there to the side of a hill, recording the battle as promised.

"At what point do you wish for me to engage the enemy?" asked Dinobot.

"Oh, that will not be necessary," Megatron told him.

Megatron watched enthusiastically as Primal blocked a punch from the humongous robot Drake operated.

"Soon, we will meet face to face again, Optimus," Megatron promised. "Very soon, yessss…"

* * *

As quickly as he could, Rattrap planted his demolition bombs on all the key areas of the factory.

By the time he went to the main core, he became aware of another presence in the room.

"You!" Rattrap shouted.

Tarantulas was there as well, with a bomb of his own.

"What are you doing here, vermin?" demanded the arachnid.

"What does it look like?" Rattrap took out his gun. "I'm gonna blow 'dis place sky high!"

Tarantulas looked at the central processing core. He too had been planning on setting off several charges to sabotage the program.

"In that case, be my guest," Tarantulas sneered.

Transforming to vehicle mode, Tarantulas sped away as fast as he could.

"Okay, 'dat made no sense, but whatever," shrugged Rattrap.

Activating the final bomb, Rattrap planted it on the core of the factory.

"That should do it…" Rattrap remarked.

* * *

Out in the open, Dr. Drake attacked Optimus Primal again with a massive swing of his robot's fist. Optimus quickly blocked the blow and punched back, knocking Dr. Drake and his mech back down.

"This is impossible!" Drake shouted. "My robot was supposed to be invincible!"

"'Fraid not, Doctor," Optimus told him.

Primal reached down and grabbed the giant robot suit by its front armor. With a powerful tug, he yanked it off, exposing Dr. Drake.

"No!" Drake shouted. "I must escape!"

Pressing down on the emergency button, Drake activated the jet thrusters on his chair. Immediately, he blasted off into the sky, away from the Maximals.

At once, nearly a hundred Dinobot clones pounced on top of Optimus. As they gathered on top of him, more and more leaped on top.

Just when it seemed that Primal had been completely covered, he threw off all he clones with an enormous burst of strength.

Obsidian drew back, considering his next move. Drake's robot had been defeated and now he had to consider the possibility of retreat. His train of thought was interrupted, however, as Inferno slammed into him from behind.

"Time to burn, interloper!" Inferno growled.

From behind Inferno, Strika prepared to attack. Just as she raised both hands, Rhinox took notice and fired a pair of stasis cuffs from his jet pack. The stasis cuffs latched on to both her hands, immobilizing her on the spot.

Inferno punched Obsidian viciously. As Obsidian struck back, Inferno step-sided the punch and grazed Obsidian across the face once more with a closed fist. In anger, Obsidian took one of his blades and impaled Inferno right through the solar plexus with it.

"Ha hah!" laughed Inferno. "Pain is my friend!"

He grabbed the blade and pulled it, along with Obsidian, in closer to him. When Obsidian was near enough, Inferno took out his own gun and blasted the Predacon point-blanke in the face. As Obsidian's motionless body fell to the floor, Inferno stumbled back. Finally, he too fell down to both knees, too weak from his wound to move.

"Yo guys!" Rattrap raced forward. "This place is gonna blow!"

Optimus knocked back a wave of Dinobot clones with a massive hand. "Maximals, roll out!" he ordered.

Immediately, Optimus grabbed the fallen Inferno and flew off with Rattrap on his back. From behind, Cheetor and Rhinox, in his jetpack, followed.

By the time they were out of distance, the factory was consumed by an enormous ball of fire.

* * *

"Are you okay?" asked Optimus.

Slowly, Inferno stepped out of the CR chamber. Optimus was now back to his original Transmetal form. Besides him were the three other Maximals.

"You saved my life," Inferno admitted softly.

"It's what we do," admitted Optimus. "I couldn't just leave you there."

Despite his usual demeanor, somewhere back in the Inferno's programming, he did feel a small sense of gratitude.

Deciding to forego the usual un-pleasantries, Inferno decided to respond in a more amiable manner.

"I owe you," he said to Optimus. "Thank you for helping save my Colony."

"No problem," Optimus replied. "If you ever need our help, you know where to reach us."

Inferno walked outside into the open with the Maximals.

"I prefer to live independently," Inferno told the Maximals.

He activated the jet pack on his thorax.

"However, I'm more than happy to call you allies from now on," Inferno told them with a jagged smile.

Inferno saluted the four Maximals and flew off into the sunset.

"Heh, so now he decides to take the broom out of his thorax," commented Rattrap.

"At least it's a start," Optimus replied. "For now, it's good to know that we have at least one more ally on this planet we can count on."

"Hey Rattrap," Cheetor told him. "Let's go a few rounds on that new Planet Racer game you bought."

"You're on, kid!"

As the two Maximals raced inside, Optimus and Rhinox could only look at each other, smile, and shrug before following them back into the lair.

* * *

Dinobot looked around the place. Everything was a mess. Around the battlefield were thousands of bodyparts scattered from the Dinobot clones.

Obsidian and Strika lay there, badly damaged but still luckily in stasis lock. The clones, however, were not so lucky. In the meantime, Drake was nowhere to be found.

Immediately, he heard moaning. Dinobot ran across the battlefield to find the source of the sound.

Near the trees were the four Dinobot Generals. They were badly damaged, but still alive. And it was just as well. They did not possess a spark like he did.

From the undergrowth emerged Tarantulas.

"Where were you?" Dinobot demanded.

"I tried to fight Rattrap off," Tarantulas replied. "But the rodent got the upper hand and blew up the entire factory!"

It was a fishy story and Dinobot was not buying it one bit.

"I knew these clones were worthless!" Tarantulas kicked Dinobot Alpha in the chest, causing Dinobot himself to growl in anger.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish!" Tarantulas held his gun out at the clone general.

In an instant, Tarantulas dropped his gun. Dinobot had run his razor-sharp claw right through his stomach. The spider gurgled in both shock and horror before dropping his gun and falling motionlessly to the floor.

"As I said before," Dinobot snarled. "Only I may reprimand my own troops."

Dinobot picked up his own clone and helped him back up to his feet. With that, the two walked away from the carnage.


	67. Tales of Dinobot Pt 1

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Tales of Dinobot Pt 1_

"You bumbling buffoons!" Megatron shouted.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" protested Terrorsaur.

Quite on accident, Terrorsaur had tripped over the power chord while Megatron had been conversing with Ravage. Though it had been a simple mishap, Megatron's fury was still something to behold. And to make matters worse, Waspinator had the misfortune of merely standing right next to Terrorsaur.

With one swipe of his tail, Megatron struck the two Predacons hard enough to send them flying across the room.

"Ouch…" groaned Terrorsaur as he slid down from the wall he had crashed into.

As Waspinator lifted his head up, he put one hand on his own forehead to clear the pain.

"What Megatron do that for?" demanded Waspinator, protesting his unjust treatment. "Waspinator not do anything wrong!"

"Both you fools shall learn the meaning of respect!" Megatron pointed a finger at the two aerial Predacons. "For the past few months, you've contributed nothing to this team!"

While the Predacon tyrant was raging at the two, Dinobot had quickly gone about repairing the monitor which Terrorsaur had accidentally disconnected. Taking the plug, he placed it back into its rightful socket. Soon, the image of Ravage appeared again.

"Master," Dinobot said to Megatron. "I have remedied the situation for you."

"Ah excellent!" Megatron beamed, and then shot a nasty glare towards the two Predacon bumblers. "At least I know there's one Predacon around this base I can rely on."

Turning around, Megatron stomped back towards the monitor where he was able to re-establish contact with Ravage.

"Lord Megatron," Ravage told him. "While in Japan, I was able to locate a sizable power source."

"Is it energon?" asked Megatron.

"No," Ravage explained. "But my sensors indicate that it is located in a museum in Tokyo. Whatever it is, it contains enough power to fuel our army."

"Ooh, Waspinator interested!" the Predacon wasp buzzed.

"Shall I retrieve it?" asked Ravage.

"Stay where you are," Megatron told him. "I will be sending Dinobot over to assist you."

"Very well," Ravage obeyed.

Megatron glanced briefly at Terrorsaur and Waspinator. For the past few months, they had grown progressively more annoying than before. And what he wanted most was to get them out of his hair… in a figurative sense.

"On second thought," added Megatron. "Dinobot, take Waspinator and Terrorsaur with you."

For a second, Dinobot looked like he was about protest. However, he regained his composure quickly, deciding not to question Megatron's new order.

"Yes my master," Dinobot obeyed, beckoning for Terrorsaur and Waspinator to follow him.

* * *

"Waspinator been looking forward to vacation!" Waspinator chirped. "Waspinator is sick and tired of Megatron make him do menial tasks!"

"You're looking forward to it?" Terrorsaur complained. "Do you have any idea how glad I am to get away from Megatron's scaley—"

Suddenly, he realized he was still in the presence of Dinobot. The large Predacon was looming over him, waiting for him to finish his sentence.

"You were saying?" asked Dinobot.

Wisely, Terrorsaur decided not to finish his own sentence.

"Eh, nevermind," Terrorsaur looked the other way, packing their supplies for the trip.

"Waspinator not worry anymore! Just look forward to the vacation!"

"This is not a vacation," Dinobot reminded the insect. "We are going to Japan on a mission by order of Megatron himself. Now get moving!"

After they were done moving, the three of them entered into the ship. It was one of the leftover Predacon reconnaissance ships left over by the Predacon invasion a few weeks ago. Though it was not a battleship, it was still a stealthy piece of work which could serve its purpose.

Just as the three went inside, Rampage peered out from containers he was hiding behind.

"Hello brother," he said. "I hope there's room on this trip for stowaways! Hah hah hah!"

Moving rather stealthily for a 'bot his size Rampage opened up a back-ship cargo door and entered inside without a sound just before the ship launched.

* * *

"Hey Depth Charge!" Rattrap greeted as the large blue Maximal walked into the base. "Been out fishing or something?"

Depth Charge ignored Rattrap and walked towards Optimus. Normally, he would have gladly exchanged wisecracks with the rodent. But the fact that he did not showed that he had something serious on his mind. Jack and Luna were there as well.

"Primal," he said to Optimus. "I've detected the sparks of both Protoform X and Dinobot in the country of Japan."

"Japan?" Rattrap wondered aloud. "They goin' there for the local anime convention?"

"I'll need some help to bring them down," Depth Charge offered. "Care to tag along?"

"Alright," Optimus agreed. "I'll go and help out however I can."

"Good," Depth Charge nodded. "Be sure to bring the Matrix of Terra. We need all the big guns we can throw at them."

For emphasis, he pulled out the Matrix Blade. It was the weapon given to him by the late Solaris Prime. Though he seldom used it, preferring to rely on his own abilities whenever possible, Depth Charge did have moments where he had to recourse to the sword in order to combat much bigger threats.

And both Rampage and Dinobot were threats on a scale which required such a weapon.

As Optimus and Depth Charge went outside, Rattrap followed up from behind.

"Hey, don't think you can leave me outta this!" protested Rattrap. "I'm coming along too!"

"You get your tail caught in a mousetrap?" Depth Charge asked. "Do you really want Rampage or Dinobot to make a rat-sandwich out of you?"

"Oh yeah, and who was it that saved your skid-plates from Tarantulas in cyber-space?" Rattrap reminded the much larger Maximal.

"Hmm, looks like he's got you there," Optimus cracked a smile.

"Touché," Depth Charge finally conceded.

"Can we come along too?" asked Jack.

"You?" Depth Charge looked at the two skeptically.

"We're on break right now," Luna told them. "We always wanted to check out Japan."

"Primal, are you certain about this?" Depth Charge looked at the Maximal leader.

"Don't worry," Optimus reassured the blue Maximal. "They won't be seeing any combat. I'll drop them off in a safe place there while we complete our mission. After that we can pick them up."

"Oh yeah!" Jack pumped his fist into the air.

"Going to Japan is a good vacation opportunity," Optimus told them. "You've earned it."

"Thanks Optimus!" Luna hugged the Maximal leader who smiled in return.

* * *

By midnight, the entire Tokyo museum was not exactly bristling with people anymore, which was why it was an excellent opportunity for Dinobot and the Predacons to attack.

Dinobot took out a small radio device, placing it on the security system installed on the wall. In a short time, the security had been shut down.

"Ravage," Dinobot opened up his com-link. "What exactly is it that I am looking for?"

"In the center of the main building," Ravage explained. "You will see a suit of armor. Right next to it is a small totemic staff. You are to retrieve both of them. I've managed to disable the security in that room as well, so stealing the two should not present a problem."

"Understood," Dinobot agreed and cut the connection.

Terrorsaur and Waspinator were also there with him. At first he had been reluctant to bring them along. But then he realized that their ability to fly could come in handy.

"Come along," Dinobot beckoned the two.

Moving quietly, Dinobot ran into the center of the main building. Just as Ravage had said, the suit of armor and the totemic staff lay there.

"You're in my way!" Terrorsaur pushed Waspinator.

"Terrorsaur bump into Waspinator first!" Waspinator pushed back.

"Silence!" Dinobot growled at the two.

Immediately they shut up. Quickly, Dinobot scanned both the suit of armor and the staff. Both were brimming to the core with power. Just as Ravage had reported, its potentials were almost endless.

"Who's there?" a rough elderly voice demanded.

Dinobot spun around. Right in front of him was a middle-aged Japanese security guard. Immediately, Dinobot recognized him.

"M-Master Yoshida!" Dinobot exclaimed.

The security guard took a closer look at the museum robber.

"Dinobot!"

"Who's this old geezer?" demanded Terrorsaur, who pulled out his gun.

"Terrorsaur, don't!" shouted Dinobot but it was too late.

Terrorsaur began shooting at the man. Surprisingly enough, the security guard rolled across the ground, dodging the shots. He somersaulted across the air and bounced off the wall to avoid several more of the blasts.

Dinobot moved in, yanking Terrorsaur's arm upwards just as Terrorsaur fired another shot. The shot struck the glass ceiling and shattered it.

"I'll deal with you later!" Dinobot growled at Terrorsaur. "You and Waspinator take the artifacts and leave immediately!"

Terrorsaur and Waspinator flew up. Waspinator grabbed the glass container which housed the totemic staff while Terrorsaur took the container which housed the samurai armor. Together, they flew out of the building through the opening Terrorsaur had blasted open.

"Dinobot, what do you think you are doing?" demanded the man named Yoshida. "Why do you partake in such a dishonorable act?"

"Yoshida-sensei…" Dinobot gulped. "What are you doing here?"

"The dojo has hit hard economic times," explained the man. "I had to find a second job to support myself."

"I see," Dinobot replied.

"And you, what are you doing?" Yoshida-sensei insisted. "Why are you committing such a petty act of thievery? Have I not taught you better than that?"

"I… serve under a new master now," Dinobot told him. "I must obey his commands."

"So just because you serve a new master," Yoshida-sensei frowned. "Does that mean you've forgotten all about honor and Bushido?"

Dinobot bristled at the mention of both words. He knew all too well about both of them. But that was not his major concern at the moment. His task was to steal what Megatron wanted.

"I'm sorry…" Dinobot told his former master.

Saying no more, Dinobot ran away as fast as he could, leaving the stunned security guard behind.

* * *

_Two years ago…_

"_Unit Dinobot now online," the computer announced._

_Blinking, the new Transformer emerged from his stasis pod. Around him, the lab room was completely empty. The Predacon flexed his hands. He saw that he was armed with razor-sharp claws on all digits. _

_Cautiously, he left the stasis pod and walked towards the computer monitor. Suddenly, as if alerted to his presence, the computer turned to life. _

"_Greetings," a Transformer appeared on the screen. "If you are reading this, then it means that I no longer walk among you. I am Megatron, leader of the Predacons, and I leave this message to you because all too soon, that winged demon Tigerhawk will be upon me."_

_Fascinated, the newly emerged Predacon continued to watch._

"_Though I fear for my life, I have contingency plans in place which I hope you, my new faithful servant, will carry out," Megatron continued in the message he had left behind."Your name is Dinobot… and I have created you with the spark of Protoform X to serve me."_

"_Dinobot…" the Transformer mused, pondering over his new name._

* * *

"Hey, this place looks nice!" Jack pointed towards a Shinto temple near the trees.

Optimus flew down, allowing Jack to get off. Depth Charge also descended with Rattrap on one side of his wing while Luna sat on the other. She got off as well.

Rattrap took the opportunity to hand them their communications devices.

"Remember, we're a phone call away," he told them. "Just give us a call when you need a lift again."

"Thanks for the trip!" Luna waved. "Good luck with your mission!"

"Yeah, and be careful!" Jack added.

After the three Maximals blasted off, the siblings looked around. It was a shrine, as well as a martial arts dojo. Right now, class appeared to be empty as no one was there.

"What kind of place is this?" asked Jack.

"Looks like the kind of place they use for Karate," Luna noted, looking at the hard wood floor.

"Greetings," a female voice from behind them interrupted.

"Hey, who are you?" asked Jack.

"My name is Kaori," the young Japanese girl introduced herself.

"Are you a student here?" asked Luna.

"I am the assistant instructor actually," Kaori told them. "My uncle Yoshida-sensei owns this dojo."

"I see… is he a master of Karate?" asked Jack.

"Actually, it's Judo," Kaori corrected him.

"What is that?" Jack inquired.

"Would you like a demonstration?" Kaori smiled.

"Sure," Jack answered without thinking.

Without warning, Kaori grabbed him and threw him onto the floor.

"Ouch…" Jack moaned. "Okay, think I've got the gist of it now…"

"You so had that coming," Luna told him, rolling her eyes.

* * *

"Is it me or does Dinobot seem a bit spaced out?" asked Terrorsaur.

The four Predacons stood deep in the forests on the outskirts of Tokyo. Ravage had already removed the shamanic staff from the case, holding it in his hands.

"Maybe raptor-bot is deep in thought?" suggested Waspinator.

And indeed, Dinobot did seem lost in contemplation. Something was gnawing away at him and it felt like the emotion of guilt. Guilt… at having betrayed the core values of Bushido which his former master Yoshida-sensei had taught him.

"Spirit which resides within this armor," Ravage read the inscription which hung out on the side of the totemic staff. "I command you to awaken!"

* * *

_For several weeks he had wandered the earth, seeking those worthy of imparting knowledge._

_Having travelled far and wide, Dinobot had gone across most of the Far East in search of knowledge. But so far, he had not found any worthy of his respect._

_Now, however, all that had changed. Right now he stood outside a local dojo in Japan where several people were training. The instructor appeared to be a capable warrior, imparting the necessary knowledge to his students while maintaining an aura of tranquility. His movements were fluid and powerful, striking and withdrawing with the utmost of precision._

_Finally, the class was over._

_As the last of the students left, the instructor finally turned around towards the back of his yard._

"_You may come out now," Yoshida told Dinobot. "I sensed your presence the entire time."_

_Shaken, Dinobot emerged from the thickets. This particular human was skilled enough to tell that he had been there the entire time? Even when he had taken special care not to make any sounds during the entire lesson?_

"_Whoever you are, I can tell you are not human," the middle aged Japanese man gave Dinobot a thorough look. "Perhaps you are a runaway mecha? I wonder if your pilot is looking for you."_

"_Pilot?" demanded Dinobot._

"_Ha ha… I am only kidding," the Judo master chuckled. "I am Master Yoshida, Grandmaster of Judo. I noticed that you were interested in the lessons I was teaching." _

"_Yes, I am impressed with your abilities," Dinobot replied. "You are most skilled and powerful… for a human."_

"_Thank you," Yoshida-sensei smiled. "But I must ask… who are you exactly?"_

"_I am not even sure I know," confessed Dinobot. "I have been searching this world for answers… and I have not found them."_

_Surprised at Dinobot's honesty, Yoshida-sensei sat down. He detected no real malevolence in Dinobot, only a curiosity and strength of spirit. But he also sensed much confusion and uncertainty in the giant robotic creature. _

"_Would you like to stay at my home?" Yoshida-sensei offered. "Perhaps tomorrow afternoon after I am done with my normal classes, I could begin training you in the art of Judo."_

_Pleasantly taken aback, Dinobot could only nod his head._

"_Yes, I would like that," Dinobot acnknowledged._

"_Then it is settled," Yoshida-sensei smiled._

* * *

At once the samurai armor glowed. Bit by bit, the armor came together, creating a massive samurai warrior who towered before the four Predacons.

"Waspinator not have good feeling about this," Waspinator gulped.

"I am Genji, Demon Samurai," the large samurai told them. "Who has awakened me from my slumber?"

"We are Predacons," Ravage told the large samurai demon. "And we are the ones who hold sway over you."

"Ha, puny mortals!" Genji rumbled. "No one controls Genji!"

"Oh no?" Ravage held the totemic staff in his hands.

At seeing the staff, Genji had no choice but to obey. The magic in the staff was the one thing which could control his fierce, unbridled spirit.

"I… serve you," Genji finally kneeled before the four.

"Well, that was a piece of cake," Terrorsaur smirked.

"That remains to be seen," Ravage looked into the sky, noticing that three Maximals were headed their direction. "Genji, destroy those interlopers!"

"At once!" Genji raised his sword in the air.

From the sword erupted a massive blast of energy. The blast exploded in the middle of where Optimus and Depth Charge were flying together, sending both of them crashing down to the forest floor.

As Depth Charge fell, Rattrap crashed through the undergrowth until he came face to face with Terrorsaur and Waspinator, both of whom pointed their weapons at him.

"Uh, hi guys," Rattrap waved his hand uneasily.

Optimus was the next to get up. Quickly, he returned fire with the missile launchers on his shoulders. Genji spun his sword around, deflecting every shot which was fired at him. Moving almost as fast as the wind, Genji was upon Optimus with his katana. The Maximal raised his mace to block the strike as Genji came down hard. With his next strike, Genji knocked the mace out of Optimus Primal's hands with a second blow. As Optimus took out his remaining mace, Genji kicked Primal in the chest hard, sending the Maximal tumbling back.

Depth Charge quickly got to his feet and transformed back to robot mode. Suddenly, right from above him, a fast silvery blur struck him, knocking him back down.

"Dinobot…" Depth Charge snarled.

Dinobot pounced upon him again but Depth Charge raised both feet, flipping Dinobot over, right into a tree. As Dinobot got up, Depth Charge attacked him ferociously. Dinobot blocked an incoming kick from the Maximal and knocked him to the floor with one blow. Dinobot fired an optic blast from his eye but Depth Charge quickly rolled aside and fired back with his cyber-shark missile launcher. The missile struck Dinobot, knocking him down.

Just as Depth Charge got up again, the wound on Dinobot's chest had fully healed. Instantly, Dinobot leaped back on both feet.

What happened next was so fast that Depth Charge barely had time to let it all sink in. Moving rapidly, Dinobot drove his knee into Depth Charge's stomach. Soon, it was followed up with an elbow strike to the back of his head. Just as Depth Charge fell, Dinobot kicked the blue Maximal in the head with a roundhouse so powerful that Depth Charge was sent crashing through a nearby tree.

"You know, you guys really don't wanna do this," Rattrap tried to bargain with Terrorsaur and Waspinator while the built-in shield he had spun to life around his wrist.

"Yes we do!" Waspinator buzzed.

Waspinator was the first to fire. The shot was aimed directly at Rattrap's head but fortunately, the small Maximal raised his shield just in time. The stinger missile bounced off Rattrap's shield and struck Terrorsaur in the chest, knocking him down as the Predacon screeched in surprise. Rattrap ducked underneath and fired a shot which downed Waspinator in return.

"Submit and I will assure you an honorable death!" Genji said to Optimus.

"Sorry, I don't do surrender!" Optimus growled, holding Genji back with his mace.

After having struck Depth Charge down, Dinobot turned his attention to Optimus, firing a shot from his optics. The shot struck Optimus on the side.

"Aaaahhh!" screamed Optimus as the blast tore right through him.

Genji raised his katana and sliced right through Primal's armor, barely missing his spark. The damaged Primal fell to the ground, entering into stasis lock.

"Come, Genji!" ordered Dinobot. "We have work to do!"

* * *

"So how long have you been practicing Judo?" asked Luna.

"I've been training in it ever since I was twelve," Kaori replied. "My uncle imparted to me much of his knowledge."

The three of them were hanging around in the gardens surrounding the dojo. On a few occasions, this area was also used as a place for Zen meditations.

"Think you could teach us how to do Judo?" asked Jack.

"Jack, we're only here for a few days at best," Luna told him. "Is that really enough time to learn it?"

"I'm not saying we have to become grandmasters so soon," Jack replied. "I just thought it would be nice if we could learn some of the basics."

"Think you could teach us some of the moves?" Luna asked Kaori.

Kaori looked at the siblings, sizing them up. Finally, she decided that they were capable.

"Yes, I shall do that," she told them.

"Greetings Kaori," the voice of a middle-aged man called out.

"Ah, greetings uncle," Kaori bowed.

Yoshida-sensei stepped in. He hanged his coat at the entrance.

"I see you have guests," he smiled.

"Yes, they have come from America," Kaori confirmed. "They were most interested in this place."

"I see, perhaps you would like to practice here?" offered Yoshida.

"That would be nice!" confirmed Luna.

* * *

"_You have been with me for such a short time," Yoshida-sensei told Dinobot. "And yet you have already mastered most of the lessons I have taught you."_

"_I have… a photographic memory," Dinobot replied. And it was true. Being a Transformer, he could very easily memorize what was taught to him and master it relatively quickly in a matter of weeks._

"_And an impressive memory it is," Yoshida-sensei smiled. "Come, let us sit down."_

_The martial arts master beckoned for Dinobot to sit with him. Yoshida-sensei took out a cup of tea and poured it out on both cups. He offered one of the tea cups to Dinobot who bowed and took it. Though Dinobot did not need to drink it, he still accepted it in order to be gracious._

"_Tell me, what it is that you truly seek?" asked Yoshida-sensei._

_Dinobot sighed. What he was about to tell Yoshida-sensei was not something he would willingly confess to most other humans. But then again, Master Yoshida was hardly a normal human._

"_I am on a journey," he told his master. "Previously, I had another… master. He was taken from me early on. I seek to bring him back."_

"_Ah, I see," Yoshida-sensei mused. "Is he sick?"_

_Dinobot did not know quite how to answer that one. "Missing" was probably a better word to use to describe Megatron._

"_Yes," Dinobot lied. "He is stricken with a disease. I seek to find a cure."_

"_What sort of disease is harming your master?" Yoshida-sensei asked._

"_I do not know," Dinobot replied quickly. "It is a mysterious disease not known to modern science. I do not know if I can bring my master back."_

_Yoshida-sensei reached underneath the table to bring out a small bag._

"_Take these," he offered Dinobot. "These are some medicinal herbs I have gathered from the mountains. I do not know if they will help or not, but one can at least try."_

"_Thank you master," Dinobot bowed once more._

"_No, thank you," Yoshida-sensei bowed in return. "I have never before had a student who was able to master everything taught to him in such a short time. Unfortunately, there is nothing more I can teach you. You must seek your own path in life now."_

_Dinobot got up. _

"_I will not forget your lessons, sensei," he nodded._

"_Before you go, perhaps you would like to take a disguise with you?" offered the Japanese master. "Large robots wandering the country are not exactly a common sight."_

_Yoshida-sensei got up, walking over to a wardrobe. He reached inside and took out several robes he had used before in his younger days as part of his theater lessons. He handed the robes to Dinobot who quickly wrapped it around his body, disguising himself._

_Suddenly, Dinobot noticed a few of the masks from the wardrobe as well, which gave him an idea._

_As Yoshida-sensei walked him out, Dinobot followed. When they were outside, Dinobot bowed before his master._

"_Remember Dinobot," Yoshida-sensei told him. "Skill and physical strength are important. But what is equally as important is honor."_

"_I will remember your lessons," promised Dinobot. "Perhaps we will see each other one day again."_

* * *

"Genji, unleash your power upon this city!" Ravage ordered.

"I hear and I obey!" Genji bowed to Ravage.

Immediately, Genji grew larger and larger. When he was big enough, he threw several ninja stars which exploded across the streets, sending the crowd into a panic. The demon samurai emerged from the smoke, punching through a building.

Soon, the entire downtown area was in disarray as people ran away from the monster. Laughing maniacally, Genji threw more explosive ninja stars which destroyed several buildings on contact.

* * *

"Uncle," Kaori pointed towards the television screen. "You must see this!"

"Oh no…" Yoshida-sensei took one look at the screen.

"What's going on here?" asked Jack.

"Some sort of demon is wreaking havoc on the city," Yoshida-sensei confirmed. "I must go and see what this strange creature is."

"Are you sure it's safe?" asked Luna.

"Do not worry," Yoshida-sensei assured them. "I will be fine."

Quickly, the Judo master grabbed his jacket and left. As soon as he was out the door, Kaori was there before him.

"Uncle, are you going for the reasons I think you are going for?" asked his niece.

"Yes," Yoshida-sensei told her. "I have a feeling that Dinobot is involved in all of this."

* * *

"This is almost like a good popcorn movie," Terrorsaur noted, watching as the fierce demon samurai wreak havoc throughout Tokyo.

"Yes, monster rampaging in Japan is fun!" chirped Waspinator. "Waspinator like!"

"Enjoy it if you must," Dinobot told them. "But don't forget that our priority is to test the limits of Genji's powers."

"This totemic staff is where all his power originates from," Ravage held the staff. "If we could analyze it, then we too could utilize such power to our own ends."

From above them, Rampage was watching. He took no interest in the other Predacons. It was Dinobot who caught his fascination. The Transmetal Two raptor below was a product of his own spark, which Tarantulas had carved out. The creature's essence felt similar to his own and yet… different.

But Rampage would analyze such things later. The only thing that mattered was ripping the spark out of that abomination and reunite it with his own.

"Raaagh!" Rampage roared, leaping down and tackling Dinobot, surprising the raptor along with all his Predacon companions.

The two of them rolled across the street, sending even more people running away in panic until finally, Rampage hurled Dinobot into a nearby Toyota.

"Finally, I've found you!" Rampage snarled in delight.

"Protoform X," Dinobot growled. "I've heard of you!"

"Then you know what I'm all about!" Rampage ripped out his missile launcher and fired.

Quickly, Dinobot leaped out of the way as the missile exploded against the side of a building. He leaped across the air, kicking the gun out of Rampage's hands.

Though weaponless, Rampage was still far from powerless. He struck back, knocking Dinobot down with a single blow.

"I am the original Protoform X!" Rampage roared. "You are nothing more than a mere shadow of my image!"

Dinobot flipped himself over on both hands and planted both feet into Rampage, knocking him on his back.

"Oh, I am so much more now," Dinobot smiled, baring his fangs.

"Then let's end this!" Rampage got up.

The two brutes smashed into each other, punching and clawing at one another. Dinobot ducked underneath one of Rampage's punches and slashed him viciously across the chest. Again and again, Dinobot slashed him, inflicting multiple wounds across the thrall's chest and stomach. With a powerful snap kick, he sent Rampage stumbling back.

As Rampage caught himself, Dinobot moved in, slashing Rampage directly across the face.

"Aaaaagh!" screamed Rampage.

All too soon, however, the wounds on Rampage's body closed up. He too had rapid healing abilities.

Moving briskly, Rampage grabbed Dinobot by the throat, lifting him up. As Dinobot struggled, Rampage punched him in the face over and over again. Finally, Rampage had enough and slammed Dinobot back-first into the concrete. With an enormous foot, Protoform X planted it down upon Dinobot. Dinobot spat out mech fluid as the large foot began to grind him into the ground.

"Any last words before I tear out the spark which resides in you?" Rampage growled. "The spark which rightfully belongs to _me_?"

Dinobot's reply came in the form of an optic blast. Carefully calculated, it struck Rampage directly in the forehead, blowing a hole right through him. Immediately, Rampage stopped grinding into Dinobot and fell to the floor, giving Dinobot the chance to get up and catch his breath.

Rampage grabbed his own throbbing head. Soon, as expected, the wound closed up and was fully healed in a matter of moments. Again he charged at Dinobot.

The crab-bot punched at Dinobot who ducked underneath. Dinobot swung back and punched Rampage across the jawline. Then he threw another punch which dazed Rampage across the head. As Rampage staggered back, he grabbed onto a car. Swinging it with all his might, he threw the car right into Dinobot, sending the Transmetal Two raptor flying back with the car on top of him.

With a heave, Dinobot pushed the car off of him. As he got up, he noticed Rampage right behind him. Just as he turned around, Rampage knocked him down with a powerful uppercut right in the chin.

* * *

"Foolish humans!" Genji roared. "Soon all of you will know what it is like to cower before the might of Genji!"

"We've committed enough carnage for today, Genji," Ravage told the large monster. "We will take our leave now."

"But I have not had enough destruction!" protested Genji.

Ravage suddenly noticed a large shape in the sky. It was Optimal Optimus Primal streaking down towards them. The now enlarged Primal would prove to be a true test for Genji's formidable powers.

"Then perhaps you still have an opportunity for fun," Ravage offered. "Destroy Optimus Primal!"

Genji pointed his sword towards the sky, preparing to unleash his most powerful blast but from the rooftop, Depth Charge leaped down, bounced off a nearby wall, and kicked Genji from behind, knocking him down.

"What?" Ravage shouted. "No!"

Rattrap soon appeared on the scene as well. He used his own tail spear as a pole to vault himself up. Leaping across the air, Rattrap kicked Ravage and knocked him down, in addition to knocking the totemic staff out of his hands.

"No!" shouted Ravage.

Ravage made a leap for the staff but Rattrap tackled him from the side.

As Optimus landed, he transformed to full robot mode.

"Kneel before the great Genji, lord of the stinging blade!" Genji threatened.

"Sorry, not my style," Optimus replied sardonically.

"Then perish!" Genji attacked viciously.

Optimus raised an enormous arm to block the attack. Thanks to the bladed wings on his own arm, he was able to avoid taking any damage and even use the wings on his arms as a shield. The huge Maximal struck back and punched Genji hard enough to knock him half-way across the street.

"Impossible!" Genji got up. "You are no match for the great Genji!"

Optimus stood before his enemy unflinchingly. "We'll see about that!"

At this moment, the Matrix of Terra hummed to life once more within him. Optimus revealed both shoulder cannons which brimmed with energy from the Terra Matrix itself. At the center of his body, the power of the Matrix shone brightly through the glass cockpit.

With a battle cry, Optimal Optimus unleashed two full blasts of the Terra Matrix's power from his shoulder cannons. The two massive beams struck Genji, tearing away at his armor slowly.

"No… no!" shouted Genji. "This is not possible!"

Finally, he was completely incinerated by the blast. The only thing left behind was his katana, which clattered onto the floor harmlessly.

"With the Matrix, all things are possible!" Optimus stated resolutely.

"You take care of the samurai?" asked Depth Charge. "Good… 'cause now we've got Rampage and Dinobot to worry about."

He pointed towards a scene in the middle of the street. Both Rampage and Dinobot were still fighting. One blow after another they laid into one another, with neither seemingly growing tired from the encounter. As Rampage threw a punch, Dinobot rolled past it and grabbed the behemoth, Judo tossing him into an abandoned truck.

"Rampage and Dinobot fighting?" Rattrap blinked in surprise. "So who should we root for?"

"Neither," Depth Charge replied.

"So we should let 'em take each other out then?" asked Rattrap again.

"Not exactly," Depth Charge revealed the Matrix Blade he had with him. "I'm going in there and finishing it for good."

"You take Rampage and I'll take Dinobot," Optimus said to Depth Charge.

"Agreed," Depth Charge nodded.

"Wait!" a voice shouted.

Right in front of them stood a middle aged Japanese man.

"I beg of you to stop first," he told the confused Maximals. "Are you friends of Dinobot?"

"Us? Friends with Chopperface?" Rattrap was shocked the man would even suggest such a thing.

"We know Dinobot," Optimus told him. "But we're not exactly friends. Who are you?"

"I am Yoshida-sensei," the man replied. "I am Dinobot's former master."

"Master?" Rattrap didn't bother to hide his surprise. "So you're the one who taught Dino-butt all those slick moves?"

"Yes, though I had no idea at the time that he would use them for all this destruction," Yoshida-sensei nodded sadly.

"Touching backstory," Depth Charge said to Yoshida-sensei. "Now move aside."

"No!" the man told the much bigger Maximal in front of him. "I want to try to reach out to Dinobot first."

"Are you crazy?" Rattrap almost yelled. "Dinobot's in the middle of a fight with a crazed sociopathic crustacean! You really think Chopperface is gonna stop just to listen to your little words of wisdom?"

"Perhaps not, but I must try," Yoshida-sensei said.

"This is ridiculous," Depth Charge told Optimus. "I'm going in there, with or without this human's permission."

"Depth Charge, wait," Optimus said. "Perhaps Yoshida has a point. If he can somehow convince Dinobot to stop, then…"

"Just because Dinobot might stop doesn't mean Rampage will," Depth Charge pointed out.

Optimus sighed. Depth Charge had a point.

"Alright, let's go in there," Optimus finally declared.

Suddenly, however, a stray missile from Rampage's missile landed near them. Quickly, Optimus used one giant hand to shield Yoshida-sensei from the blast.

Both Dinobot and Rampage took notice of their new guests.

"Oh my, it looks like we've got some new dance partners," Rampage cackled. "Hah hah hah!"

"Maximals!" Dinobot growled. "What are you doing here?"

"We're here to stop you, that's what," Depth Charge declared.

"Dinobot, you must stop what you are doing!" Yoshida-sensei stepped out. "Everything you do now goes against honor… bushido!"

"Master…" Dinobot's aggression seemed to leave him as soon as his former master spoke to him.

Rampage took notice of Dinobot's new behavior. His "brother" could be such a sentimental fool. It frankly disgusted him.

Soon, however, feelings of disgust soon turned into feelings of opportunism. Taking advantage of Dinobot's sudden change in mood, Rampage clenched both fists together, bringing them right across Dinobot's face. The force of the blow was strong enough to knock Dinobot half-way across the street into a five star restaurant.

"Dinobot!" shouted Yoshida-sensei.

"I'd love to stay and chat, but I've gotta bolt!" Rampage told the Maximals.

"You're not going anywhere!" Optimus declared.

"Oh no?" Rampage mocked.

Taking out his missile launcher once again, Rampage fired at a remote building. Immediately sensing that civilians were in danger, Optimus rushed towards the missile and batted it into the air before it could destroy the people inside that building. While in the air, the missile exploded without harming any civilians luckily.

Rampage fired several more times at Depth Charge who quickly formed an energy shield around himself, Yoshida-sensei, and Rattrap. The missiles struck the shield, exploding on contact. By the time the smoke cleared, Rampage had vanished.

"He's gone!" Depth Charge snarled.

Optimus flew down, landing right next to them.

"And unfortunately, so is Dinobot," the Maximal leader pointed out.

"Alright old man," Depth Charge stared down at Yoshida-sensei. "I don't care if Dinobot was your student. He and Rampage were made from the same cloth. And I'm going to do whatever it takes to bring them both down!"

"You are wrong," Yoshida-sensei stared right into Depth Charge's optics. "Dinobot is still essentially good. I can sense that."

"Hmph, think what you want," Depth Charge snorted in disgust. "I'm going to hunt down Protoform X and his spawn myself!"

Without another word, Depth Charge flew into the air and vanished, leaving behind one human and two very disconcerted Maximals.

_To be continued._


	68. Tales of Dinobot Pt 2

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Tales of Dinobot Pt 2_

"Hyah!" Luna yelled as she threw Jack onto the floor.

"Ouch…" Jack moaned, covering his back.

"Excellent job, Luna-san," Kaori told her new student.

The three young humans were practicing martial arts in the dojo where Yoshida-sensei often had class.

"Help me up, would you?" Jack begged his sister.

Luna leaned over and helped him up. Her brother was having some difficulty getting a few of the moves down right even though he was physically stronger than her.

"So when do we get to practice swordfighting?" Jack eyed some of the katana swords mounted on the wall.

"I don't think they teach that to beginners," Luna pointed out.

Just then, the door slid open to reveal Yoshida-sensei along with the Maximals.

"Uncle…" Kaori pointed towards the Transmetal robots. "Who are they? Are they the same robot armies who attacked Earth?"

"Do not worry," Yoshida-sensei assured her. "They are friends."

Now no longer in Optimal form, Optimus Primal entered into the dojo.

"Tell me," he asked Master Yoshida. "How did you come to know Dinobot?"

Yoshida-sensei sighed. Of all his pupils, Dinobot had been absolutely the most skilled. It was a pity that he now worked towards evil ends.

"A long time ago, Dinobot appeared before me after one of my classes," Yoshida answered. "I did not know who he was or where he came from, nor did I bother to inquire. I was impressed with his raw skill and eagerness to learn. At the time, I sensed that he did not want to harm me."

"Eh, I dunno about that," Rattrap added skeptically.

"But now, I know that Dinobot belongs to an alien race of robots," Yoshida-sensei frowned. "And that he works under an evil warlord known as Megatron."

"Tell me, are there more of you?" asked Kaori.

"Yeah, that's a whole planet of us, actually," Rattrap told her.

"So you weren't the ones who invaded Earth?" Kaori inquired.

"No," Optimus shook his head. "The Transformers who attacked Earth were the Predacon faction, a group who's currently ruling Cybertron while the Maximals wage an underground guerrilla war against them."

"No doubt this Megatron is a Predacon," Yoshida exclaimed.

"Yes," Optimus confirmed.

Yoshida walked towards the window wearily.

"Dinobot… where did I fail you?" he asked.

"You failed the moment you taught him everything you knew," Depth Charge spoke up. The blue Maximal stood right outside the window.

"Hey fish-face, you don't gotta be a jerk about it!" Rattrap piped in. "How was he supposed to know Dinobot would serve Mega-dork?"

"No, there is a glimmer of truth to the manta's words," Yoshida-sensei admitted. "Perhaps I should have known better."

* * *

_Dinobot leaped across the air, splitting two boards hanging from the tree with simultaneous kicks. He leaped down and sliced open one of the training dummies in front of him. With a quick spin, he punched through another one of the dummies._

"_Excellent Dinobot," Yoshida-sensei nodded approvingly. "You are improving."_

_The Transmetal Two warrior took careful aim and blasted through one of the archery targets with a single optic blast. He then grabbed onto a staff and spun it several times before thrusting it forward and taking the head off a third training dummy._

_From the trees, two logs came swinging down at the warrior. Dinobot leaped past one and then jumped on top of the other. He quickly sliced off one of the ropes on the log and sent it crashing against a nearby tree. As the log dangled in front of him, Dinobot kicked it with all his might, breaking the log in two._

"_Think fast!"Yoshida-sensei shouted._

_The Japanese martial arts master threw several ninja stars at Dinobot who blocked the stars with several well-placed palm strikes. _

_Not yet finished with the exam, Yoshida-sensei threw a final ninja star directly at Dinobot's laser optic. Quickly, Dinobot caught the ninja star in between both fingers before it could pierce his eye and blind him._

"_You have done well," Yoshida told him. "We will rest for the day."_

"_How is my progress?" asked Dinobot._

"_You've already surpassed my other students," Master Yoshida admitted honestly. "However, there is one more test which must be passed."_

"_Yes?"_

"_You must discover your own worth," Yoshida-sensei told him. "You must find out who you really are."_

* * *

"Genji has been destroyed and we are left without anything to bring back to Megatron!" fumed Ravage. "What will we do now?"

"Waspinator knows!" the Predacons wasp buzzed. "Give Megatron a souvenir from Tokyo!"

The three other Predacons stared at him as if he was mentally deficient.

"As I was saying," Ravage continued. "We need something conclusive to bring back to Megatron!"

"I gotta agree," Terrorsaur nodded, remembering back to the times he had been punished. "I don't want Megatron getting ticked again."

"What do you suggest?" asked Ravage.

"I uh… I think…" Terrorsaur struggled before confessing. "Well, I don't really know."

"Ugh…" muttered Ravage. "Dinobot, have you any suggestions?"

"No."

"What?" gasped Ravage.

"I will be taking a short leave," Dinobot told the three shocked Predacons.

"Why?" asked Terrorsaur.

"That is my concern, not yours," Dinobot pointed a claw menacingly towards the pteranodon.

"Okay, sheesh," Terrorsaur muttered.

Without another word, Dinobot left. As soon as he was out the door, Ravage narrowed his eyes in suspicion. With a quick motion of his hand, he beckoned the two other Predacons to come close to him.

"Go after Dinobot and keep an eye on him," Ravage told Terrorsaur and Waspinator. "See where he is going in such a hurry."

* * *

Ruminating carefully, Master Yoshida sat cross legged in his garden. The Maximals were out searching for Protoform X. Jack, Luna, and Kaori were there safe and sound with him for the moment.

"Uncle, are you feeling alright?" asked Kaori, pouring some hot tea for him.

"Yes, and I believe we are soon to have visitors," he told her.

"Visitors?" asked Jack. "What kind of visitors?"

The screen door in front of them slid to the right to reveal Dinobot.

"You!" shouted Luna. "You're Dinobot!"

"Silence, female!" Dinobot glared at her.

The intimidation tactic worked. Immediately she shut up.

Kaori got in front of her uncle, holding a katana blade.

"You won't dare to touch him!" she warned.

"Kaori, it is okay," Yoshida-sensei told her. "I must speak with Dinobot. I sensed him coming from a mile away."

"Are you certain you want to keep these human children here?" Dinobot asked menacingly, extending a claw. "Raptors are not known for compassion towards weaker species."

"Hey, we're not kids anymore!" Jack insisted. "I'm in college already!"

"I see you still like maintaining a façade," Yoshida smiled. "Tell me, Dinobot, do you really like to make empty threats?"

The red laser light from Dinobot's optic emerged, pointing directly at Yoshida-sensei's head. Sensing danger, Kaori leaped in front of her uncle with her sword ready to strike.

Finally, Dinobot stepped back and smiled, choosing not to fire.

"I knew you wouldn't do it," Yoshida-sensei smiled. "I am proud of you, Dinobot."

"Master," Dinobot bowed.

At seeing this, Kaori finally seemed to relax.

"I have met the Maximals," Yoshida-sensei told him. "They told me all about how you now serve Megatron. Was he the master you had been telling me about in the past?"

"Yes," Dinobot replied.

"Then you know serving him is wrong," Yoshida-sensei said. "You should know that Megatron is one without honor."

"I cannot turn my back on my master," Dinobot stiffened.

"And why not?" asked Yoshida.

"Because he gave me life," Dinobot replied honestly.

"And is that life not yours to live from now on?" Yoshida-sensei pressed.

"I have made my choice," Dinobot told his former master. "I wish no harm upon you or your family. But do not get in Megatron's way. He may not be as merciful as I am."

Master Yoshida took a deep breath. At this point, it made little sense to try and appeal to Dinobot's better side. The raptor seemed to be under Megatron's spell fully. Jack and Luna appeared to share the same sentiments as they looked at Dinobot suspiciously. Kaori still had the katana firmly gripped in her hand.

"I will take my leave now," Dinobot bowed to his old master one last time.

* * *

"So, that's where Dinobot was the entire time…" Terrorsaur murmured.

He and Waspinator were both spying on Dinobot from the tree. Hidden amongst the leaves, they had made sure to observe the Predacon raptor's actions like Ravage instructed them. And what they discovered was most surprising.

"Waspinator not get it!" the wasp buzzed. "Dinobot was friends with human?"

"Not just friends," Terrorsaur replied excitedly. "But it seems that Dinobot was his former pupil."

"Human teach Dinobot moves?" asked Waspinator.

"This good news…" Terrorsaur rubbed both hands together in glee, ignoring Waspinator's question, "is that if we tell Megatron about this, Dinobot's going to be in _big_ trouble."

"Terrorsaur wants Dinobot in trouble?" asked Waspinator.

"Think about it!" Terrorsaur exclaimed. "If we tell Megatron about this, Dinobot's going to be demoted and Megatron will have no choice but to award us, the informants!"

"You mean promotion!" Waspinator's head peaked up. "Waspinator like that!"

Not wasting any more time, Terrorsaur turned on his com-link.

"Terrorsaur to Megatron! I have important news!"

Finally, Megatron's voice came through.

"Speak, Terrorsaur!" commanded Megatron.

"You're not going to believe this," Terrorsaur told the Predacon leader. "But Dinobot's been consorting with a human! This human used to be Dinobot's master before he met us!"

Silence… On the other side of the communications, Megatron was now deep in thought at the new information he had received.

"This is most interesting, yes," Megatron finally stated. "So Dinobot had a human master at one point?"

"It would appear so!" Terroraur answered.

"Very well then," Megatron told Terrorsaur cryptically. "I will be there soon. Megatron… out."

As soon as the connection was cut, Terrorsaur began laughing maniacally.

"This is great!" he squawked. "Now we can sit back and profit at old scale-belly's expense!"

"Oh happy days!" Waspinator cheered.

Without warning, the branch they had been sitting on was blasted apart, causing both fliers to fall face-first into the forest floor. As both Predacons looked up, they noticed an irate Dinobot standing before them.

"So, what do we have here?" Dinobot crossed both arms.

"Um, Dinobot!" Terrorsaur waved both hands in protest. "This isn't what it looks like, honest!"

"It was Terrorsaur's idea!" Waspinator pointed a finger at the flying reptile. "Waspinator not have anything to do with it!"

"Shut up, you gossipmonger!" Terrorsaur waved an angry fist at Waspinator.

"You thought you could drive a wedge between Megatron and myself with this?" Dinobot almost had to laugh. "I will explain everything to Megatron when the time comes. But until then…"

Dinobot extended both claws and moved swiftly. In no time at all, the body parts of Terrorsaur and Waspinator lay scattered across the ground.

"Consider this your punishment," Dinobot walked away.

Waspinator's head rolled across the floor until it hit a rock.

"Ow…" Waspinator groaned, managing to use his own tongue to roll his own head up. "Why bad things always happen to Waspinator?"

* * *

The gruesome carnage at the local fishing village was enough to make Optimus, Rattrap, and Depth Charge sick.

"X…" muttered Depth Charge.

Judging from the charred bones and leveled buildings, Rampage had paid a visit to this small Japanese fishing village. The behemoth had taken no prisoners and it was clear from the carnage he had visited in this area.

"What're we gonna do now?" asked Rattrap in a forlorn tone, surveying the devastation around him.

"We find Rampage and we stop him," Depth Charge unsheathed the Matrix Blade.

"I agree!" Optimus took out the Matrix of Terra. "It ends here!"

The powers of the Terra Matrix surrounded Optimus, transforming him into his Optimal Optimus Primal form.

"I sense Rampage!" Depth Charge looked at his own scanner. "He's a few miles away from here!"

"Then let's go!" Optimus boomed.

Depth Charge flew into the air, soon followed by Optimus, with Rattrap riding on his shoulder.

* * *

As Dinobot walked through the forests, a bewildering medley of thought lay scattered through his head.

Thanks to Terrorsaur and Waspinator's tattling, the truth was out.

Now Megatron knew about his friendship with the human, Master Yoshida. What happened next would be extremely hard to predict. No doubt Megatron would not approve. But would he go so far as to target the human? That was what worried Dinobot the most, the possibility of Megatron going out of his way to target Yoshida-sensei. Surely his master had better things to do than concern himself with a human living in a faraway land?

Hopefully, nothing of the sort would happen and Megatron would simply dismiss the story of his having a past human master. After all, why would the Predacon leader take the word of the unreliable Terrorsaur over his own?

Suddenly, a missile struck the ground where he stood, sending Dinobot flying. Dinobot flipped around half-way in the air and landed on top of a tree. He immediately turned to where the shot had been fired.

In the distance, his zoomed-in vision enabled him to see Rampage in tank mode. The rogue had been the one who fired upon him.

Rampage transformed to robot mode and cackled. He beckoned Dinobot forward with one hand, as if taunting him. Turning around, Rampage ran off at an impressive speed for a large 'bot his size.

"Come catch me if you can!" shouted Rampage, running away through the thick bamboo forests.

Dinobot snarled. He would worry about Megatron later. Right now, Rampage was his prime target. The Predacon raptor transformed to beast mode and bounded after Protoform X.

* * *

"I will go after Dinobot," Yoshida-sensei told his niece.

"Uncle, it will be dangerous!" Kaori protested.

"I realize that," Yoshida-sensei told her. "But I must go. Dinobot is facing a crossroads in his life and I may be the only one who can get through to him."

With that, Yoshida-sensei grabbed onto a wooden sword and headed out the door.

"Um, with all due respect, Sensei," Luna told him. "Dinobot is out there with Rampage. Dinobot may not harm you but Rampage isn't exactly someone you want to run into in a dark alley."

"I fear not death," Yoshida-sensei replied. "But what I do fear is that my former pupil loses his honor forever."

After Master Yoshida left, Jack and Luna looked at Kaori.

"It is hopeless…" Kaori's shoulders sagged. "I cannot persuade him from putting himself in harm's way."

"No, but you can go and keep an eye on him," suggested Luna.

* * *

"So we meet again," Dinobot snarled at Rampage.

The two of them were now facing each other on the beach. The calm blue skies shone above them clearly as both opponents stared one another down.

"Why do you pursue me?" demanded Dinobot.

"Because you hold another part of my spark!" Rampage hissed. "You are nothing but an abomination and I will soon rip that lifeforce from your offline body!"

"We shall see about that!" growled Dinobot.

Immediately, the two of them charged at each other. Rampage rolled his hand into a fist and punched at Dinobot who step-sided it. Twirling around, Dinobot slammed his elbow into Rampage's stomach.

As Rampage keeled over, Dinobot raised his fist again, striking Rampage in the chin with a backfist to knock the behemoth over.

Rampage fell down on his back. As he fell, Dinobot immediately pounced on him pinning him onto the sand. Before Dinobot could blast Rampage face-first with an optical beam, Rampage slammed his head into Dinobot's, knocking the raptor off of him.

As Dinobot fell off, Rampage grabbed Dinobot by the heel, swinging him around and throwing him face-first into a mound of sand.

Dinobot leaped back on both feet but Rampage punched him across the head with a vicious punch. Ducking underneath the next punch, Dinobot boxed Rampage back across the side of the head. Rampage swung again but Dinobot did the same, punching Rampage across the other side.

"Raagh!" shouted Rampage angrily.

Catching Dinobot off-guard with his own formidable speed, Rampage landed a powerful backhand on Dinobot, knocking the Predacon raptor down.

Again and again, Rampage punched Dinobot. He grabbed the Predacon by both sides of the head and head-butted him a second time. This time, Dinobot fell on both knees. Mercilessly, Rampage drove his knee right into Dinobot's nose. A sickening crunch was heard as Dinobot's broken face fell into the sand.

Rampage took out his own gun and aimed it at Dinobot. Without warning, Dinobot swung back into action despite his previous injury. With a single motion, Dinobot impaled Rampage through the stomach with the extended claw on his right hand. Having caught the thrall off guard, Dinobot leaped up, using both hands to spring on top of Rampage's gun and scissoring Protoform X across the head with both legs.

Twisting his body around agilely, Dinobot used the momentum of both his legs to hurl Rampage into one of the rocks.

Rampage got right back up and took out both guns firing wildly. Leaping out of the way, Dinobot had to duck and wave under the blasts to avoid the formidable firepower Protoform X had at his disposal.

"You can run but you can't hide!" shouted Rampage.

Twisting his body past a missile, Dinobot unleashed an optic blast which knocked one of the guns out of Rampage's hand. Howling wildly, Rampage continued to fire with the other.

Dinobot leaped across the air and kicked Rampage squarely in the chest with a flying sidekick, felling the large Transformer. The Transmetal Two walked over to the fallen Rampage who promptly returned the favor by kicking him in the stomach with both feet. Dinobot, too, was knocked on his back.

As Dinobot fell, he blasted Rampage in the side with an optic blast. The shot exploded against his thick armor, blasting it open and injuring Rampage.

"Raaah!" screamed Rampage, clutching his side.

Dinobot rolled back up and charged. As he did, Rampage took aim with his own gun and blasted Dinobot in the chest, knocking the Predacon back several yards into the waters. Dinobot crawled out of the waves and got up.

As the two enemies stared at each other, their rapid healing went to work, quickly sewing up their wounds and rejuvenating them.

Dinobot clutched his own jawbone, which still felt a bit of soreness from the amount of times Rampage had punched him. The two of them had been quite evenly matched the whole time. Both of them were extremely powerful and durable. Rampage was just a bit stronger while he, Dinobot, was just a bit faster. It would be a tough call as to who would finally gain victory.

"Fast healer, huh?" Rampage taunted. "I think we both know where you got those abilities."

The Predacon raptor finally unsheathed both claws, ready for battle. X apparently felt the same. The two enemies charged once more.

Leaping into the air, Dinobot threw a kick which Rampage blocked with both arms. Rampage struck back, catching Dinobot across the face with a powerful blow which sent the raptor reeling back. As Dinobot faced Rampage again, the thrall connected with an uppercut which sent the Transmetal Two reeling yet again. Dinobot caught himself and spun around, connecting across the side of Rampage's head with a spin kick. Rampage fell back but quickly gathered himself up, ready for payback.

Before the opponents could clash yet again, a blue beam struck the ground between them. From the air, Depth Charge flew down, holding the Matrix Blade in hand.

"Look who decided to crash the party!" Rampage snarled.

"I'm here to put an end to both your twisted sparks," Depth Charge informed the two.

"We shall see about that," Dinobot growled.

"Face it, big blue!" Rampage mocked the Maximal. "You can't hope to win! You barely held your own the last time we met!"

"Yes, and as I recall, you needed an entire team of Maximals and one turncoat Predacon just to stand a chance against me!" added Dinobot, recalling the time when the entire Maximal team, along with Depth Charge, had attempted to bring him down.

"You two may be more powerful than I am," Depth Charge acknowledged. "But I doubt either of you can stand up to the full fury of the Matrix itself!"

"Pardon?" Rampage looked at Depth Charge quizzically.

In a swift motion, Depth Charge raised the Matrix Blade high into the air as a surge of power surrounded him. Above, the skies darkened as storm clouds gathered up high. From the storm clouds, a blast of lightning came down and consumed Depth Charge, forcing both Dinobot and Rampage to step back.

Once the smoke had cleared, Depth Charge stood before them, much changed. His traditional blue armor had changed to a crimson red as electricity danced around him. His eye color had been inverted as well. What was once a bright red hue in his optics had transformed to an electrical blue.

Raising his sword again, Depth Charge struck the ground with it, sending a surge through the ground which struck Rampage and Dinobot, sending both of them flying back. Rampage was the first to fall onto the ground and Dinobot soon landed not far from him.

Rampage cleared his head. Instinct immediately told him that Depth Charge's current state was no laughing matter. He had but one other option.

"Dinobot," he said to the raptor. "I propose a truce… and a very temporary one at that. We take care of Depth Charge now and once that's over with, we go back to where we left off."

Dinobot evidently felt the same about Depth Charge's newfound power as he nodded in agreement.

"Very well," Dinobot responded. "The Maximal shall be the first priority."

Both Rampage and Dinobot turned their firepower on Depth Charge, firing at the Maximal mercilessly. Depth Charge twirled the Matrix Blade around and deflected several missiles and laser shots from the two. Saving his most powerful missile for the right moment, Rampage unleashed it, catching Depth Charge in an explosion.

Soon, however, Depth Charge stepped out of the fire unharmed. The power of the Matrix Blade still glowed brightly.

Swinging the sword upwards, Depth Charge summoned a whirlwind of sand which caught Rampage and Dinobot, lifting them into the air. Soon, the whirlwind ended, sending the two crashing towards opposite ends.

Rampage stood up. As he did, Depth Charge stood directly before him.

Protoform X swung but Depth Charge ducked underneath it, returning the shot with an uppercut of his own which dazed Rampage. As his head snapped back, Rampage stumbled. He had never known Depth Charge to be capable of hitting this hard. Angrily, Rampage punched at Depth Charge again. The Maximal blocked both punches easily and swung with his sword hand, punching Rampage directly in the face with one shot.

This time, the punch was strong enough to completely floor Rampage. Grasping his own face, Rampage soon realized that Depth Charge had broken several of the mandibles on his own jaw line.

"You'll pay for that!" howled Rampage who leaped up and charged.

Depth Charge somersaulted over Protoform X and leaped down, cutting Rampage across the chest with a downward slash. The pain was agonizing. Soon, Rampage was clutching at his own chest, screaming in pain.

In that instant, Depth Charge could have finished the battle if he wanted. But that wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to make Rampage suffer for all the lives he had taken.

Again and again, Depth Charge cut into Rampage, slicing gashes across his arms and legs which could not heal properly due to the power of the Matrix Blade. Leaping into the air, Depth Charge caught Rampage across the head with a mid-air kick which sent the body of the large Transformer falling back.

Nimbly, Dinobot leaped over Rampage's body and attacked Depth Charge. The velociraptor 'bot swung with his tail but Depth Charge raised his sword quickly. Immediately, Dinobot's tail was separated from his body.

"Aaaaaagh!" screamed Dinobot.

As Depth Charge raised his sword to strike down Dinobot, he felt a tugging from behind. Tilting his head backwards, the Maximal saw Rampage holding on to his blade with both hands.

"This is the source of your power!" Rampage hissed at the supercharged Depth Charge. "I'll be glad to relieve you of it!"

"Give it your best shot!" Depth Charge snarled.

In an instant, a powerful surge crackled all across Rampage's body, weakening his grip. With a single throw, Depth Charge hurled Rampage into the ocean.

Dinobot saw his chance and slashed at Depth Charge's neck, hoping for a quick decapitation. Unfortunately for him, Depth Charge saw it coming and blocked the incoming blow with his sword.

"You're going to have to do better than that," Depth Charge told the Predacon menacingly.

Repeatedly, Dinobot slashed at Depth Charge with the claws on both his hands. Each and every time, Depth Charge countered them with several quick blocks using the Matrix Blade. Finally, Depth Charge kicked Dinobot directly in the solar plexus to send him stumbling back. As Dinobot fell back, Depth Charge slashed at Dinobot who raised his own claw just in time.

It was at that moment Dinobot became aware of just how outmatched he was. With a voracious clash of metal, the Matrix Blade separated Dinobot's two extended claws from his hands. In desperation, Dinobot punched at Depth Charge who caught the punch.

"I've been waiting to do this for a long time!" Depth Charge told him.

Griping Dinobot's hand tightly, Depth Charge cut straight up with the Matrix Blade, severing Dinobot's hand from his arm.

"Aaaaaahhh!" screamed Dinobot.

Placing his hand on Dinobot's chest plate, Depth Charge unleashed a powerful blast which sent the Predacon crashing against one of the rocks on the beach.

Dinobot looked up as Depth Charge punched him in the stomach, causing him to cough up mech fluid. Ruthlessly, Depth Charge ripped open his spark chamber, revealing Dinobot's spark.

"No…" Dinobot growled.

"Oh yes!" Depth Charge shut Dinobot up by sending another powerful surge of energy into him by pressing the Matrix Blade into his throat.

Reaching into the spark chamber, Depth Charge grabbed onto Dinobot's spark just as Rampage emerged from the waters. Without any pity, Depth Charge began squeezing down on it.

"Yeaaaaaaarrrrrgh!" screamed both Dinobot and Rampage.

As Dinobot howled in agony, Rampage too fell down on both knees and clutched his own spark.

"You feel Dinobot's pain too, don't you?" Depth Charge said in a sadistic and almost uncharacteristic voice while looking down upon Rampage. "Well I'll be glad to amplify it!"

It was at that moment that Depth Charge began squeezing even harder, bringing an even more unbearable agony upon both Dinobot and X. Somehow, the power of the Matrix Blade had awakened a great darkness in his own spark.

"No…stop, I beg you!" screamed Rampage, who knew true fear for the first time in his life. The pain he now felt was worse than anything he had felt before. It was far worse than the punishments Tigerhawk had inflicted upon him.

"F-Finish me!" howled Dinobot. He too knew fear for the first time in his life.

"I don't think so," Depth Charge spat in Dinobot's face while refusing to let go of his grip. "Only I decide when this ends!"

After what seemed like an eternity, Depth Charge let go. By this point, no amount of rapid healing could help Dinobot. The now-red Maximal grabbed Dinobot by the throat and hurled him onto the sandy beach again. As Dinobot looked up, Depth Charge kicked him violently in the face to turn him over on his back.

"This ends here," Depth Charge told Dinobot resolutely.

Planting on foot down on Dinobot's stomach to hold him still, Depth Charge raised his sword, preparing to impale the raptor right through the spark.

"Stop!" Rampage shouted, realizing at that moment that any adverse effect on Dinobot's spark could also hurt or even destroy his own.

Depth Charge ignored Rampage and thrust downwards. Just before the Matrix Blade could penetrate Dinobot's spark, however, it stopped.

"What?" Depth Charge attempted to thrust the sword down but to no avail.

It was as if the Matrix Blade somehow possessed a mind of its own. For whatever reason, it refused to strike the killing blow. It absolutely refused to allow Depth Charge to slay Dinobot, even as the Maximal struggled to simply thrust the sword down.

Finally, the sword willingly flew out of Depth Charge's hands and landed several yards away from them.

"No!" shouted Depth Charge, whose body returned to its normal blue hue as his supercharged state fizzled out.

At this point, Dinobot could only stare in blunt surprise, wondering just what in the Pit had happened. Rampage, however, had other plans. He took out his gun and fired. The missile sailed across the air and struck Depth Charge in the chest, knocking him off of Dinobot. Soon, the blue Maximal entered into stasis lock.

"Now… where were we?" Rampage glanced at Dinobot.

More than anything, Rampage wanted to rip the spark out of Dinobot and merge it back into his own core.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Rampage took out his rifle.

Dinobot crawled back up. The two of them were severely weakened from the battle against Depth Charge and it was quite possible that their next move would determine the battle.

"Dinobot!" a voice called out.

In surprise, Dinobot jerked his back up. Running towards him were Yoshida-sensei and the other young humans who associated themselves with the Maximals.

"Yoshida-sensei!" Dinobot shouted. "Stay away!"

Instantly, Rampage detected that the middle-aged man was Dinobot's weakness. Without hesitation, he fired a single shot at the human.

The missile spiraled across the air towards Yoshida-sensei who picked up his sword, even though he stood no chance. Without thinking, Dinobot leaped right in the path of the missile and took the full force of the blast. When the smoke cleared, a severely damaged Dinobot lay there on the ground.

"Yoshida-sensei… run!" Dinobot pleaded with the human.

"No use to plead," Rampage scoffed at Dinobot's pleas. "I'm going to devour those humans right before your eyes!"

As Rampage stomped towards the humans menacingly, Dinobot suddenly remembered what had happened during the fight against Depth Charge. Whenever his own spark suffered injury, Rampage shared in that agony. The aquatic Maximal had proven that to be painfully true.

Quickly, Dinobot opened up his own spark chamber and reached inside, grasping his own spark and squeezing down on it. Rampage stopped on his tracks just before he could make contact with the humans and fell down on both knees.

"No… not again!" shouted Rampage.

Dinobot squeezed down harder and harder on his own spark until he himself felt like he was about to explode. As he continued his torture of both himself and Rampage, Optimus Primal and Cheetor flew down.

"What happened?" asked Optimus.

"There is no time to explain!" Yoshida-sensei told Optimus. "You must get the young ones to immediate safety! Hurry! I will handle the rest!"

Optimus didn't need to be told twice. He transformed to flight mode and allowed Luna and Kaori to mount on his wing while Jack was picked up by Cheetor. In an instant, they had flown the young adults out of harm's way.

"Stop!" screamed Rampage. "Show mercy!"

"I… think… not!" Dinobot howled, fighting the pain he felt.

Finally, it was over. Rampage fell face-first into the sand and moved no more. Though the thrall was motionless, Dinobot could still sense that his spark hadn't died yet. At long last, Dinobot let go of his spark. He too fell down in exhaustion.

"Dinobot, are you alright?" asked Yoshida-sensei who ran up to him.

"I… believe I will survive," Dinobot smiled.

"He was a very powerful warrior," Yoshida stared at the fallen Rampage. "It is unfortunate he had no concept of honor or goodness."

"Yes… and I was borne of him," Dinobot confessed.

"You?" Master Yoshida seemed surprised. "He is your father?"

"Not exactly," Dinobot explained as best he could. "I was, however, created from a portion of his lifeforce."

"My… what a touching reunion!" a deep voice announced.

"Megatron!" Dinobot turned around in surprise.

Leering down, Megatron was not pleased, especially at having seen Dinobot share such camaraderie with a human of all things. Though he was most displeased, Megatron still made an effort not to let it show… too much.

"So, this human was your former master, was he?" asked Megatron in a deceptively friendly tone.

"Yes he is," Dinobot replied. "He is of no consequence to us."

Despite what Dinobot was saying, his body language betrayed him. He had made sure to stand in front of Master Yoshida, as if to shield him from Megatron.

"On the contrary, I would say otherwise," Megatron hardened his tone. "I fear this human may not be a positive influence on you."

"Hah!" Yoshida-sensei got in front of Dinobot to face Megatron. "The only thing tearing away at Dinobot's soul is you! The sooner he's rid of you, the better!"

In shock, Dinobot did not know what to do. Though he owed a great debt of gratitude to Yoshida-sensei, he was still honor-bound to serve Megatron.

"You dare trifle with me, human?" Megatron growled.

Yoshida said nothing. He glanced towards Dinobot and gave him a sad, forlorn smile.

Enraged, Megatron flew down and fired a blast of flames at Yoshida. The Japanese martial arts master quickly leaped out of the way to avoid the flames and flipped across the beach until he was underneath a cliff.

"Impressive maneuvers, human," Megatron told him. "But leaping about like a rabbit won't save you forever!"

Raising his arm, Megatron fired again. A fireball erupted from the dragon maw on his left arm and destroyed the cliff above Yoshida-sensei. At once, several tons of rubble fell down on the helpless master.

"Yoshida-sensei!" shouted Dinobot.

Ignoring the dark look Megatron gave him, Dinobot ran forward towards the collapsed rubble, throwing aside several large rocks until he reached his former master.

"Dinobot…" Yoshida-sensei coughed, looking deeply into his student's optics. "It would appear that my time on this earth would be shorter than I expected."

"No master!" begged Dinobot. "Please don't leave me!"

Heartbroken, the old master gave a weak smile. After all this time, Dinobot still felt some degree of loyalty to his former sensei. No matter what, he knew that the soul of Bushido still existed in the raptor, even though his current master Megatron did not exemplify it. Sooner or later, Dinobot would have to come to a crossroads between his own honor and his loyalty to an evil tyrant.

Most of all, he was proud that he had trained Dinobot to become the disciplined and proud warrior that he was today. He had absolutely no regrets.

As Dinobot cradled his head gently, Yoshida-sensei only had a few more moments left before he could pass on.

"Dinobot, whatever happens…" Master Yoshida's voice grew weaker. "Do not forsake… your honor…"

Finally, his body went limp. Yoshida-sensei was dead.

Raising his head in the air, Dinobot howled in despair.

From behind Dinobot, Megatron crossed both arms.

"You serve me now," Megatron reminded Dinobot. "Everything else is superfluous, yes!"

"I… I serve only you," Dinobot finally turned around and bowed before Megatron, seemingly against his better judgment.

Though Dinobot was still loyal to Megatron, it appeared to him that a small seed of doubt had been planted in his spark. An inner conscience in his head now told him that what Megatron did was most definitely wrong.

"Uncle, no!" a human voice cried out.

From above the rocky cliffs, Kaori saw the body of her uncle. Jack and Luna were also there with her, watching from the distance.

Optimus flew down with Rattrap in tow. The large Maximal transformed to robot mode and pointed both his cannons at the two Predacons and fired.

"Impressive upgrade, Optimus," Megatron shielded himself with his wings. "But we won't finish this here, no. I will be the one to decide when and where!"

Transforming to beast mode, Megatron beckoned Dinobot to climb on. After a moment's hesitation, Dinobot leaped onto the dragon's back.

"We shall meet again, Optimus!" Megatron shouted as he flew into the distance. "Very soon indeed!"

Optimus stopped firing and surveyed the battlefield. Yoshida-sensei was now dead and Depth Charge lay a few feet away in stasis lock. As for Rampage, the sadistic crab was nowhere to be found.

"Uncle…" Kaori knelt before her slain uncle.

"I'm sorry," Jack put a hand on her shoulder.

Both Optimus and Rattrap lowered their heads as Kaori began mourning for her deceased uncle and master.

"Some day, huh?" Rattrap shook his head glumly.

"Yes…" Optimus picked up the unconscious body of Depth Charge.

The Matrix Blade lay only a few feet away.

Something about the situation didn't make sense to Rattrap. With the Matrix Blade, Depth Charge should have had enough power to make short work of both Dinobot and Rampage. Why was it that he was here in stasis lock? Just what exactly had happened to make Depth Charge lose its power?

"Poor kid," Rattrap turned around, realizing that Kaori was in a state of bewilderment and sadness with her uncle's passing. "If only there were something we could do for her…"

"There is something we can do," Optimus looked at Rattrap deeply in his optics. "I'm going to find Megatron and I'm going to settle it! No one else will die on my watch!"

Rattrap watched as the Maximal leader's hand clenched into a fist. It was almost chilling to see his leader so angry and so determined.

"I swear it!" vowed Optimus.

As he spoke those words, the sun began to set in the horizon as Jack and Luna helped Kaori up. Soon, the sun was but a fading memory.


	69. High Noon

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_High Noon_

Sitting in silence, Depth Charge gazed at the Matrix Blade which floated before him. As of late, it appeared that the mystical sword had become unresponsive to him.

He had been on the verge of killing Dinobot. But yet, the Matrix Blade prevented him from doing so for some odd reason. It was most disconcerting. Was not Dinobot made from the same material as Rampage and Shokaract? Just why would the Matrix Blade refuse anyways?

Staring at the Matrix Blade for a response, Depth Charge finally snorted with disgust.

"I'm waiting," he said brusquely.

Nothing.

"This was a waste of my time…" Depth Charge got up.

Suddenly, the Matrix Blade began to glow. Energy began siphoning off its edges until it coalesced into a familiar energy orb Depth Charge had encountered back on Cybertron.

"Greetings Depth Charge," the voice greeted.

"The Oracle…" Depth Charge whispered, not sure if he should show more reverence or not.

"You must have many questions on your mind," the Oracle told him.

"That's right," Depth Charge told her. "None of this makes sense! Why was I not allowed to destroy Dinobot?"

"The Matrix Blade saw through your actions and refused," the Oracle answered cryptically.

"What?" Depth Charge snarled. "It has a mind of its own?"

"It is important for you to know that the Matrix Blade is not merely an extension of the powers of the Matrix itself," the Oracle informed the blue Maximal. "It is a living being who can see through the spark of its user."

"Then tell me," Depth Charge glared at the Oracle. "Why is it the Matrix Blade wouldn't allow me to kill Dinobot? It didn't seem to have a problem letting me to carve Shokaract into spare parts."

The Oracle glowed slightly.

"The circumstances in each situation differed," she replied. "On Cybertron, you battled Shokaract in defense of the planet and all the lives there. In your battle against Dinobot and Rampage, you fought only to satiate your desire for vengeance."

That gave Depth Charge a moment to pause. During the battle, he did admittedly go out of his way to sadistically torture both the raptor and the crab. Everything had been a blur to him during the battle up to now. Now that the Oracle had brought it up again, he remembered clearly how driven he was by vengeance and hatred during that fight.

"Why was Dinobot spared?" demanded Depth Charge. "He's no better than Rampage or Shokaract."

"That is false," replied the Oracle. "Both you and Dinobot have a special role to play in the wheels of destiny."

"That is that supposed to mean?" Depth Charge was not pleased with the answer he got. "Stop speaking in riddles and tell me the truth!"

"It is something you will discover on your own path," the Oracle answered.

"Tell me something else," Depth Charge asked. "Has the Matrix Blade forsaken me?"

"No," answered the Oracle. "But it may yet do so if you continue on the path of vengeance."

To that, Depth Charge had nothing else to say.

* * *

"Big 'Bot, is something wrong?" asked Cheetor.

"I don't know anymore Cheetor, I truly don't know," Optimus replied honestly.

While in Japan, he had witnessed Megatron's evil. The Predacon tyrant had gone out of his way to murder a human, leaving behind a distraught family member. Optimus Primal had always known that Megatron's penchant for cruelty. But seeing him do something on this level had sickened him.

"_Kaori, are you alright?" asked Optimus._

_Now back in his Transmetal state, Optmus, Rattrap, and Depth Charge stood near her at the graveyard. Also with them were Jack and Luna._

"_Dinobot was supposed to have been my uncle's disciple," Kaori whispered. "Why did he not save Uncle?"_

"_Because once a Pred, always a Pred," Rattrap muttered._

_After having given the last of the offerings for her uncle's funeral rites, Kaori turned away with a lowered head._

"_Poor kid's devastated," Rattrap looked on in sadness. _

"_Yeah, I wish there were something we could do for her," Jack agreed._

"_Kaori, I promise I'll do whatever it takes to bring your Uncle's killer to justice," Optimus promised._

_Kaori gave Optimus a sad, forlorn smile to thank him._

"_Optimus," Luna looked up at the Maximal leader. "Does this mean you and Megatron are going to finish it for good?"_

Suddenly, Optimus snapped out of his trance. Several shots were being fired at them from below the ground. On the ground was Tankorr.

"Finally, I've been wanting some action!" growled Cheetor, who flew down first.

Before Optimus could follow up, a large clawed hand grabbed him in mid-air.

Cheetor leaped onto the ground, transforming to robot mode. Tankorr fired a shot from his shoulder cannon which Cheetor promptly moved to the side to avoid.

"I'm going to skin you!" shouted Tankorr.

"Wanna bet?" Cheetor growled.

The large 'bot fired off several more shots. Cheetor moved in, nimbly dodging all the shots. He leaped over Tankorr and bounced off the side of the canyon fall, leaping onto Tankorr to knock him down.

Suddenly, Cheetor noticed that Optimus was not with him. Looking up, he saw that Optimus was now struggling in Megatron's grip. And unfortunately for Optimus, he was only in his normal Transmetal form as Megatron held him tightly.

"Looking for this?" grinned Megatron.

Tankorr took advantage of the distraction to cup both hands together and knock Cheetor to the ground. He picked up the cat and held him in a chokehold.

"Keep Cheetor out of this!" Optimus shouted. "This is between you and me, Megatron!"

"I think not," Megatron smiled. "You see, this is between me and all of you Maximal filth!"

With that, Megatron threw Optimus into the canyon wall. As Optimus got up, Megatron kicked him, knocking him back several feet.

"Optimus, no!" shouted Cheetor.

"Put a lid on it, kid!" Tankorr applied an even harder grip to Cheetor.

Optimus grabbed his mace and leaped up at Megatron. In response, Megatron sent Optimus sailing into a boulder with a powerful backhand.

Cheetor had had enough. He stomped his heel down on Tankorr's foot.

"Aaaagh!" shouted Tankorr.

Driving his elbow into Tankorr's side, Cheetor forced the larger Predacon to release his grip. Then he somersaulted backwards, smashing his foot into the side of Tankorr's head to down him.

"I'm coming, Optimus!" shouted Cheetor.

"No you don't!" Tankorr grabbed onto Cheetor's foot.

"Let go!" growled Cheetor.

This time, Cheetor kicked Tankorr off of him with a blow so powerful that it knocked the Predacon out cold.

Cheetor leaped at Megatron who simply kicked the Maximal into the wall with a roundhouse. Just as Cheetor's back hit the rocky wall, Megatron's wing struck his chest, pinning him there.

"You will not be going anywhere, whelp!" Megatron growled. "After I'm done with Optimus, I'll be sure to de-claw you accordingly!"

As Cheetor struggled against Megatron's much more powerful wing, the Predacon began squeezing down on Optimus, crushing the life out of him.

"Aaaahhh!" screamed Optimus.

"Oh, how I'm savoring this!" Megatron smiled. "Hah hah!"

Out of the blue, a powerful beam struck Megatron from behind, forcing him to release both Optimus and Cheetor. The tyrant's body sailed back until it hit the floor a few feet away from the Maximals.

"You again!" growled Megatron.

"Depth Charge!" Cheetor cried. "Thanks for the save!"

"You'll regret interfering in my business!" Megatron got up.

"Then what're you waiting for?" Depth Charge held the tip of the Matrix Blade facing Megatron.

"Feel the dragon's wrath, Maximal!" Megatron aimed his dragon cannon at the blue Maximal, unleashing his most powerful blast of flames.

The flames struck Depth Charge, consuming him in a whirlwind of fire.

"It would appear that seafood has just been added to the menu!" Megatron laughed. "Hah hah hah!"

Suddenly, Megatron could make out Depth Charge's form through the flames. Standing his ground, the manta ray was unharmed. Both fire and electricity crackled around him as the Matrix Blade began to absorb the power of the flames into itself.

"What?" Megatron cried. "No!"

Depth Charge held the sword back and then thrust it forward, unleashing a devastating blast from the Matrix Blade. The energy blast struck Megatron directly in the chest, sending his body crashing through several pillars in the canyon until he smashed into a mountain.

After having sent Megatron flying, Depth Charge went over to check up on Cheetor and Optimus. Optimus, it appeared, had been rendered unconscious by Megatron's attack.

"Is he okay?" asked Depth Charge.

"I think so," replied Cheetor.

"Good, then let's get him out of here before Megatron recovers," Depth Charge picked Optimus up and slung him over his shoulders.

After the Maximals had flown off, an enraged and injured Megatron broke out of the rubble he had been covered underneath.

"So, the Maximals want to play it this way, do they?" Megatron snarled angrily.

* * *

"Are you alright, Optimus?" asked Cheetor as he took his leader inside the Maximal base.

"I'll be okay," Optimus Primal sat down on the chair.

"I saw the look in Megatron's eyes," Depth Charge informed Primal. "He wasn't about to take any prisoners. Your life was what he wanted."

"If Mega-jerk wants to get to Optimus, he'll have to go through with all of us!" Cheetor clenched a fist.

"No Cheetor," Optimus told him. "I refuse to put my own crew on the line."

After having rested up enough to stand up, Optimus managed to hobble up on both legs, which were still shaky from Megatron's attack.

"This is between Megatron and me," Optimus told his crew. "If he wants me, then that's exactly what he'll get."

Suddenly, Optimus felt a sudden pain from his side. He clutched his own wound, using his other arm to steady himself against the wall.

"Well now ain't the time for a little mono-on-mono with Mega-dweeb," Rattrap noted. "We gotta get you to the CR chamber, boss-monkey."

As Optimus was helped up by Cheetor and Rattrap, a small beeping sound emerged from the main computer.

"Incoming transmission!" Rhinox noted.

"Let me hear it before I go in the CR chamber," Optimus told Rattrap and Cheetor.

The five Maximals gathered together before the mainframe. Rhinox pressed down on the key to reveal Megatron's face on the screen.

"Ah Optimus," Megatron beamed. "I'm happy to have reached you before you could slink back into your CR chamber like the lowly primate you are!"

"What do you want, Megatron?" demanded Rhinox.

"Silence rhino!" snarled Megatron. "This does not concern you!"

"If it's for Optimus, then it concerns all of us!" Cheetor pointed an angry finger at Megatron.

"Hmph, since you are all so prying I suppose I'll do the honors of addressing Optimus in public," Megatron conceded.

"We're listening," Optimus glared at the screen.

"I am issuing a challenge to you tomorrow at high noon," Megatron told Optimus. "No other Predacons will be present. And since I know your outdated Maximal honor prevents you from fighting unfairly, I expect nothing less than for you to show up alone."

At that moment, all the Maximals could sense the seething hatred emanating from Megatron's mere words. If words could literally wound, then all of them would have been destroyed on the spot.

"You believing this, Optimus?" asked Rattrap. "Come on, you know Mega-jerk's planning a trap!"

To the shock of all present Maximals, Optimus nodded his head in agreement.

"I'll be there," he promised. "You want me that badly, huh?"

"Oh, I promise you this will be our final confrontation," Megatron clenched his fist in front of the screen. "This time… only one shall stand."

"You got it Megatron," Optimus told his archrival. "I'll see you at noon."

"Farewell, Primal," Megatron cut the connection.

"I don't believe this," Depth Charge shook his head. "You're actually serious about going in without backup?"

"I have backup," Optimus reminded them. "The Matrix of Terra will be there to watch over me."

"What if Megatron was lying?" suggested Rhinox. "What if he shows up tomorrow with either his Predacon troops at hand or some kind of trap?"

"Megatron wasn't lying," Optimus replied. "I saw it in his eyes. He wants to end my life with his own bare hands."

"Take me, Optimus!" insisted Cheetor. "I could watch your back!"

"No, Cheetor," Optimus said firmly. "I'm not getting you or anyone else involved in this."

"Perhaps I could come along," suggested Depth Charge. "I know we haven't always seen eye to eye. But if nothing else, just know that you can always count on me."

The sudden admission surprised Optimus. He and Depth Charge had never been the closest of friends before. In otherwise ordinary circumstances, the manta ray had never been this open either.

In the past few months, however, Depth Charge had proven himself to be much more reliable and dependant, always there to help out in the thickest of situations. He had proven himself to be a trustworthy Maximal soldier, being willing to help the team even at the possible cost of his own life.

For his part, Depth Charge was feeling a bit of apprehension. In the past, he and Primal had never gotten along the best. But now Optimus was going to enter into a battle to the possible death against Megatron. If these were indeed Primal's final hours, then the least he wanted to do was to make peace with the 'bot he had once looked down upon. Time and time again, Optimus Primal had earned Depth Charge's respect.

"Thank you," Optimus nodded. "But this is something I have to do alone."

"Alright, I can respect that," Depth Charge offered a hand.

The two of them shook in mutual respect.

"Good luck," said Depth Charge.

* * *

Noon had arrived. On the lofty canyon spire, Megatron sat there in beast mode. The large red dragon looked into the air, awaiting the arrival of his hated enemy.

As he tilted his head to the left, he noticed Optimus flying towards him on his airborne surfboard.

"Finally," he whispered.

Optimus flew onto another pillar and landed.

"So this is it, huh?" he asked.

"Yes," Megatron promised. "And I guarantee it is you who will fall."

"Don't be so sure about that, Megatron," Optimus allowed himself a small smile.

"Hmph, don't get cocky, Maximal," Megatron growled. "I could end it right here and now if I so choose. As I have said before, only I hold the power of life and death over you."

"You know something, Megatron?" Optimus turned thoughtfully towards his enemy. "For what it's worth, I've come to understand and appreciate the conflicts we've had over the years."

"What?" Megatron was taken aback.

"You were the one who led us to this planet and kick-started the Beast Wars," Optimus told his nemesis. "Over the years, our conflicts with you have helped me to understand more and more who I am and what I believe in. Without you, I would've just been a run-of-the-mill exploration captain."

As Megatron's optics narrowed, Optimus Primal took out the Matrix of Terra.

"Your point?" demanded Megatron.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that everything happens for a reason," Optimus replied. "In all these years of fighting the Beast Wars against you, I've learned more about myself and my own cause than if I hadn't met you. If we're to be eternal enemies, then I couldn't be more grateful for a worthy enemy like you."

"Hmph, the feeling is mutual," Megaton finally smiled. "I suppose after all these years, I'd be lying if I told you I didn't feel a bit of sadness that this was all going to end today. Once I eliminate you and conquer Cybertron, I will allow you a place of special honor in the history books, Primal!"

"Thanks," Optimus nodded.

"They will speak of the day when the great opponent of Megatron, Optimus Primal, was vanquished!" Megatron spat a powerful blast of flames into the air.

It was then that Optimus activated the Matrix of Terra, allowing its energies to cover his body, transforming him to his much larger and more powerful Optimal mode.

"Shall we proceed?" Megatron beckoned.

Optimus answered directly by unleashing the side cannons on his chest and opening fire.

* * *

Though Cheetor had made a promise not to interfere, he couldn't have just stayed back and allowed Optimus to face Megatron alone.

And so it was, the young Maximal had snuck out of the base to pursue Optimus on foot. His formidable speed on land was what enabled him to keep up with the speed of the airborne Primal.

Now he was behind one of the pillars after having watched Optimus and Megatron have their conversation. At this point, both Maximal and Predacon leaders were on the offensive against each other. Cheetor knew that now was the time for him to step in.

"I've got your back, Optimus," Cheetor whispered.

"Halt!"

Cheetor spun around. Behind him was Dinobot. Just what in the world was the Transmetal Two dinosaur doing here anyways?

"You must not be allowed to interfere!" Dinobot threatened.

"I thought Megatron wasn't going to bring along any Predacon troops," Cheetor frowned. "And here you are sticking your Dino-snout into it!"

"I am only here to insure that no other combatants get involved," Dinobot answered. "Should you attempt to interfere in their battle, you shall answer to me."

"You know, it's a funny thing really," Cheetor cracked both knuckles. "I was kinda hoping you'd show up here."

"Yes and why is that?" Dinobot extended the claws on both hands.

"I just thought we'd settle a bit of unfinished business," Cheetor reminded the raptor.

"Then by all means, let us finish it!" Dinobot snarled, lunging forward.

Cheetor ducked underneath as Dinobot slashed at him, then rolled to the side. He got up and blocked an incoming punch from the raptor. As Dinobot punched at him again, Cheetor leaped over his opponent and landed on Dinobot's back, leaping off again and using the momentum to kick Dinobot forward.

"Not bad," Dinobot smiled, realizing Cheetor was still a lot more resourceful than he sometimes gave the cat credit for.

This time Cheetor charged, causing Dinobot to switch to the offensive. Dinobot crossed both arms together to block an overhead kick from Cheetor. Grabbing onto Cheetor's foot, he spun the Maximal off balance and kicked him right in the middle of his stomach, throwing Cheetor back.

With a heavy thud, Cheetor smashed back-first into the side of the canyon wall.

"Ugh…" Cheetor held his own side.

And that was just the beginning. Not giving his enemy a moment's rest, Dinobot was on to Cheetor yet again.

Cheetor barely swerved his head in time as a punch from Dinobot nearly smashed his face in. The next thing he saw was a barrage of powerful punches from the saurian Predacon. After having thrown enough punches, Dinobot finally felt some of his blows connecting against Cheetor's head and chest. At this point, Cheetor could not block all the punches.

Unexpectedly, Dinobot kicked Cheetor in the stomach, taking the air right out of him again. As Cheetor stumbled back, Dinobot grabbed on to him by both shoulders and swung him overhead, throwing the Maximal onto the floor.

"Ack…" Cheetor felt something give way in his own body.

Just as Dinobot came down, Cheetor raised both feet in time, catching Dinobot in the chest with both feet. Using nothing more than his leg strength, Cheetor pushed forward and hurled Dinobot head-first right into a heavy boulder.

Just as Dinobot got up, Cheetor leaped into him, kicking the Predacon face-first into the boulder.

Taking advantage of the moment, Cheetor began unleashing punch after punch upon Dinobot.

Just as it seemed he was gaining the upper hand, however, Cheetor threw another punch only for it to be caught by Dinobot.

"Grrr!" growled Cheetor.

In retaliation, Dinobot smashed his forehead right into Cheetor's mouth, knocking down the young Maximal in one blow.

Cheetor sprung back up but Dinobot quickly ran up, slashing him across the side, leaving a gaping wound.

"Rowr!" howled Cheetor.

That was not the end. Dinobot caught Cheetor right in the back of the head with a spinning kick, sending Cheetor reeling forward.

Just as Cheetor turned around, Dinobot struck him in the face with an open palm, sending the young Maximal flying back.

* * *

While in the air, Optimus and Megatron clashed, struggling against each other.

"I'm going to enjoy this, Primal!" Megatron snarled. "Tearing you limb from limb!"

Optimus did not answer. He had no time for Megatron's quips, all of which were most likely there to distract him. Instead, he spun around and flipped Megatron off of him.

Just as Megatron turned around, Optimus delivered a massive fist right into his face.

"Agh!" Megatron was knocked back.

Having caught himself, Megatron opened the dragon's maw on his left arm and fired. Optimus raised both hands together to block the flames with the shields on his arm. Steadily, the flames began to push him back.

Suddenly, the flames stopped. And all too soon, Optimus found out why.

From the air, Megatron came down, kicking Optimus in the chest and knocking him down from the sky. His back was first to hit the ground. Quickly, the Maximal commander returned fire, shooting two missiles at the airborne Megatron above him.

Megatron swerved past the two missiles and came down, stomping down. Optimus quickly rolled out of the way and got back up.

The two of them met head-on again. Optimus drove his fist into Megatron's face. As Megatron threw a punch in return, Optimus grabbed it and used his other fist to punch Megatron back yet again.

Not to be outdone, Megatron leaped into the air and slammed his foot into Optimus Primal's chest and knocked down the Maximal leader in one blow. He grabbed Optimus by the neck with the dragon's maw on his left arm and threw Optimus right into one of the pillars. As Optimus raised his head, Megatron punched into Optimus again and again, pummeling him.

Even though Optimus now had the power of the Terra Matrix on his side, there was no doubt that Megatron's monstrous strength was enough to still harm him. That brief train of thought was soon interrupted as Megatron transformed to beast mode and used his vice-like tail to grab Optimus by the neck and hurl him half-way across the air into a pillar.

Instantly, Optimus smashed through the pillar. As he got up, he punched at Megatron who dodged it and punched back, sending Optimus falling to the floor once more.

"Your new powers disappoint me, Primal," Megatron smiled, walking towards Optimus slowly. "I expected more of a challenge from you."

Optimus grabbed onto one of the broken pillars and swung, catching Megatron across the side of his body. Immediately, the Predacon was sent flying from the force of the blow.

"That good enough for you?" Optimus shouted.

"This was the challenge I had been expecting!" Megatron flew forward.

Clenching both hands together, Optimus swung, knocking Megatron head-over-feet onto his back. Sensing his disadvantage on beast mode, Megatron quickly transformed back to robot mode and barely blocked in time as Optimus punched at him.

Very soon, whatever grace had been in their previous battle had transformed into a brawl of the most primal nature. Countless times, they smashed into each other, punching and striking each other with all their might.

As Optimus felt Megatron's fist across his face, he spat out mech fluid. In retaliation, he backhanded Megatron across his head in return.

Megatron stumbled back but ducked underneath one of Primal's punches, driving his fist into the Maximal's stomach, nearly punching right through him.

"Agh!" shouted Optimus.

Megatron saw his opportunity and grabbed Optimus from behind the back of his head with his dragon's maw, slamming Primal's face into the rocky pillar over and over again. By the third time, however, Optimus threw his elbow back, driving it right into Megatron's face, knocking the tyrant off of him.

Unleashing the most powerful flame blast he could, Megatron steadied himself onto the ground to prevent himself from being thrown back by such a blast.

* * *

"Come out, wherever you are!" commanded Dinobot.

The battle so far had not gone smoothly for Cheetor. Now he was on the run and Dinobot was stalking him like a cat with a mouse. Though he was literally the cat, it was still ironic that he was now in the role of being the prey.

"Surrender and no harm shall befall you," Dinobot called out.

And he meant it too. If Cheetor simply surrendered to him, then there would be no need for further violence. Knowing the young Maximal, however, Dinobot had a hunch that giving up was not something Cheetor had in mind.

Up above, Cheetor was clinging to one of the pillars, far above Dinobot's view. If he could time his next move right, the balance of the skirmish would swing in his favor.

"You are strong and fast," Dinobot admitted. "But you are headstrong and undisciplined. You face nothing less than total defeat if you continue in your actions!"

As Dinobot took another step forward, Cheetor swung into action. Leaping down, he criss-crossed both legs around the back of Dinobot's neck like a lobster's claw. Swinging downward, he planted both hands in the dirt and swung forward, hurling Dinobot into a wall with both legs.

Dinobot, on the other hand, flipped around just in time and landed on the wall on all fours. He bounced off that wall and leaped onto a pillar, shocking Cheetor with his agility. He climbed up the pillar and somersaulted off, landing neatly in front of Cheetor.

The young Maximal barely had any time to register his surprise either. In rapid succession, Dinobot struck one of Cheetor's pressure points on his arm, disabling that joint.

"Agh!" screamed Cheetor.

Spinning around, Dinobot sent Cheetor tumbling back with a side-kick. As Cheetor got up again, Dinobot struck him across the face several times. Cheetor retaliated by punching Dinobot right back with his good arm but the raptor ignored the pain and drove his own fist into Cheetor's solar plexus.

"Ack…" Cheetor spat out mech fluid.

At this point, his ability to take Dinobot's brutal punishment was quickly going downhill. Another few well-placed blows and he was as good as gone. Realizing that fact, Cheetor quickly leaped above Dinobot and took out his gun, raining several shots down upon the Predacon.

Dinobot swerved past all the blasts and knocked the gun out of Cheetor's hand with his tail.

"No!" shouted Cheetor.

Extending his clawed finger, Dinobot slashed Cheetor right across the leg, crippling him. As the young Maximal howled in agony, Dinobot impaled Cheetor in the stomach with that same claw. Then the Predacon struck the cat with an uppercut, knocking Cheetor on his back.

As Cheetor thrust about in pain, Dinobot quickly leaped on top of him. At this point, he was through playing games.

Raising a hand in the air, Dinobot punched Cheetor brutally in the face. Then he did it again. And again. And again.

* * *

Ferociously, Megatron punched Optimus across the face, then across the chin, and finally in the mouth.

Optimus stumbled back, catching himself. He wiped away the fluid from his mouth slowly.

Megatron charged once more. This time Optimus blocked an incoming punch and drove his fist into Megatron's nose, breaking it.

"Aaaaagh!" shouted Megatron.

"What's wrong, Megatron?" Optimus asked. "Losing your cool?"

Optimus swung again, this time completely shattering the glass covering of Megatron's optic as his swing connected directly with Megatron's left eye.

"Gyaaaaahhh!" screamed Megatron, flailing in pain.

"You've committed so many evils," Optimus told his arch-foe. "You've murdered innocent sentients with your mad plans. You've hurt my crew in the worst ways possible."

As Megatron charged, Optimus knocked him back with an uppercut.

"And despite all this, you have the gall to play the victim?" demanded Optimus. "You think Maximals are there to oppress you while you get off the hook as the valiant freedom fighter for every malicious act you commit? Tell me, Megatron… _is that how you feel_?"

Almost losing control of himself in his own rage, Optimus drove into Megatron, punching at the Predacon warlord over and over again.

"No! Stop!" shouted Megatron, pleading for his life.

At that moment, Optimus stopped. Here was Megatron, his greatest enemy… reduced to begging for mercy.

"Show mercy, I beg you!" Megatron begged.

Optimus let both arms drop to the side as Megatron limped towards the wall, holding himself there. He did hate to resort to pleading, but he had to place some distance from himself and the angry Maximal, otherwise he would have been beaten to a bloody pulp.

"The great and powerful Megatron wants mercy?" Optimus asked skeptically. "From me? Tell me something Megatron, why should I buy it?"

"Heh heh heh…" chuckled Megatron.

The Maximal leader did not like the sound of that laughter one bit.

"Because Optimus…" Megatron smiled. "I have one final trump card up my proverbial sleeve!"

Quickly, he raised his dragon cannon and fired. Instinctively, Optimus raised his arm, expecting a blast of fire to come out.

Instead, a powerful blue spray emerged, freezing Optimus Primal's right arm solid.

Megatron smiled deviously. Luckily for him, he had never revealed his ability to Optimus before and it was just as well. The move caught Optimus completely by surprise.

"No!" Optimus shouted.

"Oh yes indeed!" Megatron leaped back into action.

The first thing Megatron did was grab onto Primal's left arm. In one single motion, he drove both his knee and elbow into Primal's frozen arm, severing it from the Maximal's body.

"Aaaaaagh!" screamed Optimus.

Megatron did not hesitate. At once he unleashed his most powerful blows onto Primal, first busting his jaw and then denting the Maximal's helmet with a knee. As Optimus howled in pain, Megatron punched Optimus down in a single blow.

"Feeling the pain now, Maximal?" demanded Megatron.

As Optimus got up again, Megatron transformed to beast mode and swung his tail. The tail struck Optimus in the face and knocked him through one of the canyon pillars.

"Agh!" shouted Optimus who could barely stand up at this point.

Megatron then came down, grinding his foot into Primal's back.

"How does it feel to be at my mercy?" demanded Megatron.

Finally, Megatron stopped. Optimus took the opportunity to turn around and grab Megatron by the ankle. In response, Megatron kicked Optimus in the face to throw him off.

"I'm going to have to teach you a lesson once and for all," Megatron grabbed Optimus by the throat and flew high into the air.

Within moments, they were several thousands of feet in the air. Megatron held Optimus by the throat, squeezing down mercilessly. Helplessly, Optimus clawed at Megatron's grip with a single hand but could not break the grip.

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to do the honors of extinguishing your spark personally," Megatron pressed down on Primal's chest to open up his spark chamber.

Suddenly, Optimus felt his own mind synchronize with that of the Terra Matrix. Right now he had but one opportunity to end the battle. And that one opportunity was the only chance he'd get in his weakened state.

"Once I'm finished with you, I'm going to hunt down and kill all of your Maximal crew," Megatron promised.

"Not if… I have anything to say about it!" Optimus spat out.

"Hmph," Megatron finally opened up Primal's spark chamber with his independent hand.

From the depths of Optimus Primal's spark chamber, a bright light flashed in front of Megatron's eyes, blinding him with a burst so powerful that his optics were instantly rendered sightless.

"Aaaahhh!" shouted Megatron, losing his grip on Optimus.

With this distraction, Optimus transformed to vehicle mode and flew high into the atmosphere until he entered into space itself. All around him, his body began glowing with a powerful blue aura.

This would be it, the final blow to end it all between them. And from this height, it could very possibly cost Optimus Primal his life. But that didn't matter now; what mattered was stopping Megatron once and for all to save the lives of his friends and all the beings on Earth.

"Hyaaaahhh!" shouted Optimus as he dove downwards.

As he flew down, his entire body was clothed in the blue energies of the Matrix of Terra, descending like a shooting star.

* * *

Megatron shook his head to clear his own vision. What seemed like a few minutes had passed and he had finally regained his sight. Optimus Primal was nowhere to be seen, which infuriated him.

"Where is he?" Megatron snarled, looking about frantically.

From above, Megatron heard the sound of something. He looked up.

From the heavens came a giant ball of blue energy which smashed into Megatron head-on right into his chest.

"Aaaagh!" shouted Megatron.

As the two of them plummeted, Megatron realized it was Optimus Primal that had crashed into him with the suicide dive and was currently sending the both of them falling towards ground at top speeds.

"No!" screamed Megatron. "Let me go, Maximal! You'll destroy us both!"

"That's the idea, Megatron!" declared Optimus. "Prime jets, full throttle!"

In addition to the Terra of Matrix which powered his descent, Optimus switched his own rocket boosters to full power, sending himself and Megatron plummeting downwards at rapid speeds.

"Nooooooo!" howled Megatron, thrashing in desperation.

Finally, both Optimus Primal and Megatron's bodies smashed into one of the pillars in the canyon at full force from thousands of feet in the air. The subsequent explosion sent rocks, sand, and other debris flying for miles all around.

By the time the smoke had cleared, neither Transformer got up. Optimus Primal's final suicidal dive had made sure of that.

An eerie silence soon followed throughout the canyon.

* * *

"Cheetor, are you okay?" asked Depth Charge.

Recognizing the voice, Cheetor stumbled out of the CR chamber. The last thing he remembered was being beaten senseless by Dinobot.

"W-Where's Optimus?" asked Cheetor.

Hesitantly, Depth Charge looked at Rattrap and Rhinox. They had scoured the entire canyon but they did not find Primal's body anywhere.

"Where is he?" asked Cheetor once more.

"He… he didn't make it," Rhinox finally confessed. "We couldn't find him."

"What?" Cheetor's voice rose. "What do you mean you couldn't find him?"

"Calm down," Depth Charge told Cheetor. "We searched everywhere. We found Megatron's corpse but Optimus was nowhere to be found."

"If you couldn't find Optimus, then how about Dinobot?" asked Cheetor, whose anger was growing. "Where is that scale-bellied piece of slag?"

"Cheetor, what's wrong with you?" demanded Rhinox.

"What's wrong? You want to know what's wrong?" Cheetor's voice began to ascend. "I'll tell you what's wrong! Dinobot beat me and tortured me to an inch of my life and then I find out the one figure in my life I ever considered a father is now missing… or worse? And you ask me what's wrong?"

"Kid, you need to calm down," Rattrap put a hand on Cheetor's arm. "I know how you feel but—"

"Get off of me!" Cheetor threw Rattrap against the screen in anger. "You can't possibly understand how I feel!"

"Agh!" Rattrap slammed against the monitor and fell to the floor.

It was at that moment that Cheetor realized he did something _very_ wrong.

"Rattrap, no…" Cheetor shrank back. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean…"

Both Rattrap and Rhinox were both in utter shock that Cheetor had lost control like that against a fellow Maximal. Depth Charge, on the other hand, gripped the Matrix Blade in his hand just in case.

"I'm sorry… I lost control," Cheetor backed away from them. "I… I… don't know what to say!"

Turning around to conceal the tears in his own eyes, Cheetor ran towards the exit. At this stage he had almost forgotten he was partly organic as a result of his Transmetal Two body. It was much harder to conceal his own emotions, whether they were outbursts of anger or tears of sadness.

"Wait, Cheetor!" Rattrap and Rhinox ran after him.

"I'm sorry… I have to figure this out on my own!" Cheetor called back.

The Maximal feline transformed to beast mode and flew into the air, far away from the Maximal base.

"Depth Charge, we need—" Rattrap turned around.

"No," Depth Charge stood there calmly.

"What?" Rattrap was confused. "We ain't going after him?"

"We're not going after him," Depth Charge told them sagely. "This is something the kid needs to figure out for himself.

"What'll we do now?" asked Rhinox ruefully.

"We resume the search for Optimus," Depth Charge replied. "He's gotta be out there somewhere. And when we find him, we'll bring him back."

* * *

By midnight, the body of Megatron lay there amongst the rubble like the ruins of an old Cybertronian temple. Sand and dust covered most of his body.

Optimus Primal's final suicide attack had done the trick. Being powered by the Matrix of Terra, Optimus had dove down and sent the both of them plummeting into the ground from heights which could even kill beings as durable as Cybertronians.

Megatron's mangled corpse lay there, immobile. His body had suffered greatly and every joint was broken in some way.

Soon, Dinobot arrived on the scene with the other Predacons. Megatron's death required all of them to be there.

"I… I can't believe he's actually gone," Scorponok whispered.

For the loyal Predacons, Megatron's defeat spelled tragedy. For others such as Tarantulas, however, it spelled something better.

Tarantulas rubbed both hands together, eagerly plotting in his head what his next move should be now that Megatron was gone for good.

As the Predacon gathered around the body of Megatron, something within him began to glow. The Darkspark within his body slowly began to glow.

"What is going on?" Terrorsaur took a step back.

Soon, the Darkspark began breathing life back into the lifeless body of Megatron, reviving his spark into his body once more. At that exact moment, Megatron's optics sprang back to life.

"Hah hah hah!" Megatron laughed.

The remaining Predacons could do nothing else except stand there in fear as Megatron began cackling at the top of his lungs.

"What are you waiting for?" demanded Megatron, finally turning serious. "Help me up!"

"At once!" pledged Dinobot who walked over to help him.

Soon, the rest of the Predacons went up to help him as well.

"Optimus tried his best to finish me," Megatron smiled. "But I am not so easily destroyed."

"Congratulations Megatron," Tarantulas looked at the Predacon overlord, "on your successful resurrection! If it had not been for me granting you a piece of the Darkspark, you might not be standing here right now!"

"Yes, well," Megatron sneered. "I suppose you can serve a purpose every now and then."

As the rest of the Predacons left with Megatron, Tarantulas reached inside his own compartment and took out the other fragment of the Darkspark he held.

"You have no idea," Tarantulas whispered, grasping the fragment tightly.

**a/n:** For my series I decided to go a different route with Dinobot's character. In my continuity, Dinobot is an amalgamation of both the original Dinobot and the Transmetal II Dinobot from Beast Wars. He's basically a ruthless Transmetal Two hunter who has a similar sense of honor to the original Dinobot. I decided to give the character a completely different background and origin story than the Dinobot from the show because his storyline ended so perfectly with Code of Hero that it would be impossible for surpass that. So I decided on a completely different story arc for Dinobot in this reboot. And so far I'm having a lot of fun writing it.


	70. Road to Avalon

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Road to Avalon_

"Is this the location you were referring to?" asked Silverbolt as he flew down near Stone Henge.

Blackarachnia was with him. The Predacon femme had detected a large gathering of energy in this particular location and thought it best that they investigate. Around them, the standing stones remained motionless. They were relics from an ancient time, a time that even most humans had forgotten.

"Oh yeah," Blackarachnia leaped off of Silverbolt's back. "My scanners tell me it's circulated within each of the stones."

"What is it?" Silverbolt peered carefully at one of the stones.

"Mystical energy," Blackarachnia informed him, "coursing through the stones. And it's our job to take it."

"Should we not first tell Optimus about it?" inquired Silverbolt.

Blackarachnia almost felt like slapping her own forehead.

"Hello?" she reminded him. "You're off the Maximal team, remember?"

"Oh yes…" Silverbolt looked down glumly. "I had almost forgotten."

"Enough fooling around," Blackarachnia told him. "Let's harvest the energy here."

* * *

Flying through the air, Cheetor soared across the skies with reckless abandon. He was not aware how long he had travelled but it had been quite some time.

As of now, he was still smarting from the defeat Dinobot had inflicted upon him. And that wasn't the sole thing on his mind either. He had unintentionally attacked one of his own friends in his anger.

In particular, Rattrap was the one he had taken it out on. Almost immediately afterwards, he had regretted reacting violently towards the Maximal rodent.

Through the myriad of thoughts in his mind, the status of Optimus Primal was another chief concern. What had happened to Optimus remained a mystery. After the battle with Megatron, he was nowhere to be found. There as not a single hint as to what happened to him, whether he remained alive or dead.

_As Cheetor looked up, a fist came crashing down across his jaw again, shattering it. Dinobot continued to punch him mercilessly, breaking almost every single joint on his body. At this point, Cheetor could not even cry out._

_At some point, Dinobot finally stopped before Cheetor could go unconscious. A narrow eye laser emerged from his optic and began burning down on the chest center where Cheetor's spark was confined. Slowly, Dinobot increased the intensity of the blast._

_This time Dinobot meant to kill him for certain. And all the while he, Cheetor, had been so overconfident and so cocky. Dinobot had proven to be his superior in terms of strength, speed, and skill. If Dinobot had wanted, he could have killed Cheetor ten times over in all the battles they had with each other. It was finally now that Cheetor realized the raptor had been toying with him the whole time._

_Finally, a shot rang out. A power disc struck Dinobot in the chest and knocked him off. From the distance, Depth Charge appeared alongside Rhinox and Rattrap, firing at Dinobot._

"_Until we meet next time," Dinobot smiled at Cheetor and ran off._

_It was then that Cheetor entered into stasis lock._

Cheetor snapped out of his momentary trance. Below him were several large piles of stone, glowing ominously.

He was in Stone Henge? Britain? Had he really travelled _that_ far?

Cheetor flew down and landed, transforming to robot mode. Blackarachnia and Silverbolt were there, scanning the machine with some sort of device.

"What're you doing here?" demanded Cheetor.

All the stones began glowing ominously at this point.

Blackarachnia turned around. "No! Don't let him interfere!"

"But Blackarachnia, I cannot just shoot at a fellow Maximal," Silverbolt appeared reluctant.

"Fine, then I'll do it!" Blackarachnia yanked her gun out and fired a shot.

Cheetor quickly avoided the missile by side-stepping it.

"What was that for?" Cheetor growled. "I vouch for you in front of the Maximal team and this is the thanks I get?"

"Go away, tabby!" Blackarachnia hissed. "This doesn't involve you."

"Unfortunately, this is a matter which involves all of you," a mysterious voice emanated from the stones.

At that point, the light emanating from the stones consumed all three Maximals.

When Cheetor opened his eyes, a large axe came swinging down at his head.

"Whoa!" Cheetor quickly avoided the blow.

His assailant soon became visible. It was a large green orc, the kind he had seen before in the role playing video games he and Rattrap occasionally played. And apparently, it was for real this time.

As the orc charged again, Cheetor clenched his fist and punched the creature, knocking it down with one blow.

They were in the field of some sort of battle between knights, goblins, orcs, and a host of other supernatural creatures.

"Blackarachnia, you've got some explaining to do!" Cheetor growled.

Blackarachnia leaped over a black knight who charged her and pinned him to the floor with a blast of webbing.

"I was _not_ responsible for this!" she declared.

"By the Matrix…" Silverbolt looked around. "Where are we?"

"Better question would be when are we?" added Cheetor.

A small grey dragon swooped down at them, breathing flames. Silverbolt opened his wing missiles and fired, knocking it down from the skies. The explosion immediately caused everyone to stop fighting and turn their attentions to the newcomers of the battle.

The leader of the orcs and goblins stepped forward. He appeared to be a large green ogre.

"Halt!" he shouted. "From whence do you hail?"

"Nevermind us!" Cheetor growled. "Where are we?"

"Do not play games!" the ogre shouted. "In the name of Morgan la Fey, I, Runeblade, command you to answer!"

"Morgan la Fey?" Blackarachnia narrowed her eye ridges. "Wasn't she a sorceress from Arthurian legend?"

After having spent some time with Silverbolt on the British Isles, she had spent some of her time reading through the folktales and myths of the land.

Already Cheetor's patience had been wearing thin. In addition to the stress of his own personal problems, he had now been transported to some strange new land and he still didn't know what was going on. There was no way he was going to put up with any more of this slag.

Instantly, Cheetor withdrew his gun and blasted Runblade's sword in half with one shot.

"Agh!" Runeblade stepped back in fear. "What have you done?"

"I call it my boomstick!" Cheetor growled. "Now are you going to give me some answers or not?"

A small whirlwind appeared before the two armies. After the dust had settled, an old man with a beard made his appearance before them.

"He may not give you the answers, but I can," the old man told Cheetor.

"Who are you?" asked Silverbolt.

"I am Merlin," the elderly man answered. "And it appears that my magic has chosen the three of you to help us light our darkest hour."

"You mean to tell us that it was your magic which brought us here?"

"Yes," Merlin nodded.

"Merlin?" Cheetor looked at the human skeptically. "Aren't you supposed to be some kind of myth?"

"I assure you that I am quite real," Merlin told the three skeptical Maximals. "In this hour, our great hero King Arthur has been poisoned. My time with you grows short so I must ask Sir Gaiwan to escort you to Camelot."

"You think you can ignore us?" demanded Runeblade.

"I can and I will," Merlin held his staff into the air.

Instantly, the earth beneath the orcs and goblins trembled. Beneath them, the ground split open, swallowing most of them whole. Very soon, the remaining armies were on the run.

"Go with Sir Gaiwan," Merlin ordered the Maximals. "I will explain everything to you at Camelot."

Merlin vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving behind three very confused Maximals and a victorious army.

"Come," Sir Gaiwan offered. "I will take you to Camelot where all will be explained."

Cheetor looked apprehensively towards Blackarachnia and Silverbolt. The both of them shrugged, not knowing anything better to do.

"Alright," Cheetor told the knight. "Lead the way."

* * *

"Okay Merlin," Cheetor stepped into the room with Blackarachnia and Silverbolt after having climbed a long staircase, "I got no idea if you really are who you say you are, but we need an explanation."

Then he saw Merlin sitting in a chair, tending to a man in a bed. It was a man in his thirties with a bushy brown beard and a handsome face befitting that of a king.

"Is that who I think it is?" asked Silverbolt.

"Indeed, you are looking at the Once and Future King," confirmed Merlin.

"So… we really did travel back in time to Earth's medieval era," Blackarachnia surmised.

"Correct," Merlin told them. "When Arthur had fallen sick, I sent out a signal with my magic hoping to find heroes worthy of defending Camelot in the absence of her King. Apparently, my spell was strong enough to traverse through time itself."

"How did this happen?" Cheetor looked at the helpless Arthur.

"It is a long story," Merlin replied. "But to be concise, Arthur's half-sister Morgan la Fey has long-plotted to overthrow him. She is the one responsible for his current condition."

_Running up the staircase, King Arthur held his shield and sword resolutely. The screams of Queen Guinevere had alerted him to the fact that something was deathly wrong._

_Finally, he reached the very end of the staircase. Without hesitation, he kicked the doors down._

_Four orcs were in the room, in addition to a werewolf. They had surrounded the Queen with weapons ready._

"_Halt!" shouted Arthur. "Thou will not touch her!"_

_The werewolf was the first to attack. He leaped upon Arthur who quickly responded by striking the creature across the head with his shield. As the wolf-man recovered and leaped again, Arthur flipped him over and threw the creature out of the tower, sending it plummeting into the moat._

_The orcs were next in line for the assault. Quickly, Arthur unsheathed Excalibur and cut down each and every one of the creatures as they attempted to attack him._

"_Morgan will have to do better than that," Arthur declared. "Are you alright, my love?"_

_Guinevere ran forward and hugged Arthur. As Arthur embraced her, he felt a sudden pain. _

"_Not feeling well, my King?" Guinevere smiled._

"_What treachery is this?" Arthur demanded. On his neck was a small poison-filled dart which had been shot into the back of his neck._

_Guinevere raised both hands in the air and transformed into the evil sorceress Morgan la Fey. She was a tall, dark-haired woman with piercing green eyes. The Queen's dress transmutated back into the traditional sorceress garbs she wore. Though beautiful and charming, her heart was as wicked and as shriveled as the black magic she dabbled in._

_Outside the window was Runeblade sitting atop one of the dragons he traditionally rode. He had been the one who shot Arthur._

"_By now the poison must be coursing through your veins," Morgan grinned. "I knew none of my minions would ever best you in fair combat, so I arranged for this incident to catch you off guard."_

"_Arthur!" a voice rang out._

_Merlin and the real Guinevere ran up the steps just as Arthur collapsed._

_Morgan la Fey laughed and summoned a magical shield around herself as Merlin shot a powerful blast of magic at her with his wand. Telekinetically, she picked up Excalibur by having it float into her hand._

_The sorceress leaped on top of the dragon with Runeblade and fired back. This time, Merlin had to form a defensive shield to prevent the magic from destroying all three of them._

"_The once and future king will fall, and with him… Camelot!" Morgan shouted, flying away._

"_Arthur, no…" Merlin grasped his ward's hand._

"With Arthur gone, I needed heroes who could match wits against la Fey's dark magic," explained Merlin. "The Knights of the Round Table are brave but they can hope to accomplish little against the most powerful sorceress in the world. My magic chose the three of you."

"Yes, I understand," Silverbolt nodded. "Very well, we shall do all in our power to help you!"

"Um, aren't you forgetting something?" Blackarachnia prodded Silverbolt. "We need to get back to our own time."

"Eight legs' got a point," Cheetor noted. "I'd love to stay and watch a tourney, but we need to get back to the present."

"Then I assure you we will return to the present after we have helped Camelot in its darkest hour," Silverbolt declared.

"The cure to Arthur's illness lies in Morgan la Fey's wand," Merlin told them.

"Well, what say you two?" Silverbolt stared at Blackarachnia and Cheetor eagerly.

"I suppose," Cheetor sighed. "I really need to blow off some steam and I can't think of anything better than laying the smackdown on an entire army of orcs."

"Oh very well," Blackarachnia shrugged. "If Silverbolt wants to stay and help, I guess I'll do the same."

"Oh, you mean to tell me you're not at all interested in stealing Morgan la Fey's magic to help your own agenda?" Cheetor joked half-seriously.

"Actually, I was being serious about staying for Silverbolt's sake," Blackarachnia replied. "But now that you mention it, I think I could steal a few spellbooks from her. Don't be surprised if something unfortunate happens to you when you least expect it."

"Me and my big mouth…" Cheetor muttered.

* * *

"Runeblade, come forth," summoned Morgan la Fey.

"Yes, Mistress?" the ogre obeyed.

Morgan la Fey was currently residing within her castle. It was a different realm altogether from Arthur's. Above, the skies were dark and thorny vines grew all across the castle. Instead of bold knights patrolling the area, there were legions of undead soldiers, werewolves, orcs, gryphons, satyrs, and other monstrosities roaming about.

"Look into my crystal ball," she told her commander. "What do you see here?"

"I see the three creatures Merlin had summoned," Runeblade replied. "What are they?"

"What they are is not so important as what purpose they serve," la Fey told him. "These strange creatures are Merlin's new champions, sent to stop me."

"They seemed like knights at first," Runeblade analyzed. "But the cat creature is simply too fast and agile for a knight in bulky armor. They were all capable of creating explosive magic!"

"Oh I can assure you, there is no magic to be sensed in these beings," Morgan la Fey watched the steps of the Maximals carefully through her crystal. "They are travelers from across time that Merlin brought in to stop me. I almost regret having to inform that old fool that his new champions will fail just like his old champions."

"Shall I ready my forces?" asked Runeblade.

"See that you do," Morgan la Fey agreed.

* * *

"So Cheetor," Silverbolt asked as he and the cat flew through the air. "I had forgotten to ask you… why were you in Britain anyways?"

"Something… bad happened," Cheetor confessed. "I didn't know what to do. So I ran away."

"Smooth move," Blackarachnia muttered.

"Not funny," Cheetor retorted. "Optimus went missing."

"What happened to him?" Silverbolt's ears perked up in alarm.

"Megatron challenged him to a final battle," Cheetor told him. "Megatron was destroyed but Optimus went missing somehow."

"There is more to this story, is there not?" Silverbolt asked perceptively.

"Well, during Optimus and Megatron's battle, I duked it out with Dinobot," Cheetor confessed. "He beat me to an inch of my life and left me there."

"Ouch," Blackarachnia noted. "Taking on Dinobot without backup isn't usually a good idea."

"Yeah, well," Cheetor continued, "after Dinobot tore me apart, I was brought back to base. After resting up in the CR chamber, I wasn't in the best of moods. I lashed out angrily and struck Rattrap. When I did that, I felt so guilty I flew away from base and the rest, they say, is history."

"Literally," Blackarachnia looked around her medieval surroundings.

"Perhaps we could be of assistance in helping you find Optimus when we return to our own time?" offered Silverbolt.

"Sure," Cheetor nodded. "Thanks."

"We're nearing Morgan la Fey's lands now," Blackarachnia pointed out.

Below were several marshlands. The once green pastures of Camelot and its surrounding lands had been replaced by dour and foreboding swamps and trees. Fog also penetrated the area like a shroud of death.

"Good thing we can fly," Cheetor glanced down with a frown. "I'd hate to hate to trudge through that place."

"So, Merlin sent you fools to accomplish this task, did he?" a female voice was soon heard.

Cheetor snarled as Morgan la Fey appeared in front of them, riding on her dragon. In her hands were her magic wand and Excalibur.

"I suggest you surrender, Sorceress!" ordered Silverbolt. "Though I would not strike a female, I would still do whatever is required to stop your mad scheme!"

Blackarachnia, however, did not have any compunction against harming other females, Cybertronian or human. She grabbed her gun and fired a shot. The missile which erupted from her gun soon exploded against the magical shield la Fey conjured.

"Your weapons are useless against my magic!" Morgan held up both Excalibur and her staff, crossing them together. "Feel the might of the dark arts!"

At once the combined power of both Excalibur and Morgan la Fey's wand created a storm of magical lightning which struck all three Maximals in mid-air. Soon, the flight systems in both Cheetor and Silverbolt were shorted out. All of them plummeted from the air.

"Aaaaagh!" shouted all the Maximals at once.

Finally, they fell through the thick underbrush. Cheetor quickly transformed to robot mode and grabbed onto a branch, swinging around until he landed neatly on top of it.

As Silverbolt and Blackarachnia fell, the black widow fired a grappling hook onto a tree and grabbed Silverbolt by the foot, swinging them both to safe ground. Soon they were joined by Cheetor.

"For the record, I really, _really_ hate magic," Cheetor sighed.

"Now we're going to have to go through this place," Blackarachnia grimaced at the sight of the swamplands. "

"True, but sometimes the noblest paths in life are the most difficult," Silverbolt shook off the dust and gravel on his armor. "If we are to save Camelot, then this will now be our only way."

"You're really digging this fantasy adventure thing, aren't you?" asked Cheetor.

"That would be correct," Silverbolt smiled sheepishly. "I must admit that the faraway times of Camelot contain an abundance of the nobility and chivalry which I so crave."

"So how do we even get to Morgan la Fey's castle?" asked Blackarachnia. "The fog is so thick I can barely make anything out."

Stepping to one side, she bumped into a sign post with an arrow pointing in one direction.

_La Fey's castle._

"Oh," she said.

Suddenly a flaming arrow made its way across the air towards Cheetor's head. Cheetor quickly dodged it thanks to his incredible reflexes and turned around.

Runblade and hundreds of other monstrosities were running towards them, intent on stopping them short from their quest.

"Attack!" shouted Runeblade.

"What're the odds?" asked Blackarachnia.

"Not too good," Cheetor smiled. "These guys don't stand a chance."

Taking the lead, Cheetor charged into over a dozen of the monsters and knocked them all down in a single blow. Blackarachnia fired a grappling hook into the tree and swung up, kicking an orc rider down from his wolf mount as she did.

As Silverbolt took out two feather daggers, a werewolf leaped in front of him, snarling. The werewolf tackled Silverbolt who quickly used the creature's momentum to boot the biped wolf into the quicksand of the swamp.

Silverbolt leaped back up again and fired his wing missiles, taking down two harpies which flew down at him. To his side, a goblin swung its blade at him. The fuzor blocked the swing with both feather blades and flipped the sword around, knocking the goblin out with the blunt side of his own sword.

As an orc lieutenant charged, Silverbolt took notice and leaped into the air and kicked the creature down before he could even land a hit.

Meanwhile, Blackarachnia also had her hands full. A were-boar charged at her with a battle axe, swinging at her wildly. She ducked underneath a swing and kicked the creature in the stomach with a powerful roundhouse. The were-boar stumbled back in pain but swung at her again, this time bringing the axe down. Quickly, Blackarachnia step-sided the blow as the were-boar got his own axe stuck in a tree-trunk. Moving with precision, Blackarachnia ran up and stepped onto his stomach with one boot. With the other boot, she flipped over backwards and kicked the creature down.

After the were-boar fell, a small wyvern flew down at her from behind, nearly nicking her. The wyvern flew up in the air and then flew down at her again from the opposite direction. Blackarachnia looked down and stomped her foot down on the were-boar's axe which had been imbedded in the trunk. The axe flew out and struck the wyvern right in the head, killing it instantly.

A dark elf was the next to attack her. As he made a grab for her, she leaped overhead and shot a string of web around his neck. She then leaped onto the tree and hanged him from the other side.

As the dark elf struggled, the other orcs began to attack her from the front, thinking she was distracted.

Immediately, Blackarachnia opened fire with the machine guns mounted on her legs, mowing down each and every one of the orcs in front of her.

In the meanwhile, Cheetor leaped over several werewolves, kicking them aside and knocking all of them out with multiple punches.

Runeblade began to panic. Cheetor was headed for him.

Two trolls stood in front of Cheetor and tried to stop him but the young Maximal was too quick. He leaped over both their swings and kicked the trolls in the face to knock them out cold.

Taking out his sword, Runeblade charged at Cheetor with the wolf mount he was riding on. He slashed at Cheetor who quickly avoided the blow by dropping on both knees and arching his body backwards.

"Just what are you?" demanded Runeblade. "You're neither man nor monster!"

"That's 'cause I'm a Maximal," Cheetor told him. "Remember to pass it down to your descendents so I can get an honorable mention in _Shrek_."

Cheetor took out his gun, firing a blast which exploded underneath the ogre's wolf mount, separating the two. Grunting in defeat, the wolf ran away to lick its wounds, leaving its master behind.

"I'll carve you to pieces!" charged Runeblade with his sword.

Runeblade charged, slashing at Cheetor. Cheetor raised one arm to block the blade with his wrist. Harmlessly, the orc-ish blade clanked against it.

"Not possible!" Runeblade cried.

In a split second, Runeblade realized he was screwed. Cheetor punched Runeblade multiple times until the ogre fell down unconscious.

As Cheetor looked up, the rest of Morgan la Fey's army was fleeing the scene.

"Great, now to trudge a few dozen more miles before we reach la Fey's castle," muttered Cheetor.

"Perhaps," Silverbolt pointed out. "But perhaps not."

Sitting nearby was a dragon with a mount, formerly belonging to one of la Fey's orc servants. It was apparent that its rider had abandoned it.

"Have any experience taming animals?" Cheetor asked Silverbolt and Blackarachnia.

Both Transformers shook their heads.

"Easy boy," Cheetor walked up towards the dragon. "We're not here to hurt you."

The dragon looked down, snorting a breath of smoke at Cheetor.

"Okay, now that was uncalled for," Cheetor brushed the smoke away.

Turning its neck to the side, the dragon looked away in disinterest.

"Okay, now we're going to have to do it the hard way," Cheetor said out loud.

"What's the hard way?" asked Blackarachnia.

"Jump!" Cheetor shouted.

Immediately, the Maximal feline leaped on top of the dragon's back. Bellowing in anger, the dragon raised both wings into the air.

"Ugh… impulsive as ever," Blackarachnia groaned.

Just as the dragon began to take off, Blackarachnia and Silverbolt also leaped upon the dragon's back.

"Kid, for the record… that was crazy!" Blackarachnia shouted as she hung on tightly.

The dragon flew into the air wildly, trying to shake them off.

"What can I say?" Cheetor smiled. "I'm a cat. Gotta think quickly on my feet!"

Somersaulting in the air, the dragon tried to shake all three of his passengers off to no avail.

"Yahoooo!" shouted Cheetor.

"Yahoo indeed!" Silverbolt cried in agreement.

Blackarachnia groaned. "You're actually enjoying this?"

"My dear, we are journeying through a land of magic, adventure, and mythical creatures!" Silverbolt said proudly. "I am enjoying every minute of it!"

Finally, the dragon's flight began to stabilize as he realized he would not easily shake off his mounts.

"There's a good dragon!" Cheetor petted the reptilian creature on the head. "You're way more friendly than Mega-jerk!"

* * *

Morgan la Fey reached into her pouch and took out several nightcrawlers which she threw into her boiling cauldron. Soon, it would not be long before the poison coursing through Arthur's system took their toll and she would rule all of Britannia.

"By devil's might and mandrake's blight!" she chanted. "Bring Camelot's domain within my sight!"

The cauldron erupted into the air before calming down.

"Soon, very soon, Arthur will be gone!" she exclaimed.

"I wouldn't count on that, la Fey."

The wicked enchantress turned around as the face of Merlin floated behind her like a ghostly image.

"Merlin, have you come to surrender to me?" asked la Fey. "Very soon, your precious King Arthur will be gone and his kingdom will be within my grasp."

"I've managed to stabilize his condition with my own magic," Merlin informed her. "As long as I stay by his side, he will not pass from this world."

"Which leaves you little time for anything else," la Fey smiled. "With you distracted, think of all the horrors I would wreak upon Camelot and its allies."

"I kept that in mind," Merlin nodded, "which is why I sent for true heroes who could stop you in Arthur's absence."

"Heroes?" la Fey had to laugh. "Those tin monstrosities you sent after me? By now my magical swamps will have reduced them to rust."

"Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say that," Merlin grinned wryly.

"Don't be foolish, old man," Morgan la Fey held up her spellbook.

Suddenly, a grappling hook shot out and pinned the book to the wall.

"What?" la Fey turned around.

Next to the window of her tower were Cheetor, Blackarachnia, and Silverbolt, all mounted on a dragon from la Fey's army. One after another, they leaped off to confront the sorceress.

"This ends now, witch!" Silverbolt pointed one of his feather swords at her.

"Surrender and we promise not to make it too painful!" Cheetor revealed several razor-sharp claws.

"You forget to whom you speak!" la Fey growled. "I am Morgan la Fey, the most powerful sorceress in the world!"

"Go ahead, pull a rabbit out of your hat," Cheetor taunted. "Make my day."

In anger, Morgan la Fey blasted at Cheetor with a powerful shot of dark energy. Quickly, Cheetor somersaulted over the shot landed behind the witch. As la Fey turned around, Cheetor punched at her. Scowling, she raised a hand, summoning a magical barrier which immediately absorbed the punch.

After punching at her two more times, Cheetor realized that her energy barrier could not be penetrated and leaped away as la Fey blasted at him again with a powerful dose of dark magic.

"I'm open to suggestions!" Cheetor told the fuzor and the black widow.

His companions shrugged, not know what else to do against magic, and charged.

Silverbolt threw one of his feather daggers at her, only for the weapon to strike her energy barrier and fall harmlessly to the ground. Blackarachnia, on the other hand, opened fire with all the machine guns on her arms.

Morgan la Fey braced for the impact and expanded her energy shield, absorbing all the bullets which were shot at her. In return, she telekinetically lifted a suit of armor from behind Blackarachnia and sent it hurtling forward.

Before Blackarachnia could react, the suit of armor slammed into her from behind and knocked her down.

"No!" shouted Silverbolt.

As Silverbolt leaped at her, la Fey psychically grabbed Silverbolt in mid-air and threw him into the wall. Silverbolt raised his head but la Fey did the same, throwing him into the opposite wall on the other end of the room.

Blackarachnia pushed the suit of armor off of her but Morgan la Fey blasted her in the mid-section with a burst of black magic which threw her into Silverbolt.

"Omph!" she cried as she crashed into the fuzor.

Cheetor grabbed la Fey from behind, embracing her in a bear hug but a quick burst of dark magic threw the cat off of her.

"Ugh!" Cheetor cried as he was violently thrown right through the tower wall.

As Cheetor fell, he flipped around and caught himself, grabbing onto the tower with his talons, digging in deep. Breathing deeply, he began climbing up again.

Morgan la Fey blasted the suit of armor with a powerful burst of dark magic, bringing it to life. The suit of armor grabbed Blackarachnia from behind and held her with a sword to her throat.

"Release her!" ordered Silverbolt.

"I think not!" Morgan la Fey snarled.

Suddenly, a shot rang out and blasted the knight's head clear off. Towards the window was Cheetor with smoke coming out of his gun. He fired off shot after shot at Morgan la Fey who blocked all the laser blasts with her magical barrier.

While la Fey was distracted, Blackarachnia leaned forward and used both arms to hurl the decapitated knight forward. At once Silverbolt struck the knight with his sword, severing the suit of armor in half.

Again and again Cheetor fired at la Fey who seemed to have a limitless array of magic at her disposal. As la Fey fired back at him, Cheetor leaped over her, raining down more shots of energy which she immediately blocked.

Morgan la Fey shot a magical blast again. As Cheetor dodged, the shot struck the magic mirror on her wall. Instantly, the mirror reflected the blast back towards Morgan who quickly stepped to the side to avoid it.

Watching carefully, Blackarachnia made a careful note about the mirror and its magical reflective qualities.

"When will you mortals learn?" la Fey frowned. "Your earthly weapons will not harm me!"

"You want down-to-earth?" Cheetor put his weapon away. "Then let's see how you like it when your magic meets my fist!"

Cheetor leaped at Morgan la Fey who stopped him on his tracks with a concentrated dose of dark magic.

"Aaaaagh!" shouted Cheetor as la Fey blasted him with a nearly full barrage.

At last Cheetor fell down to the floor in agony.

"This has gone on far too long!" la Fey raised both hands in the air. "First I will destroy you, then Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table!"

On command, both her wand and Excalibur floated towards her. She took both weapons in her hands.

"Any last words?" she stared at her now-defeated enemies.

"Surprise!"

Without warning, Cheetor's long, prehensile tail lashed out and knocked both the wand and Excalibur out of her hands.

"Bolts! Legs!" shouted Cheetor. "Catch!"

Immediately, Silverbolt grabbed Excalibur and Blackarachnia grabbed the wand.

"You insufferable whelp!" shouted la Fey.

She struck Cheetor in the chest with a powerful magical blast to knock him away.

"You two!" la Fey snarled. "Give me back Excalibur and my wand!"

"I think not, witch!" Silverbolt replied. "We will be returning this sword to its rightful owner!"

"Then you will die trying!" Morgan la Fey turned the full fury of her magic on Silverbolt.

The fuzor braced himself as the powerful sorceress unleashed her most potent blast of dark magic, concentrated in a single beam. Silverbolt raised the sword and blocked it, deflecting a portion of the blast straight into the air, destroying part of the roof above them.

"Yield now!" shouted la Fey.

"Silverbolt, I've got an idea!" Blackarachnia transformed to beast mode and leaped onto the wall.

In her state, Morgan la Fey wasn't paying much attention to Blackarachnia.

"Deflect the blast to where I'm holding the mirror!" Blackarachnia gripped the magical mirror both two of her spider legs.

It was worth a try. Silverbolt held the sword tightly, doing his best to defend himself against the onslaught of black magic. He tilted the sword to an angle, deflecting the beam across the wall until it finally reached the black widow.

Blackarachnia held the mirror tightly as the magical beam struck its center. From that mirror, the powerful magical blast was deflected right back towards the unsuspecting la Fey. The beam struck her from behind, severely weakening her and draining her of her powers.

"Noooo!" screamed la Fey in agony as she felt, for the first time, a taste of her own medicine.

Finally, the blast stopped. Silverbolt lowered the sword to see a weakened la Fey on her knees.

"No… no!" she screamed. "My magic! It's gone!"

Slowly, Cheetor got up. "I knew Excalibur would be the key to beating la Fey."

"Yes, and a bit of quick thinking of behalf of my beloved did not hurt either," Silverbolt stated proudly.

"You did this!" Morgan la Fey grabbed a pan from her potions table and struck Silverbolt with it again and again, not realizing that her efforts had as much effect as a fly on an elephant.

At this point, Silverbolt, Cheetor, and Blackarachnia had to laugh at how pathetic the formerly powerful sorceress had become, resorting to an attack like this.

"Ahem…" Silverbolt coughed. "I said I would never physically harm a female."

"Then it's a good thing I don't share that code of chivalry!" Blackarachnia smiled. "Hey Morgan!"

Morgan la Fey turned around to face Blackarachnia. With one swift kick to the ribs, Blackarachnia knocked the enchantress out cold.

"You know," Blackarachnia walked over and picked up Morgan la Fey's spellbook. "With this book of spells, I could become the Queen of all Predacons and rule Cybertron."

Cheetor felt his own body tensing. After all this time, how could he have let his guard down around the black widow spider?

Nonchalantly, Blackarachnia tossed the spellbook out of the tower and into the moat.

"But you know what?" she told Cheetor. "I really, _really_ hate magic too."

At this, Cheetor could not help but smile.

"Aha!" Silverbolt declared. "I knew it! Your inner Maximal goodness prevented you from using the book for selfish or malignant purposes!"

In an instant, Silverbolt saw a gun pointed right towards his head.

"What did we say about you mentioning my _inner Maximal goodness_?" Blackarachnia reminded her lover.

"Ahem, my apologies…" Silverbolt corrected himself.

By now Cheetor could not even contain his own laughter.

* * *

With la Fey's wand in hand, Merlin had no more problems curing King Arthur's illness. Now the three Transformers were standing in the presence of the Once and Future King in his throne room with the rest of the Order of the Round Table. To Arthur's side, Merlin stroked his beard proudly.

"Though you are but strangers from across time," King Arthur spoke. "You have saved Camelot from disaster and captured the greatest evil which threatens this land."

Cheetor stood there, holding Morgan la Fey by the scruff of her neck.

"Guards, take her away!" King Arthur ordered.

At once Cheetor dropped the sorceress on her rear. Morgan la Fey cried out in pain but before she could protest, several knights grabbed her and took her away to the dungeons.

"Mark my words!" screamed la Fey. "I'll destroy this order and rule Camelot once and for all!"

"Not likely la Fey," Merlin told her. "Your magic is now gone and I'll see to it that you never get it back."

"It has been some time since Camelot has seen heroism of this caliber," King Arthur told the three. "I can rest well knowing that even into the future, chivalry lives on."

"Thank you, your majesty," Silverbolt bowed.

Realizing their cue, Cheetor and Blackarachnia bowed as well.

"I knight thee Sir Silverbolt," Arthur tapped Silverbolt's shoulder with Excalibur.

"Sir Cheetor."

"And Lady Arachnia."

The three of them rose to great cheers across the hall.

"Camelot thanks you for your services!" Merlin told the three.

"Anytime," Cheetor waved.

"It was an honor," Silverbolt said graciously.

"It is now time to send the three of you back to your own era," Merlin said sadly. "If nothing else, just remember that you were a part of the legend of Camelot."

"Farewell to you Merlin," Silverbolt declared. "And farewell to you King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table!"

"Goodbye my friends!" King Arthur told the three. "May the spirit of Excalibur live on in you all!"

Merlin waved his own wand and in an instance, the trio of Beast Warriors was transported back to their own time in Stonehenge.

"Well, that was fun," Blackarachnia exclaimed. "But from now on, I think I'll stick with technology over magic."

"Guess I'd better get going now," Cheetor told the two. "Got some searching of my own to do."

"When will you return to the Maximals?" asked Silverbolt.

"I don't know," Cheetor replied honestly. "Guess when I find my own sword in the stone."

With that being said, Cheetor transformed to beast mode.

"If you ever need our assistance, all you need is to ask," Silverbolt informed the Maximal youth.

"Yeah, guess you weren't so bad after all, tabby," Blackarachnia admitted.

Cheetor looked back and smiled.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," he told them.

Activating his rocket boosters, Cheetor blasted off into the mid-day sun.

There was still much he had to do. Optimus was missing and he was estranged from his own Maximal team. He didn't know when or where he would be reunited with them again, but what he did know was that his self-imposed exile was not yet over.

Finally, at some point, Cheetor realized that he had reached the sea. Soon afterwards, the land of England became but a memory.


	71. Requiem

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Requiem_

"Tarantulas, what is the status of our clone processing?" Megatron demanded.

Nervously, the spider transformed to robot mode and took out his notepad.

"According to this report, the Maximal damage done to your clone facility in the Amazon was very deep," Tarantulas informed his commander. "It will take months or even a year for us to complete another one."

Megatron frowned. "And in which case we only have a limited number of Dinobot clones."

"Shall I take my leave to begin construction on another facility?" asked Tarantulas eagerly.

"No, you shall stay by my side," Megatron ordered, noting the spider's penchant for working his own agenda. "I'll need your administrative and engineering services."

"Yes, Megatron…" Tarantulas sighed.

Little did the two Predacons realize that they were being spied upon.

* * *

"Yeesh, for the last time, get your mandibles off of me!" protested Rattrap.

At the edge of the hill were Inferno and Rattrap. Because of the dearth of numbers they've had recently, Rhinox had taken it upon himself to call Inferno in for backup. And the fire ant made a very unseemly ally indeed. For the moment, he was in beast mode, crawling over Rattrap to get a closer look through the binoculars.

"So, Megatron lives…" Inferno observed.

"Very perceptive, ant-butt, now get off!"

Finally, Rattrap had to push Inferno off of him.

"Hey, Rhinox, you getting all of this?" asked Rattrap, opening up his com-link.

"Loud and clear," Rhinox said ruefully. "Looks like Optimus didn't finish Megatron off…"

On the other side of the connection Rhinox was outside, helping the other two to monitor the situation via satellite on the top of the mountain.

"If Megatron is still alive, then the situation is bad" Rhinox noted. "Considering how divided our forces are."

"Man, if only Cheetor could come back," Rattrap sighed.

Rhinox was at a loss of words. It had already been a week since Cheetor went missing and already the Predacons were gathering in full force again. Whatever happened, he hoped that Cheetor would find that he was looking for and return to them once more.

Suddenly, a twig snapped from behind Rhinox.

"Who's there?" Rhinox whirled around with his chain gun in hand.

Right there was the behemoth, Rampage. Rhinox had to gasp in shock.

Something was wrong, deathly wrong. Instead of the remorseless killer that Rhinox had grown used to, there stood before him a decrepit and wretched sight. The process of rust had already begun on several of Rampage's hinges and eerie red electricity crackled around his spark area.

With a mighty heave, Rampage moved one foot forward and fell down on his knees.

Then he uttered the unthinkable.

"H-Help me…"

Utterly shocked, Rhinox did the only thing he could do.

"Rhinox to Rattrap and Inferno," he said into his com-link. "Return to base. We've got a situation."

* * *

"Raaasggghhh…" Rampage gasped as he lay there helplessly on the operating table.

"So, uh, know what's wrong with him?" asked Rattrap.

"So far, my scanners are showing a large deposit of radioactive material within his spark chamber," Rhinox revealed.

Helplessly, Rampage lifted one hand only to have it drop almost lifelessly again.

"How'd it get there?" Rattrap asked curiously.

"Hmm, I have a theory," Rhinox put his hand on his chin. "Remember our first battle against Rampage and how you lured him into that nuclear sub?"

"How could I forget?" Rattrap shuddered, remembering how close he was to being torn apart in that sub.

"That sub contained a sizable amount of radiation," Rhinox told Rattrap and Inferno. "When it went off, Rampage received the full force of it. The radiation in his spark has been building for quite some time."

"Meaning?" Rattrap inquired.

"He's dying," Rhinox said in a hushed tone.

At hearing those words, Rampage's optics flickered back to life again. He was not yet strong enough to stand but he was still able to speak.

"Ho ho ho…" Rampage laughed. "The irony of it all…"

In alarm, Inferno took out his gun and aimed it at the thrall. Quickly, Rhinox got in between them to stop any firing from going on.

"Stop!" Rhinox said to Inferno. "If you fire, who knows what sort of backlash it could trigger!"

"It's ironic…" Rampage whispered. "To think that after all the lives I've taken, a mere sickness is going to do me in."

"Well, can't say you didn't have it coming!" Rattrap pointed an accusing finger at the psychotic crab.

"Trust me rodent," Rampage gasped. "If I wasn't as helpess as I was, I would rip your head off its hinges!"

"Why you!" Rattrap moved forward angrily.

"No," Rhinox had to stop his friend. "He's only baiting you!"

"And what's to stop this fiend from trying to kill us all right now?" asked Inferno.

"I've confiscated all his weapons during the surgery and I've put him under this stasis field to prevent further activity," Rhinox said to calm the fire ant down.

"It's true, isn't it?" asked Rampage in an almost fearful tone. "I'm going to die, aren't I?"

Rhinox paused, not knowing what to say. Finally, he settled on telling the truth.

"Yes, your spark's condition is terminal," Rhinox explained. "In a matter of days, the radiation in your spark will trigger a meltdown, strong enough to destroy half the planet!"

"Ho ho ho…" chuckled Rampage.

"Yeesh, this guy laughs about dying?" Rattrap grimaced.

"Ah hah hah hah hah hah!" Rampage laughed.

Even Inferno, at this point, was unnerved by the behavior of Protoform X.

"It looks like I'm going to go out with a bang after all!" Rampage told them gleefully.

"Not likely," Rhinox said to him firmly. "I've got a plan to make sure you don't harm anyone on your way out."

"Don't worry," Rampage promised. "I'll break free of your bonds. Then I'll be free to—"

Suddenly, Rampage stopped talking and fell into an unconscious state again.

"Good thing I was operating on his spark," Rhinox pointed out. "I've administered a powerful enough sedative to put him into stasis lock for now."

"Yeah, well let's just hope he doesn't wake up anytime soon," Rattrap quivered.

* * *

_Rampage, are you awake?_

Protoform X looked around him. Everywhere he glanced was filled with darkness.

"Who is it?" he demanded.

_Surely you'd recognize your own brother, Shokaract?_

"Shokaract, you worm," Rampage hissed. "I had a feeling I hadn't done away with you for good."

_You may have re-absorbed me back into your spark. But my consciousness still lives on within you._

"Then what do you want?" asked Rampage. "Come to gloat at my imminent demise?"

_Not exactly. Think of me as the voice in your head here to ease your final hours._

"What do you want to talk about then?" Rampage snickered. "Current events?"

_You could say that. I noticed you've also taken an interest in Dinobot._

"He shares the other part of my spark," Rampage replied. "Why wouldn't I want to rip it out of that abomination?"

_Dinobot may have come from a fragment of Protoform X's spark. But he is different from us somehow. _

"You mean his disgusting friendship with a human?" Rampage frowned. "I can't believe someone made from my spark would do such a thing."

_Disgusting though it may be, Dinobot seems to have a sense of honor. Ever since he was created, it would appear that he's gone through a very different experience than we have._

"Your point?" Rampage demanded.

_Well, it raises some very interesting nature versus nurture questions. In the beginning stages of his life, Dinobot was guided by someone who cared for him and helped him. Both of us were used and discarded by the Maximal Elders. It makes me wonder. Would you and I have turned out different if we had a Master Yoshida to lead us on the right path?_

"I'm not interested in a philosophical discussion," Rampage narrowed his optics.

_I know. Just thought I'd mention it._

"Do me a favor," Rampage said to the voice of Shokaract. "Shut up.

The voice of Shokaract said no more.

* * *

"What do we do next?" asked Rattrap.

At the discussion table were Rattrap, Rhinox, Tigatron, and Airazor. Inferno stood impatiently at the side, tapping his foot anxiously.

"The Axalon contains a spare escape pod big enough to fit Rampage," Rhinox informed the Maximal rodent. "We're going to send him into space where he won't be able to harm anyone on this planet."

"Just one question though," added Rattrap. "How're we gonna break this to Depth Charge?"

Rhinox did not have the answer.

"Should Depth Charge not rejoice that his foe will finally be vanquished?" asked Tigatron.

"Yeah, it would only make sense he'd be relieved," Airazor put forth.

"Well here's the thing," Rattrap told them. "Captain Minnow has always wanted revenge against Rampage. When he finds out X is gonna die peacefully, he's gonna be more than a little ticked."

"Exploding in the cold of space isn't exactly peaceful," Airazor commented.

"Still, it's the closest Rampage will get to a proper burial," Rhinox explained. "Our goal here isn't revenge or anything like that. It's to make sure Rampage is as far away from this planet as possible when his spark overloads from all the radiation."

Suddenly, the com-link came to life.

"Depth Charge to Maximal base," the voice came through.

"Eh, Depth Charge, fancy seeing you here!" Rattrap did his best to play down the situation.

"I've detected a radiation trail from my location to your base," Depth Charge told him. "What's going on over there?"

"Nothing!" Rattrap exclaimed just a little too excitedly. "Everything's hunky-dory! You go ahead and take the rest of the day off."

At once Depth Charge recognized that Rattrap was hiding something through his overly enthusiastic tone.

"You're hiding something," he accused.

"Hiding? Hah!" Rattrap pretended to laugh. "Why would I be hiding anything from you?"

"I'm going over there," Depth Charge declared.

"No, ya can't!" protested Rattrap.

"Try and stop me," Depth Charge cut the connection.

At once, the Maximal team became concerned.

"Okay, that went well," Airazor frowned.

"No telling how Depth Charge will react once he finds out the truth," Rhinox put a hand on the table.

"Should the manta get violent, I can be very persuasive," Inferno took out his flamethrower.

"Aw man, you're way in over your head," Rattrap said to Inferno. "When DC's ticked, there's no stopping him!"

"I only have a few more hours before preparation for launch is ready," Rhinox told them. "Do everything you can to stall him."

Suddenly, a few Predacon signals popped up on the screen. A couple of Predacons were near the base at the moment.

Immediately Rattrap had an idea.

"I think I know how," Rattrap announced.

* * *

"Yo Thrust, Jetstorm!" Rattrap raced out in front of the two nearby Predacons. "Over here!"

"Just what is that rat doing?" asked Jetstorm.

"Being a sitting duck if you ask me," Thrust shrugged. "Let's get him!"

Thrust transformed to beast mode and leaped at Rattrap. Crying out, Rattrap had to quickly duck as a nasty dilophosaur jaw nearly took his head off. As Rattrap rolled away and got back up, Thrust swung his tail, knocking Rattrap away.

Jetstorm, already in robot mode, flew down and blasted at Rattrap with several shots. Again, the rodent had to roll aside to avoid them.

"Bad idea attacking us without backup, cheese-eater," Jetstorm told the hapless Rattrap.

It was then that a massive fist crashed into Jetstorm, knocking him off course from the air.

"Help's already here," Depth Charge commented.

On the ground, Thrust transformed to vehicle mode, taking the form of a motorcycle. At once he sped towards Rattrap, intending on running him over on the spot.

Taking out his tail spear, Rattrap dodged rapidly and as Thrust sped forward, threw his tail spear right at Thrust's wheel. At once the spear lodged itself into the wheel, disrupting all of Thrust's engines at once. The wheel exploded, throwing Thrust high into the air before the Predacon came crashing down to the floor unconscious.

"Whew, thanks for the save," Rattrap breathed.

Depth Charge flew down with the unconscious Jetstorm.

"Now that was just sloppy," he told Rattrap. "Normally I'd expect you to be just a bit more cautious about leaping into enemy fire."

"Hey, we all make mistakes!" Rattrap exclaimed. "Say, you wanna go hang out tonight and watch a movie?"

Depth Charge's optics narrowed. Rattrap was deliberately being evasive again.

"They made a new movie based off the Predacon invasion called _Robo-changers: Vengeance of the Downed_!" Rattrap insisted.

"Alright, what're you hiding?" demanded Depth Charge.

"I, uh, well…"

"I already know there's a massive radiation trail leading here with the spark of Protoform X," Depth Charge crossed both arms.

"Okay fine…" Rattrap sighed in defeat. "Guess I can't hide the truth from you anymore."

* * *

_Rampage, do you realize what they're doing?_

"Yes, I know," Rampage answered back in his own mind. "They're planning an obituary, just for me."

_Then I must inform you that Depth Charge is now going to be involved._

"Did he send a bouquet of flowers?" Rampage whistled.

_Don't be foolish, you know what Depth Charge will attempt to do._

"What is he going to do?" demanded Rampage. "Deliver a funeral oration."

_He's going to do much more than that._

"Don't assume that I'm as weak as you," Rampage reminded Shokaract's voice. "Fins was the one who beat you to an inch of your life back on Cybertron."

_Then I should warn you not to underestimate him. Remember, he also defeated both you and Dinobot with the power of the Matrix Blade._

"I know exactly what to do with Depth Charge," Rampage replied. "After all, I'm the reason for his very existence."

_And if that reason should come to an end?_

"Then Depth Charge will have nothing more to live for! Hah hah hah!" cackled Rampage.

* * *

"Where am I?"

Optimus slowly shook his head and woke up from what seemed like days and days of never-ending sleep.

As he attempted to move around, he noticed his arms and legs tied up by titanium shackles. His Optimal form was now gone. Only his ordinary Transmetal body remained. He was being held somewhere… where he was not sure.

"So you've finally woken up," a voice made him pay attention.

Optimus looked down from his spot. In front of him was a US General of African American descent. He was a man roughly in his fifties and it was plain to see that he was a very high ranking official judging from his choice of clothes. Next to him were two soldiers with their machine guns at hand.

"Who are you?" asked Optimus. "Where am I?"

"I'll be asking the questions here," the General told him. "My name is General Wesley and you are currently under being detained in an undisclosed facility. My men found you in the canyons after some sort of battle took place. We found your body lying there next to a much larger robot. Naturally, your body was easier to transport back here. By the time we returned, the bigger one was gone."

Judging from the man's words, Optimus finally realized that he must have shrunken back to normal size while he was unconscious.

"Why am I under arrest?" Optimus demanded.

"You mean you really don't know?" General Wesley shook his head. "I thought surely you would've known something… what, with your recent invasion of Earth and all."

"Those were the Predacons," Optimus informed him. "I'm a Maximal."

"Maximal, Predacon, it's all the same to me, alien," Wesley responded quickly. "What I do know and what most of the world knows is that in the past few months, Earth was invaded by a race of robotic aliens who looked an awful lot like you."

"I'm telling you!" insisted Optimus. "The aliens who invaded your planet were the Predacons, a different faction of Cybertronians!"

"So you mean to tell me you're innocent?"

"Yes!"

"I don't believe you," General Wesley's frown did not waver. "And even if I did, I wouldn't set you free to jeopardize this country's security."

"Then what do you believe?" demanded Optimus.

"I don't know what to believe," General Wesley responded. "But what I _do_ believe is that we're no longer alone in this universe. As a result of the recent alien invasions, the worlds' governments have become much more cautious. None of us can afford to risk another catastrophic invasion of earth."

"Fair enough," Optimus noted, realizing that the man was being realistic and trying to come up with as rational of an explanation as possible, given his own limited understanding of the universe.

"Take a look at this," General Wesley.

"What?"

General Wesley popped in a disc into the screen. In the video was a large crab ripping through the armed forces at a facility. There could be no doubt as to who it was.

"Hah hah hah!" screamed the voice of Protoform X.

"Rampage!" Optimus gasped.

"You know this fellow?" General Wesley inquired.

"That's Protoform X," Optimus.

"And who might that be?" General Wesley seemed eager for a response. "This creature killed several of my men."

"He was a failed experiment on my home planet," Optimus admitted. "He was meant to be the ultimate war machine but something went wrong and he ran amuck."

"So how did he get to earth?" demanded Wesley.

"We… brought him here."

"Oh, so the plot thickens! You mean to tell me your so-called Maximals brought this monster to our planet?"

"Yes, but at the time we didn't know we would land here!" insisted Optimus. "Our duty was supposed to be to dump him on a remote lifeless planet!"

"I suppose that makes everything alright then?" General Wesley's tone hardened. "Telling me you didn't mean to send this creature to Earth to wreak havoc? That it was an accident?"

"No, it's not going to make everything alright," confessed Optimus. "But I thought I'd at least be honest."

General Wesley took a seat and sat down.

"We're going to have a lot to talk about, you and I," he said to Optimus. "And talk you will or you'll be a prisoner here for a very long time."

* * *

Surprisingly, Depth Charge took the news a lot better than the Maximals had expected.

"So, Rampage is going to die soon, eh?" Depth Charge snorted. "Good."

That reaction was not the least bit out of character. When it came to Rampage, forgiveness was not something which would make its way to Depth Charge's list of to-do items.

"We have to send him into space," Rhinox told the blue Maximal. "If his spark goes off here, we could have a global disaster."

"Yeah, he'll destroy half the planet!" emphasized Rattrap.

"Alright then," Depth Charge turned around and left. "I understand."

"You do?" Rattrap was surprised.

As Depth Charge walked off, Rattrap could only shake his head in confusion. Relieved, Rhinox took out his tools and went back to work on the pod once more.

* * *

"S-Something is wrong," Dinobot hissed.

Because of his link with Rampage, Dinobot at once realized that there was something amiss with Rampage. And there was only one 'bot who could give him the answers.

Reaching over to the door's button, he pressed down and opened it.

"Tarantulas!" Dinobot growled.

"Can't you see I'm busy?" Tarantulas barked. "Megatron is expecting a report soon!"

"I have questions and you will give me answers!" Dinobot pointed a clawed finger at the spider.

"You think I'm going to answer to you?" Tarantulas snapped. "After how you literally stabbed me in the back last time? Fah!"

Growling angrily, Dinobot grabbed Tarantulas by the collar and lifted him into the air.

"How about through the spark this time?" threatened Dinobot.

"Okay, okay!" Tarantulas finally gave in. "Just put me down."

Dinobot put the spider down to give him some breathing space. He still stood close enough to Tarantulas, just in case the spider decided to try anything funny.

"Something is wrong with Rampage," Dinobot told the Predacon scientist. "I can sense it."

"Yes, well, the radiation in his spark must have built up."

"You were the one who removed my spark from his spark," Dinobot pointed out. "How is it that I am not experiencing the same festering disease as Rampage?"

"Because when I removed your spark from Rampage, I made sure to remove all the dangerous radioactive isotopes from your portion," Tarantulas answered. "Unfortunately before I could do the same for his spark, he escaped from me."

"And so it was building in his spark already for quite some time," Dinobot concluded.

"Correct," Tarantulas nodded. "Your spark is free of contamination. His diseased spark, on the other hand, has gone uncured for too long."

"Then we will have to report this to Megatron!" insisted Dinobot. "If his spark should go off—"

"There is no need," Tarantulas waved dismissively. "In the past two days or so, I've been keeping careful surveillance on Maximal territory. It appears that they've been building a pod to eject Rampage into space where he will no longer be of concern to any of us."

"Then there is nothing to fear?"

"Since when have you feared anything?" Tarantulas asked suspiciously.

Quickly, Dinobot turned his face away from the arachnid to conceal any possible signs of guilt or emotion. There was much fear in his own spark now, especially now that he had to live with the knowledge that his friend and former master was now dead partly due to his association with him.

"I fear nothing," Dinobot said, putting forth as much bravado as possible. "Return to your duties, Tarantulas."

"Hmph, very well," Tarantulas snorted and went back to work.

* * *

"Oh, if only I could break free right now," mused Rampage.

He was strapped inside the stasis pod with a vital monitoring sign installed on the outside. Though he could still speak, his entire body had been numbed by the sedatives Rhinox had shot into his spark.

"You won't be able to," Rhinox said firmly. "I've sedated you from head to toe."

"Quaint," Rampage sneered.

"After you're sent into space, you won't be able to harm anyone anymore," Rhinox informed the murderous psychopath.

"Such a shame," Rampage glowered. "I had hoped for a much better funeral oration than this."

"This is all you get," Rhinox told him solemnly. "You may want to think over all the acts you've committed in your final hours."

"So now we're moving on to the last rites?" sneered Rampage.

Rhinox ignored Rampage this time and pressed down on a button to increase the sedatives. At once, Rampage started dozing off again.

"This is it," Rhinox told his Maximal companions.

He walked away from the pod and pressed down on a remote activated machine. At once the pod came to life and in a matter of moments, it flew into the skies. Soon, it had left earth's atmosphere.

"Good riddance to him," spat Rattrap.

"I'm still monitoring his spark-rate even from here," Rhinox informed the group. "Once his spark goes off, this machine will tell us."

Suddenly, a new sound was heard. It was the sound of Cybertronian engines.

"Uh, what's that?" Rattrap briefly stepped back due to the rumbling.

Soon, their question was answered. A blue Cybertronian skyhopper rose from the hills and blasted off into the skies, pursuing the pod which contained Rampage.

"No!" Rhinox shouted. "Depth Charge is aboard that!"

"Rattrap to Depth Charge!" Rattrap quickly turned on his communications signal. "Whaddya think you're doing?"

"I'm going to settle the score once and for all," Depth Charge replied simply.

"Get back here at once!" Rhinox ordered. "Rampage is going to expire anyways! Let it go!"

"Sorry, no can do," replied Depth Charge calmly. "Rampage took everything from me. It's time I took it back."

"You… you're really going through with this, aren't you?" asked Rattrap quietly.

"Once Rampage's spark triggers a nuclear meltdown, you'll be destroyed if you're anywhere near him!" Rhinox warned.

"I know the risks," answered Depth Charge. "And yes, I am going through with it.

"Listen DC!" Rattrap told the former Maximal security guard. "I know what Rampage did to ya! And I know letting go is hard! But you can't end it like this! Rampage is gonna go terminal but you're still alive and well! You can live on!"

"Sorry, but this is something I have to do on my own," Depth Charge said ruefully. "For what it's worth, working with you guys wasn't so bad after all. And Rattrap, I hate to say it but I really enjoyed our adventures together. Look, I'm no fan of long goodbyes so… Depth Charge, out."

"No!" shouted Rattrap as Depth Charge's ship finally disappeared into the sky.

* * *

Rampage was not sure for how long he had travelled. Maybe it had been hours… maybe days.

On a Transformer space pod, the journey would have been considerably shorter but on an Earth-manned spacecraft, space travel could certainly be very sluggish.

He looked outside through the window. Outside was a planet of some sort. He was not sure which one it was. Earth's solar system was not something he had really taken the time to learn.

There was currently still a supply of sedatives being poured into his spark. Oh how he wanted to yank the infernal thing off and be able to stretch his limbs again!

_Greetings, Rampage._

"Not you again," muttered the crab. The visions of Shokaract were becoming very annoying.

_Not happy to see me?_

"Not in the least," Rampage groaned.

_Then I have good news for you, brother._

"Spit it out then."

_Soon, very soon, you will receive a visitor. In your final hour, he will provide you with the closure you want._

"We'll see," Rampage grunted.

Finally, the voice of Shokaract disappeared. Rampage blinked for a second before the hatch to his pod was ripped open violently

"What?" Rampage cried.

A fist struck him violently across the jaw, causing his head to snap back. Before Rampage could get a good close look, the assailant grabbed the tubes which were sending sedatives into his spark and yanked them off.

"Raaaagh!" screamed Rampage.

The next thing Rampage knew, he was tossed out of his pod. He landed back-first against an asteroid and finally got a good glimpse of his attacker.

"Depth Charge!" he snarled. "I should have known!"

"You thought I was really going to let you rest in peace?" Depth Charge revealed the Matrix Blade which he held in his hand. "You won't get the honor."

"Raaagh!" Rampage clutched his chest as familiar red electricity began to crackle around his spark chamber.

"I guarantee your spark won't undergo a natural death," Depth Charge pointed the tip of his weapon at X's spark chamber. "Because I'll be the one to deal that deathblow."

"Hah hah hah…" Rampage cackled. "You fool! You should have stayed behind!"

"And why would I want to do that?" sneered Depth Charge.

"I… I could sense that you were changing," Rampage spoke, fighting back the pain in his own body. "You were slowly but surely moving on with your life, fighting side by side with your Maximal comrades to help others and defend this world. You had found a purpose to life once more!"

"Yeah, I guess so," Depth Charge did not budge.

"You would be willing to throw all that away just to settle an old score?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Depth Charge answered.

"Ahahahahaha!" laughed Rampage. "I knew you couldn't give up the addiction! You and I complete each other!"

"Then what're we waiting for?" asked Depth Charge.

"Indeed!" Rampage transformed to tank mode and fired.

Depth Charge flew towards Rampage, dodging the shots. With one powerful stroke he slashed at Rampage who moved out of the way. In an instant, the asteroid that Rampage stood upon was reduced to space debris from one powerful stroke of the Matrix Blade.

Rampage transformed to robot mode and opened fire back with both his guns.

Blocking all the shots with the Matrix Blade, Depth Charge unleashed a spinning disc from his chest which knocked Rampage back, causing him to lose his grip on both his weapons.

As Rampage looked up, Depth Charge drove his fist into Rampage's face again.

"Raaagh!" cried Rampage.

For a moment, his spark started beating rapidly.

Depth Charge grabbed Rampage by the throat.

"It can't have been this easy," he spat.

Suddenly, Rampage sprang back to life. He unleashed an uppercut into Depth Charge's chin to knock the manta-bot back. As Depth Charge was hurled back in the atmosphere of space, Rampage grabbed onto the Matrix Blade.

"Now let's see what this fancy toy can do in my hands," Rampage purred.

Already predetermined not to act as an instrument of evil, the Matrix Blade hummed and blasted Rampage with a great shock of energy. As electricity coursed through his entire body, Rampage screamed in agony and finally released the sword.

Catching the Matrix Blade in one hand, Depth Charge whirled it around and faced Protoform X once more.

"You didn't think you'd really be able to use it, did you?" taunted Depth Charge.

Angrily, Rampage launched himself towards Depth Charge who leaped overhead. Before Rampage could look up, the Maximal planted both feet into Rampage's back and leaped up, knocking Rampage back head-first into another asteroid. As Rampage attempted to gather himself, Depth Charge grabbed his cyber-shark missile launcher and fired two rounds which exploded against Rampage's chest and shoulder.

"Aaaahhh!" screamed Rampage.

Depth Charge raised the holy weapon into the air. At once the sword gathered several meteors in the area and pulled them together. Soon, several meteors surrounded Depth Charge's body like a planetary ring, spinning around him ominously.

At once he pointed his sword forward and the flaming meteors struck Rampage one after another.

"Aaagh!" screamed Rampage as he was thrown back from the force of the meteors.

Finally, Depth Charge stopped and summoned the meteors in a spherical position around Rampage. They lit up with the blue flames of the Matrix Blade and came crashing down on Rampage one after another.

Howling in agony, Rampage could do nothing as the meteors exploded against his body. When it was over, a heavily injured Rampage was all that remained.

Green veins were protruding all over his body. Scars and cuts also appeared over his torso, face, and neck. None of it was healing either. The once powerful healing abilities he possessed were now gone thanks to his terminal radiation sickness.

"Urgh…" gurgled Rampage, spitting out mech fluid.

"Had enough?" Depth Charge glared at his hated foe.

"F-Finish it," Rampage told his adversary.

Not needing to be told twice, Depth Charge flew forward with the Matrix Blade. Gripping it tightly, he screamed in fury and slashed right through Rampage's spark, dealing the final death blow in one cut.

"You've done it…" Rampage turned around with what appeared to be happiness in his voice. "You've released me!"

Already the blue Maximal knew the price he had paid for having this final confrontation with Protoform X as blue streaks of light burst out of Rampage's spark, consuming him utterly in a powerful flame. Rampage would die, but so would he.

Calmly, Depth Charge let go of the Matrix Blade as Rampage's final death cries erupted in a brilliant white light. The explosion consumed him and all the stars around them.

He watched as the asteroids around him were vaporized instantly by the explosion. Then he felt an overwhelming pain as the explosion soon overtook him and began to tear him apart, piece by piece, and molecule by molecule.

Before the final curtain would fall on him for good, Depth Charge closed his eyes.

* * *

"Yaaaaagh!" screamed Dinobot, grabbing his own chest plate in agony.

The Predacons were shocked at Dinobot's sudden outburst. Nervously they stepped back as they watched Dinobot writhe in agony on the floor with electricity bursting all around his body.

"What is happening?" demanded Megatron.

"I… I don't know!" Tarantulas cried.

Megatron grabbed Tarantulas and lifted him up.

"I demand an answer!" he shouted into the spider's face.

"I'm not certain!" Tarantulas protested. "It could be that something has happened to Rampage's spark!"

"Where is Rampage?" demanded Megatron.

"He… he was sent into space by the Maximals!" Tarantulas replied nervously. "His spark had gone radioactive. He would've destroyed the planet if he hadn't been sent away!"

"You had this information all this time and you didn't tell me?" Megatron's face grew more furious.

"I didn't think it was important at the time!" Tarantulas begged. "I thought you had bigger plans!"

Suddenly, the agonized screams stopped. The entire base fell silent as they watched Dinobot slowly crawl back to his feet.

"What has happened to you?" asked Obsidian.

"My spark… it feels whole somehow," answered Dinobot.

At that moment, Megatron lost interest in Tarantulas. He dropped the spider to the floor and walked over to Dinobot. He did not see the look of hatred Tarantulas shot him once his back was turned.

The Dinobot Generals walked over to help Dinobot up.

"Thank you," Dinobot said graciously.

"This can only mean one thing," Megatron noted. "Rampage has gone offline."

"Ah yes, such a pity," commented Strika. "He would have made a formidable soldier if he had turned to our side."

"I had plans for Protoform X, yesss…" lamented Megatron. "If we had captured and dissected him, we would have discovered the true secrets behind this Maximal-built super soldier, giving me an army of super-powered Transformers to conquer Cybertron with."

"You always have Dinobot," Tarantulas snorted. "He contains part of X's spark."

"Yes, but Dinobot's circuitry does not possess the schematics of the Protoform X project," Megatron glared at Tarantulas. "I cannot hope to duplicate the experiment without Rampage himself and I'm holding you personally responsible for this failure, arachnid!"

"What? Me?" Tarantulas was aghast. "What did I do?"

"The secrets to Protoform X are lost forever," Megatron snarled. "It was your job to acquire those secrets and you failed."

"But… but…" sputtered Tarantulas.

"I am doubling your work schedule," Megatron informed the furious Predacon arachnid. "You will not rest and you will not break until you have rediscovered the secrets to Protoform X!"

"Heh heh heh!" Terrorsaur and Waspinator snickered at Tarantulas.

"And you two will assist him!" Megatron pointed at the two. "The two of you will have no respite either until I see satisfactory results!"

"What?" Waspinator's jaw almost dropped.

Moving away from the general scene, Dinobot steadied himself against the walls of the Predacon base. Something had changed. It felt as if a great burden had finally been lifted from his spark. And because of that burden being lifted, he knew only of one thing he had to do before all else.

* * *

"He… he's finally gone," Rhinox looked at the monitor. "Both Rampage and Depth Charge."

"Oh man, I can't believe it…" Rattrap lowered his head.

"I'm sorry Rattrap," Rhinox put a hand on Rattrap's shoulder.

"Sure the guy was a jerk around the edges," Rattrap had to stifle a lump in his own throat. "But he was a good friend too."

"We'll all miss him," Rhinox admitted. "He was one of the most dependable members of this team."

Rattrap moved his hand to turn off the monitor. In sorrow he banged his fist into the wall.

"It ain't fair!" he shouted.

"Life rarely is," Inferno too lowered his head in respect.

As Rhinox helped Rattrap up, the smaller Maximal looked towards a corner, remembering all the moments he shared with the manta-bot. He thought back to the time he and Depth Charge first met and of all their adventures together, from the race against Sentinel on Cybertron to their journeys across cyber-space.

"Rampage took everything from him," Rattrap whispered. "I just hope Depth Charge got it all back."

Moving quietly, the Maximals disassembled from the room. Before he left, Rhinox took the time to turn the lights off to the monitor room, leaving it to its silence.

**A/N:** The final curtain has fallen on Rampage. I had a difficult time writing this chapter because it involved the death of one of my favorite Predacons. Well, in my series, Rampage isn't so much a Predacon as he is a loose cannon. But still, I've really enjoyed writing for his character. One of the conscious decisions I made for him was that in Symmetries, Rampage would be portrayed as being more powerful than he was in the TV series. Not even Depth Charge could defeat him in a fair fight, short of divine intervention in the form of the Matrix Blade. What I really wanted to do was portray Rampage as being both a monster and a force of nature and I hoped that I did his character justice for my series. As for Depth Charge, he's always been my favorite Maximal in the series. Naturally, I'd be biased in favor of him and wanted to make him as much of a badass as possible. But at the same time I had to keep in mind that I couldn't take it too far and turn him into a canon Gary Stu who took over the whole story. Which is why every now and then I still had him lose battles just like everyone else. In the end, what I really wanted to do was to have Depth Charge play the main role of the anti-hero which was Dinobot's role for most of the TV series. Developing his character was the chief purpose I had in mind and in my opinion, having him interact and play off a character like Rattrap was the best way. By far, I really enjoyed writing teamup chapters for both Depth Charge and Rattrap.


	72. Hero's Journey

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Hero's Journey_

After what seemed like days, time seemed to stand still for Cheetor. He had flown half-way across the world and still didn't have the answers. No matter what, he just couldn't find what it was he was looking for, to say nothing of the missing Optimus Primal.

Peering down, Cheetor noticed largely desert along with a large dome-shamed canyon in the middle of it.

"Where am I?" he mused. "Arizona?"

Flying down, Cheetor leaped to the ground and transformed to robot mode.

He was still as lost as ever. A while back he had struck Rattrap in frustration and the guilt he felt was tearing him up inside. There were a lot of emotions churning inside of him, from anger and irritation to shame and uncertainty.

Without warning, a kangaroo leaped out from underneath a bush and began hopping past Cheetor.

"Oh, looks like I'm down under," Cheetor whispered.

He had never been to Australia before, though he had heard that it was a nice place.

Up above Cheetor, three shadowy figures stood on top of Ayer's Rock. One of them took out a bow and placed an arrow on top of it. Arching her arms back, she fired a shot at the unsuspecting Maximal.

Hearing a feint buzzing noise through the air, Cheetor spun around and caught the arrow with one hand just before it reached his neck.

"Whoever you are, you just made a bad mistake!" Cheetor growled. "Beast mode!"

Transforming back to his cheetah form, Cheetor roared in anger and ran up the large dome as the three assailants fired down upon him with a barrage of energy attacks and arrows. Twisting and turning to each direction, Cheetor avoided them all and leaped into the air above the three.

It was then that he got a good look. These were the three humans he had fought before during the Vok invasion. They were the humans who belonged to the now-defunct Order of the Vok. Lance, Sonia, and Rurik were their names and they were the ones who were attacking him, clothed in their battle armor.

Cheetor transformed to robot mode again in mid-air and leaped down. He ducked underneath one of Lance's sword slashes and sweep-kicked the three of them onto their backs.

"You caught me in a bad mood!" Cheetor snarled.

Getting back up, Lance cut at him again but Cheetor grabbed Lance's sword, kicking the human across the large dome. Sonia was the next to attack, firing several more arrows in his direction. Cheetor quickly swatted aside two incoming arrows and drove his foot into her side with a spinning sidekick.

As Sonia fell, Rurik came in, punching at Cheetor with an energy-doused fist. Cheetor stood still and took the punch.

"Aaagh!" Rurik stepped back, clenching his fist.

One punch into Cheetor's face nearly broke his hand. Returning the shot, Cheetor drove his fist into Rurik's chest to taken the human down.

"You've got a lot of nerve attacking me like this," Cheetor told them.

"They were here to test you," a familiar voice spoke out.

Ecclesiastes stood there with his daughter Selena. Next to them was an Australian Aboriginal man holding a staff.

"I never thought I'd see your faces again," Cheetor stomped over towards Ecclesiastes and picked him up by the scruff of his neck. "What do you want?"

"Believe it or not, we're here to help you," Ecclesiastes replied.

"Hah!" Cheetor dropped him. "A likely story!"

"We know you are on a journey," the Aboriginal man spoke. "We would like to help you on your sojourn, if you would allow us."

Turning around, Cheetor finally gave in to his curiosity.

"What do you know about my journey?" he asked.

"We know that you have lost someone dear to you," the man replied.

It was then that Cheetor decided to stop and hear them out. After all, what else did he have to lose at this point?

"I'm listening," he told them.

* * *

Sitting cross legged, Dinobot began to meditate. Things no longer felt as they used to be. In fact, things did not feel right at all.

Just days ago, his human friend and master had died at the hands of Megatron. And part of that had to do with the fact that he, Dinobot, did nothing to prevent it.

Torn between loyalties to two masters, all he could do was stand and watch motionlessly as Megatron ended the life of Yoshida-sensei. In the aftermath, he was so shaken that he barely registered a reaction to it all.

Just why did it have to come down to it? Why did Master Yoshida have to die so senselessly? Why would his current master Megatron not see reason and spare Yoshida-sensei's life?

"_I sense that you are confused"_

_Suddenly, Dinobot opened his eyes. His meditations had taken him to another realm, it appeared._

_He was in a small meadow near a Shinto shrine. Close by was the presence of Master Yoshida. All around him was the tranquility of a running stream._

"_Master!" Dinobot cried. "You are alive!"_

"_I'm afraid that is not so," Yoshida-sensei told him. "I have already gone on to the other side."_

_Bowling humbly, Dinobot closed his eyes in shame._

"_I'm sorry for allowing you to die," Dinobot said shamefully. "I should have done something."_

"_There is no need for regret," Yoshida-sensei replied. "I would have gone sooner or later. Megatron merely hastened my departure."_

"_Master, what shall I do?" asked Dinobot. "I feel nothing but confusion and doubt!"_

"_What you should do is to put aside your self-doubt and ask yourself what it is that you are," Yoshida-sensei replied sagely. "Are you merely a killing machine who obeys Megatron's every command or are you more than that?"_

"_Megatron was the one who gave me life," Dinobot replied. "I believed in him and in everything he did. As of now, I am not so sure anymore…"_

"_What do you think you should do next?" asked Master Yoshida._

"_I don't know what I will do next with regards to Megatron," Dinobot confessed. "But I do know that I must make amends."_

_Dinobot looked up. Yoshida-sensei was still smiling. The spirit of his slain master was not condemning or angry towards him for what happened and that drove a stake through Dinobot's spark even more._

"_Master, I know what nothing I say will make up for my inactions," Dinobot bowed again in shame. "But I am sorry for not being able to save you."_

"_Do not burden yourself with anymore doubts, my pupil," Yoshida replied. "I taught you the spirit of Bushido. From this moment on, all I ask is that you remember those teachings."_

_Before Dinobot could say anything more, the images of the meadows and streams faded away._

In a flash, Dinobot opened his eyes. Master Yoshida's image was gone. He was not certain whether he had truly spoken with his master's spirit or not but there was one thing he could no longer doubt.

Briskly, Dinobot left his chambers and walked towards the hanger bay. As soon as he entered the bay, Scorponok was there to greet him.

"Hey, you need something?" the scorpion asked.

"No time to explain," Dinobot walked past Scorponok in a hurry.

Without further ado, Dinobot got on board one of the shuttles and activated its engines.

"Hey, what're you doing?" demanded Scorponok. "You're not cleared to use the shuttle!"

The shuttle rose up and flew out of the hanger, into the sky, leaving behind a flabbergasted Scorponok. Just what was Dinobot doing anyways?

"Scorponok to Megatron," Scorponok spoke into his com-link. "Dinobot just took one of the shuttles and flew away in a hurry."

* * *

"Yeah, that's basically it," Cheetor told the group that was gathered there. "Optimus went missing and here I am."

None of them spoke. They knew that the young Maximal was going through troubled times. Finally, the Aboriginal man there broke the silence.

"Would it surprise you to learn that your mentor is still alive?" he said.

"What?" Cheetor got up. "Optimus is still alive? Where is he?"

"Calm yourself," the man held his staff towards Cheetor. "You must learn patience first. Optimus Primal is still alive. But he will be revealed when the time is right."

"You better not have done anything to him!" Cheetor waved a fist at the man.

"I have not," the Aboriginal man replied. "But you must first learn the virtues of patience."

"I don't have time for this!" Cheetor lunged at the man. "Where's Optimus?"

To Cheetor's sudden surprise, the Aboriginal man leaped over him with a speed that astounded even the Maximal.

"What good will violence do?" the man asked.

"You're more than meets the eye, I'll give you that," Cheetor growled. "But if you don't tell me where Optimus is, I'm going to make you wish you never went online!"

Viciously, Cheetor swung his tail at the man who dodged it with almost supernatural ease. In anger, Cheetor punched at the man multiple times.

Each and every time, however, the Native Australian blocked the incoming blows with his staff. As Cheetor kicked at him, the Aboriginal man swept his staff underneath Cheetor's feet to trip him over. The young Maximal looked up in surprise.

"Just what are you?" demanded Cheetor.

"I am as you say I am," the man replied. "More than meets the eye."

"Now this is getting interesting," Sonia whispered to Rurik.

"If you don't mind," the man extended a hand towards Cheetor. "What do you say we make our peace and enjoy the rest of the evening?"

"I… I guess," Cheetor stammered, amazed that a human could have tripped him like that.

* * *

That night, things had settled down considerably. Given the course of the sunset, Cheetor found enough time to calm himself.

Now he sat with the group near Uluru Rock in a campfire they had prepared together.

"Hey man," Lance said to Cheetor. "Want some of this soup?"

"No thanks," Cheetor waved it away. "I don't really eat vegetables."

"You should try some," Sonia recommended. "Tomorrow's going to be training day."

"Not to sound rude, but what do I need training for?" asked Cheetor. "I'm the fastest thing on two or four legs, and I think I've been through enough scrapes to have all the combat experience I need."

"Tomorrow's training will require more than physical exertion," Ecclesiastes explained. "You will be receiving mental training as well."

"Mental training, huh?" Cheetor looked at the old man quizzically.

"Your strength and speed are without question," the Aboriginal man told him. "However, you still have not mastered what truly matters… yourself."

Looking down, Cheetor said nothing. He knew that what the man said was true, even if he would not openly admit it.

Finally, Selena noticed the glum expression of the Maximals face and walked over to him.

"More food?" she offered a piece of steak.

"Thanks," Cheetor finally snapped out of his stupor.

* * *

The cemetery was not a large area. After all, he was in Japan at the moment. Thankfully, however, it was night time and there was no crowd to be found in the area. Being alone with his former master was something he needed at a time like this.

Dinobot knelt down before the shrine of Yoshida-sensei. He had travelled across the Pacific just to do this. It felt right, after all. After Yoshida's death, Dinobot never did get the chance to pay his proper respects.

Picking up a rose he had taken from the woods, Dinobot placed it on top of Yoshida-sensei's grave.

"I am sorry, master," Dinobot spoke softly. "I am sorry for not having prevented your death. I can only hope that one day I will be able to live up to your code. Until then, I only have your example to follow."

Finally, Dinobot got up after kneeling.

"You were always his favorite student."

Slowly, Dinobot turned around. Behind him was Kaori. The young woman was dressed in black. On her back was a sheathed katana.

"Kaori-dono," Dinobot bowed. "To you I also owe an apology for not having protected your uncle."

He was not sure if he had chosen the right words or not. What made it worse was that he did not know if Kaori truly forgave him. Would she accept his apology? Would she finally forgive him for having played a role in Yoshida-sensei's death?

"If you hate me for this, I have earned it," Dinobot lowered his eyes shamefully.

"I do not hate you," she finally spoke. "After all, my uncle considered you family."

"I have come to pay my respects to Yoshida-sensei," Dinobot told her. "Much has happened and at this point, I do not know if my own cause is worth fighting anymore."

"If that is the case, why don't you then follow Uncle's teachings on Bushido?" she asked.

Dinobot froze. Again he was faced with a familiar dilemma. Either serve his current master Megatron or serve his own sense of honor. It seemed that he would always face a crossroad sooner or later.

Before Dinobot could elicit a reply, Kaori walked over towards him and took off the sword from her back, handing it to him.

"Here," she gave the sword to Dinobot. "I know my Uncle wanted you to have this."

"I have not earned it," Dinobot shrunk back.

"Nevertheless, take it," she put the sword in his hand firmly. "My Uncle specifically told me that you should have this sword before his passing."

"T-Thank you," Dinobot bowed in return.

Little did Dinobot realize, above him floated one of Scorponok's cyber-bees, recording the entire scene along with the conversation.

* * *

Practicing alongside some of his former opponents was not something Cheetor had counted on. And yet here he was running through the jungles with Lance, Sonia, and Rurik to complete their obstacle course.

Two cannons emerged from the ground and began firing several deadly arrows at them.

Lance and Rurik drew their blades to deflect the arrows as they ran along the path.

From the trees, a large piece of timber hooked on vines swung towards them. Cheetor was the first to leap up, plant both hands on the log, and flip off gracefully. As soon as he landed, he resumed his run with the other three.

"Tell me, why are you three here?" asked Cheetor.

"We have to train too," explained Sonia. "Like you, we're also seeking our own way."

"We're on a spiritual journey of our own," continued Rurik. "After the Vok had left, we were left without any guidance. So we took what few followers remained and went out on our own."

"Watch out!" warned Lance.

A large piece of stone fell down where they were. Cheetor quickly dodged to his left to avoid it narrowly.

Suddenly, the ground beneath him split open to reveal several deadly spikes in a trap pit.

All four of them fell. Cheetor was the first to grab onto the side of the pit with his claws. Flipping his tail downwards, he caught Lance, who in turn caught Sonia and Rurik.

"Going up?" Cheetor quipped.

Swinging his tail upward, he launched the three humans back onto solid ground. Soon, Cheetor leaped out of the pit as well.

From the jungle, a laser cannon emerged but Cheetor reacted quickly, taking out his gun and blasting it to pieces.

"Is there all this is to the training?" demanded Cheetor. "I've had paintball courses tougher than this with Rattrap."

Without warning, a cane whacked Cheetor upside the head.

"Ow!" Cheetor rubbed his head, actually having felt the blow. "What the slag?"

"Oh, the lesson is not yet done," the Aboriginal man told him. "You must catch me if you can, Cheetor."

"You're really asking for it!" Cheetor growled.

Taking off, the Australian Aboriginal ran away at an incredible speed which shocked Cheetor.

The shock, however, was momentary. Cheetor quickly transformed to beast mode and blasted off with the jets mounted on his back. Soon, he had caught up with the man.

"Whoever you are, you're no ordinary human," Cheetor told him.

"What gave that away?" the man asked innocently.

Transforming to robot mode, Cheetor leaped in front of the man to prevent him from running further.

"End of the road," the young Maximal crossed both arms.

"Yes, but not the end of our lesson," the Aboriginal took out a cane and threw it to Cheetor.

"What's this for?" Cheetor demanded.

Rapidly, the man used his own cane to strike Cheetor across the head.

"Defend yourself," he ordered.

"You're stronger than you look," Cheetor held up the staff.

The two opponents struck at each other, clashing with both canes.

"Why are you so angry?" demanded the human.

"I don't know!" Cheetor began to push him back, angry that he would ask such a question at a time like this.

"More importantly who are you angry with?" demanded the Native Australian.

"What does it matter?" Cheetor growled.

Just who did this man think he was, asking such personal and prying questions? Did he not have any sense of tact?

"You are angry over things you had no control over," the man pointed out.

That gave Cheetor moment for pause. He was angry over things he had no control over, namely the fate of Optimus Primal and his own admittedly volatile temper.

"So what if I am?" Cheetor swung his cane at the man who leaped over it.

Quickly, the man struck Cheetor in the back with the cane to send the Maximal stumbling forward in surprise.

"And what is the root of all your anger then?" he asked.

"I… I guess it was when Megatron took me as a hostage," Cheetor lowered his weapon. "He tortured me to the point where I couldn't resist anymore, then mutated me into a Transmetal Two and brainwashed me into fighting my friends."

Again, the man struck at Cheetor who quickly blocked.

"And was that not a blessing in disguise?" the man asked, pushing against Cheetor. "With your new body you became stronger and faster than ever before!"

"I did," Cheetor admitted. "But I still hate Megatron for what he did to me… for what he made me do."

"And yet all this time the anger and arrogance you've displayed has been a manifestation of all that uncertainty," the human pointed out. "You act the way you do now because you wish to hide your own pain. You're still afraid."

"Shut up!" Cheetor kicked at the man who shifted to the side to avoid it. "You don't know how I feel!"

"Do you?" the human asked. "Look deep within yourself."

"All I know is that the whole world's turning upside down and I don't know what to do," Cheetor shook his head in confusion.

To shake the Maximal out of his stupor, the human attacked again, striking Cheetor across the leg with his cane.

"Agh! What does this have to do with anything?" shouted Cheetor. "You said you wanted to help me. So help!"

"I cannot help you unless you are willing to help yourself!" the Aboriginal man blocked Cheetor's incoming punch with a swipe of his cane. "You have to release all the anger and frustration which dwells in you."

"I did everything I could!" Cheetor struck again, this time shattering the man's cane. "I did… everything I could."

In exhaustion, Cheetor fell to both knees clutching his head in hurt and confusion.

"I did all that I could and it still wasn't good enough," he whimpered. "I was helpless against Megatron's torture and brainwashing. I was helpless to save Optimus. And I was helpless against my own anger…"

"By admitting this, you have taken the first step," the man told him. "By coming to terms with your own follies, you can grow and learn from them."

Cheetor looked up in surprise.

"Come," the man offered his hand kindly. "We are done for today."

Surprisingly, the man turned out to be correct. It felt as if a large weight had finally been lifted from Cheetor's own shoulders. He had bared it all before someone and admitted that he felt helpless. He had finally admitted that he wasn't perfect, that he was as flawed of a being as any other.

And strangely, it felt appropriate and right to have done so finally. By admitting his own hopes, doubts, and insecurities, he _had_ taken a step in the right direction.

* * *

"Well well," Obsidian smirked. "Look what the cat dragged in?"

Dinobot had just entered the Predacon building through the main doors and he was not in the mood for any of Obsidian's mind games.

"What do you want?" he demanded. "Tell me or remain silent."

"It seems Megatron is rather upset with you," Obsidian replied wryly.

"Over what?" Dinobot asked.

"Oh, you mean to tell me you don't know?" Strika came up from behind him.

"I don't," Dinobot raised a claw in front her. "Either tell me or move out of the way."

"Well I suppose there is no hiding it," Obsidian chuckled. "You see, Megatron was none too pleased with the fact that you took a rather impromptu vacation."

That right there made Dinobot stop. Megatron found out already? But he had only been gone for a few hours. The Predacon shuttle he flew was faster than any other Earth plane and got him to his destination and back in a relatively short amount of time. How in the world did Megatron find out about it?

Unless of course Scorponok had told him…

"Move!" Dinobot pushed past both Obsidian and Strika. "I will speak to Megatron personally."

In no time, he was face to face with Megatron. All the Predacons were there, including his four clone generals.

"Master, what is going on?" asked Dinobot Alpha. "We were informed that you had committed a treacherous act."

Dinobot quickly held up a hand to silence his clones. He would not allow them to suffer just because he had done something displeasing to Megatron's eyes.

"So, you've returned," frowned Megatron.

"Yes, I have," Dinobot replied plainly, waiting for Megatron's true response.

The Predacon commander took a small remote in his hands and turned on the monitor screen.

Immediately, Dinobot recognized himself at the Japanese cemetery, paying respects to his slain master and even conversing with Kaori. As the scene played out crisply, Dinobot became aware that he had been followed the entire time.

"My cyber-bee recorded everything," Scorponok crossed both arms in disgust. "I can't believe you actually called that human your master."

This was a scandal that had the entire Predacon base up in arms. Practically everyone there was disgusted with how Dinobot had bowed before a human master.

"How dare you!" Dinobot growled at Scorponok. "I went over there to pay respects to my deceased master!"

"No!" Megatron stomped in front of Dinobot. "How dare _you_!"

"How dare I what?" demanded Dinobot, arguing back against Megatron for the first time.

"How dare you call that human your master and mourn him!" screamed Megatron. "I am your master and creator! You obey only me!"

"And forsake everything which he taught me?" asked Dinobot. "Yoshida-sensei taught me about Bushido… about honor!"

"And he is no longer here to teach you those things!" Megatron smiled, rubbing further salt on the wound. "I certainly made sure of that, didn't I?"

At that moment, Dinobot did not know what had overcome him. It was as if a savage berserker instinct within his spark had been awakened as he leaped at Megatron. Viciously, he raised a claw as if to attack Megatron right then and there.

"Shut up!" screamed Dinobot.

Suddenly, he stopped with a great deal of restraint, realizing what he was seconds from attacking his current master.

Megatron, on the other hand, only saw Dinobot raising a hand towards him. His response was even more savage.

With a single blow, Megatron knocked Dinobot half-way across the room.

"You dare raise a hand to strike me?" Megatron snarled.

Dinobot got up slowly in pain. The blow had rattled his entire body and left him in quite some pain.

"I… I don't know what came over me," Dinobot stammered.

"I know what came over him," Obsidian said in disgust. "Dinobot's affinity for that human is clouding his judgment."

"I agree," Strika pointed a finger at the raptor. "Dinobot is clearly unfit for duty."

"It is settled then," Megatron frowned. "Henceforth Dinobot, you are no longer sub-commander. From now on, I will be keeping a very short leash on you, yessss…"

As Obsidian and Strika began to laugh, Dinobot only turned away to mask his guilt and shame.

It felt as if he had reached the lowest point of his life and there was nothing at this point which could wash away the shame he experienced. He had been disgraced and dishonored in every conceivable way.

And so far, there did not appear to be any light at the end of the tunnel.

* * *

In just over a week, the obstacle courses seemed to be getting harder and harder.

But each and every time, Cheetor always found a way to pass them, combining his strength, speed, and reflexes to perform to the utmost of his skills. Now that he had let go some of his guilt, he felt as if he had become a new 'bot. Things were looking up from here.

And the Aboriginal person had helped him to reach that level. So far, Cheetor had not yet learned his name. He did not care to give it and Cheetor was alright with that. As far as the young Maximal was concerned, the human had proven him to be a wise mentor and ally.

"Attack me, all at once," his mentor ordered.

Cheetor surrounded their Aboriginal teacher with Lance, Sonia, and Rurik.

"You're asking for this," Rurik reminded him.

"Then what are you waiting for?" their teacher beckoned.

Lance was the first to come in with his battle staff. He swung but the Aboriginal trainer ducked underneath and tripped Lance with his cane to knock the young man over.

Sonia came next, firing a volley of arrows at him. Dodging left and right, the Native Australian avoided the arrows and batted one back towards its owner. Sonia caught the arrow and threw it aside, throwing a spin kick towards the man's head. Swiftly, her mentor caught it and threw her on her back to take the wind out of the young woman.

"I'll never get used to this," she rubbed her own rear in pain.

Rurik and Cheetor attacked next, punching and kicking at the teacher who proceeded to dodge all of their attacks on the spot. As Rurik thrust a kick towards his teacher, he made the mistake of having telegraphed his own move too soon. The Aboriginal mentor flipped over, grabbed Rurik by the head with both feet, and threw the young man into the desert ground.

Finally, only Cheetor remained.

"And then there was one," his teacher commented.

Cheetor grabbed onto a branch lying on the ground and broke it in two, holding two deadly sticks in his hands. With a battle cry, he launched himself forward. The Aboriginal man raised his own cane to counter it. The two struck at each other, their wooden weapons clanging against each other in the heat of battle.

Finally, Cheetor saw an opening and threw both his own weapons into the air, surprising his teacher. As his trainer looked into the air, distracted by the weapons for a second, Cheetor flipped over and struck his master's cane with his own tail, knocking the weapon out of the man's hands.

As soon as his own weapons fell, Cheetor grabbed the two sticks and pointed it at his trainer's head.

"Excellent job," the Aboriginal mentor complimented. "It appears that my methods have proven useful."

"I still have a lot to learn," confessed Cheetor. "But at least now I know I'm in good hands."

"Good job," Sonia patted Cheetor on the back.

"Yeah, you were really something out there!" Lance praised.

"At the rate you are going, you will be put to a serious test soon," the Aboriginal mentor told Cheetor.

"What is it?" Cheetor inquired.

"Come with me," the man beckoned.

* * *

In just a few miles, they reached what appeared to be a massive cave.

"Do you know what a walkabout is?" asked the Aboriginal teacher.

"I've heard of it," Cheetor replied uneasily.

"As part of your training, you will go inside that cave," the teacher told him. "In it, you will confront your darkest fears and your worst enemy come to life. Remember, everything within is an illusion. But in a dreamland, the thin line between dream and reality is seamlessly blurred."

"My worst enemy, huh?" Cheetor blinked. "Who is it? Dinobot? Megatron?"

"Only when you step inside, you will see," Ecclesiastes appeared at the entrance.

"Trust me Cheetor, I've been through one of these tests," Selena stepped out of the shadows with her grandfather. "And believe it when I say it's not pleasant. So be careful."

"Then I guess there's nothing else to do except confront my fears," Cheetor whispered softly.

Taking on foot forward, Cheetor stepped into the cave.

"Be careful!" Lance shouted.

Soon, the lights became dimmer and dimmer until Cheetor reached some kind of cavern filled with what appeared to be bright energon.

"Whoa, what's going on here?" Cheetor looked around.

It was as if his own senses had become distorted through the journey.

"Hah hah hah…" a laughter echoed throughout the place.

"Who's there?" demanded Cheetor.

To his left, a fast silvery blur bounced off the wall. Cheetor recognized those colors. It was the color of Dinobot himself.

"So, guess ol' scalebelly really is my worst enemy," Cheetor clenched both fists together.

A blast came out of nowhere, nearly blowing a hole through him. Luckily, Cheetor leaped into the air and flipped to the side to avoid it.

As he landed, he saw a dark shadowy image standing before him. Though Cheetor could not make out all the details, the general shape of the figure was undoubtedly that of Dinobot's body.

"Here for a rematch, huh?" Cheetor growled. "Well I'm sorry it's not going to go like the last time!"

Then he remembered that he was only fighting an illusion. The real Dinobot was nowhere near the Australian continent right now. But still, the illusionary figure looked authentic enough.

"You will fail against me just like you have always failed!" the Dinobot doppelganger hissed.

"Not this time!" Cheetor replied, clenching both fists together in preparation for battle. "I've finally put to rest my doubts!"

"Then allow me to add more!" the doppelganger attacked.

As the doppelganger leaped upon him, Cheetor leaped up and planted both feet into the creature's chest, knocking him into a pile of energon.

"Gotta do better than that," Cheetor shook some dust off his body.

Snarling, the doppelganger got up and extended both claws, slashing at Cheetor multiple times until the young Maximal caught him by one hand. Raising his own free hand, Cheetor balled it up and punched the shadowy figure again and again and again.

Finally, he relented on the last punch and threw the Dinobot doppelganger against the wall.

"Get up!" Cheetor growled. "I'm not done with you yet!"

"Just like you were never done playing the child?" the doppelganger's head reared up. "You never did want to grow up, did you? You just wanted life to be fun and games! Look where it got you! Look where it got Optimus!"

"S-Shut up!" Cheetor snapped. "Don't you talk about him!"

"Why not?" the doppelganger pointed an accusing finger towards Cheetor. "After all, you were the one who failed Optimus, weren't you?"

"That's not true…" Cheetor stepped back.

"If only you had beaten me, you could have assisted Optimus and prevented his death," the figure further rubbed salt into the verbal wound.

"Optimus is still out there, I know it!" insisted Cheetor.

"And what if he isn't?" the doppelganger crooned. "What if those humans up there are only saying that to make you feel better? After all, poor little Cheetor does want to feel better, doesn't he?"

"Shut up… shut up!" Cheetor fell to both knees.

"You've always been the slacker of the team," the doppelganger snapped. "Did you ever expect Optimus, Rhinox, Rattrap, and the others to take your seriously? Oh sure you have a shiny new Transmetal Two body now. But without it, you're nothing!"

Almost immediately, the insecurities and doubts which plagued Cheetor began to immediately rush back into his conscience.

"You're going to meet the end of the line here!" the doppelganger threatened. "Face it, kid, you're not good for anything. You are the reason for Optimus Primal's disappearance and you're the reason why all your friends hate you!"

_Remember, everything within is an illusion. But in dreamland, the thin line between dream and reality is seamlessly blurred._

Suddenly, Cheetor realized what he was dealing with… an illusion.

"None of this is real!" Cheetor raised his head. "You're not even real!"

"Am I?" the Dinobot doppelganger shrugged. "You're not even a real hero! You're just an overpampered sidekick who can't wipe his own skidplates without Optimus being there for you!"

Without warning, he kicked Cheetor hard enough to send the Maximal flying back. Cheetor flipped over in mid-air and landed on both feet gracefully.

"I've been sent down here to face and defeat my worst fears!" Cheetor flexed his claws. "I think it's about time I did that!"

Both opponents charged again. The Dinobot doppelganger raised both hands but Cheetor punched through the defense, slamming his into the shadowy creature and knocking him through one of the stalactites in the cave.

The doppelganger smashed through the rock and fell down. As Cheetor closed in, he threw a sweep kick at the young Maximal who quickly leaped over it.

In an instant, Cheetor was behind him. The doppelganger swung around and attempted to backhand Cheetor but the cat caught it with one hand and twisted it behind the creature's back.

"Raaagh!" roared Cheetor, running forward with the doppelganger and smashing the creature into another wall.

This time, Cheetor spun the creature around and began punching it with all his might. Finally, after what seemed like megacycles, he stopped as the doppelganger slid down to the ground.

With one hand, Cheetor grabbed him by the throat and held him in a more brightly lit area. It was then that he saw the creature's face.

"Surprised to see me?"

The creature's entire form looked like that of Dinobot's but his face was something else. Cheetor gasped as he stared into his own face. It was the same face he had when he first entered into the Beast Wars before he had gotten any of his Transmetal upgrades.

His worst enemy the entire time hadn't been Dinobot. _He_ had been his own worst enemy.

"I understand now," Cheetor stepped back.

"Took ya long enough," the doppelganger dusted himself off.

"Everything makes sense now," Cheetor said ruefully.

"You've been through a lot ever since the Beast Wars started," the doppelganger said to Cheetor wisely. "But you don't have to let your own fears consume you and rule your life. You define your own destiny."

"I understand," Cheetor said to his doppelganger. "Thank you."

The doppelganger smiled and in an instant, vanished back into the shadows.

With nothing left to say, Cheetor turned around and went back through the same way he came in.

* * *

Outside everyone was waiting in anticipation. They eagerly awaited the outcome of the test. Would Cheetor finally overcome his inner demons or would he allow the darkness to consume his own spark?

Only time would tell.

Finally, after the sun began to see, a large Transmetal Two cheetah emerged from the cave.

"Cheetor!" cried Lance.

"How did the test go?" asked Selena, running up to him.

"I went down there and faced the worst enemy I've ever had to face," Cheetor confessed, looking at his human allies with an unreadable expression.

"Who was it?" asked Sonia. "Megatron?"

"No, myself," Cheetor smiled with a touch of irony.

"Excellent job Cheetor," the Aboriginal man walked forward with his staff. "You have done well."

"Thanks, and you can cut it out with the human act," Cheetor chuckled. "I already know who you are, Akkad."

Smiling, the Aboriginal man floated into the air and transformed into the Elder Vok that Cheetor had encountered years ago.

"How did you figure it out?" the Vok elder asked.

"I got a good eye for things," Cheetor replied. "And I knew there was more to you than meets the eye."

Akkad's eyes glowed as energy materialized before him. Soon, the atomic particles shifted together to form to two familiar looking blades. As they floated down, Cheetor took the two golden swords with both hands. He recognized the basic shape of them. They looked like the swords Optimus used to hold back before his Transmetal upgrade.

"Take these," Akkad told him. "During the battle of our invasion, Optimus had lost his swords on board our war-moon. I took them and refashioned them. Now they are yours."

Smiling, Cheetor took both swords and spun them around in his hands.

"Wicked gear!"

Everyone around him began to look at him funny as soon as he uttered those words. Those were hardly the sort of words they had expected to hear from a true warrior.

"Wicked gear?" Selena raised an eyebrow.

"Alright alright," Cheetor shrugged. "I know I've just come out of a life-changing journey but come on! I can't help myself!"

And truthfully, he couldn't really help himself. Beneath all the layers of emotional turmoil and frustration over the past few months, Cheetor was still himself, the youthful wide-eyed 'bot who had entered into the Beast Wars with an eye for fun and adventure.

Now that he had finally overcome his personal demons, he could go back to being his old self in a sense. Except this time, with an air of maturity and wisdom he had never had before.

It was now that he had finally taken the first step towards growth.

Akkad took note of this and began to shape-shift once more, transforming himself into a giant suit of alien armor.

"We have one more hour before the sun sets, young one," he told Cheetor. "I believe we still have much training to do."

Cheetor nodded and held both swords. Akkad smashed down at Cheetor with one hand while the cat leaped over his arm and slashed at the Vok's shoulder plates. Akkad swung back as Cheetor dodged underneath and came in, cutting at him across the side.

As the sun rose further down the mountains, both master and student continued their lessons. And though darkness would soon fall, there would be no more personal demons haunting the blackness of the night. Cheetor had made sure of that, by vanquishing the darkness within.

By the time the sun had set, the sound of master and student sparring could still be heard by miles.


	73. Return of the King

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Return of the King_

Up to three months had passed since Dinobot had been demoted. Obsidian had taken his place and he made sure Dinobot knew it well.

Now he stood in the throne room before Megatron and the other Predacons. The Predacon leader had made sure to first shoot a nasty glare in his direction, at which Dinobot lowered his head. He had suffered much shame and humiliation. Megatron's trust in him was now gone and the rest of the Predacons were wary of his presence.

At this point, he did not know what to do to redeem himself and his honor.

Dinobot was not the only one who felt alienated. Terrorsaur and Waspinator were also feeling the pressure from Megatron. Not only had he deemed them worthless, he also made sure that they received the most humiliating and backbreaking of labors.

"Remember back when Megatron used to stand for something?" Terrorsaur whispered to Waspinator.

Waspinator nodded his head, remembering back to when they had first met Megatron back on Cybertron.

And of course, Tarantulas was still smarting from Megatron's attitude towards him. Life under the Predacon tyrant was becoming more and more unpleasant. When it came down to it, Tarantulas found himself preferring to work under the deceased Tripredacus Council or even Shokaract. At least they had given him wider berth to do his research uninterrupted, as opposed to Megatron's micro-managing.

"Micro-managing megalomaniac," Tarantulas muttered under his breath.

"Obsidian and Strika," Megatron looked at his two most loyal lieutenants. "I have a new mission for you. Dr. Drake's intelligence-gathering has discovered a military base in Arizona, said to possess alien technology. I will need you to lead a frontal assault."

"At once my liege," Obsidian bowed and left with Strika.

"Anything Waspinator can do?" asked the wasp eagerly.

"Yes, scout patrol as usual," sighed Megatron, wondering why he even bothered. "You and Terrorsaur may as well go, considering how little you contribute."

That was the final straw. After all the months of humiliation and bullying, Terrorsaur had come to his wits end.

"So that's it, huh?" Terrorsaur snapped. "We're that useless to you? Need I remind you that if it weren't for Waspinator and myself, you wouldn't even have stolen the golden discs?"

"You dare raise your voice with me?" demanded Megatron, stomping towards Terrorsaur.

"Of course I dare!" Terrorsaur shot back. "What do I have to lose? You treat Waspinator and me like scrap all the time! Then you expect us to take it lying down?"

In anger, Megatron balled his hand into a fist and threw it down, intending to punch Terrorsaur right through the wall. In fear, Terrorsaur covered his eyes, waiting for it to come and put him in stasis lock for the rest of the day.

He felt nothing. As Terrorsaur opened his eyes, he saw that Dinobot had caught Megatron's fist with his own hand. Dinobot had never stood up for him before. But now, the Predacon reptile had just saved him from Megatron's wrath.

Standing against the wall, Tarantulas chuckled, marveling at the drama that was currently unfolding.

"This is not necessary!" Dinobot growled at Megatron. "They are weak! There is no honor in attacking those who pose no threat to you!"

"You dare?" Megatron's eyes blazed with fury.

With one backhand, Megatron struck Dinobot and sent him crashing into sensitive lab equipment.

"Hey, I needed that!" Tarantulas shouted in protest.

Megatron ignored Tarantulas' objections and flew over towards Dinobot.

"You wish to take Terrorsaur's punishment?" Megatron smiled. "Very well then!"

Both Terrorsaur and Waspinator could only recoil in horror as they watched Megatron begin to beat Dinobot mercilessly. Though they had never been saints in their own right, there was something which stirred inside them, telling them that what Megatron was doing to a fellow Predacon was indeed wrong.

Tarantulas, however, did not share in that sentiment as he watched with amusement while Megatron picked Dinobot up and threw him down, planting his heel into the raptor's back.

* * *

By mid-day, Tarantulas had returned to his base. He had roughly two hours there before he had to report back to Megatron again. And it was just as well, for one of his two projects had finally been completed.

"Is it almost done?" asked Tarantulas.

"Almost!" Tankorr gave the thumbs up.

After putting in the final touches with a blowtorch, Tankorr threw the folds off the new project he and Tarantulas had been working on together.

Before the two was a large red and black spider-shaped robot. It had been the new war machine Tarantulas had been designing for a while.

"It's finished!" Tarantulas waved both hands in the air excitedly. "Arachnoid Prime is complete!"

The large robotic body had multiple uses. It had a drill which could be used as a tunnel machine. It had jet packs, which could turn it into a jet. It possessed wheels below its underbelly, turning the Arachnoid Prime into a tank if need be. And last but not least, it had a robot mode just in case Tarantulas ever needed to combat a much larger and more powerful being such as Megatron in his current body.

"Soon, with Arachnoid Prime and the Metal Hunter, I… err, we shall destroy Megatron and the Maximals to win the Beast Wars!" declared Tarantulas.

"I like your idea," Tankorr smiled.

The two of them had been in cahoots for quite some time. In the past few months, they had been plotting together on how to best overthrow Megatron and destroy the Maximals once and for all.

"Warning, Maximal detected in Grid Omega!" the computer bleeped. "Unit Rattrap!"

"Hmm, shall we take this machine for a test drive?" asked Tankorr.

* * *

For several minutes Rattrap had been searching around the place. He had caught a glimpse of Tankorr's signal on his radar but it suddenly disappeared. Just what were the Predacons doing around his canyon area anyways?

Without warning, a missile crashed near where he stood and sent him flying back. As Rattrap landed, he saw Tankorr coming towards him along with a gigantic spider-like machine with eight legs.

"Aw geez, this is not my day," he groaned.

Tankorr fired again but Rattrap transformed to vehicle mode, racing towards them. He quickly slid underneath the legs of Arachnoid Prime and transformed while underneath, firing several shots into the war machine's underbelly to no effect.

From behind, Tankorr grabbed Rattrap by the neck and lifted him up.

"We were hoping for more Maximals but you'll do," Tankorr told the diminutive Maximal.

Suddenly, a cloaked figure leaped out from the shadows and kicked Tankorr, forcing him to drop Rattrap.

"Whoa, thanks!" Rattrap looked up. "Who're you again?"

"You're in good company," the stranger replied in a familiar voice.

"Wait a minute, is 'dat—" Rattrap's mouth opened.

Just then, the laser rifles underneath Arachnoid Prime's belly began to fire upon the two. The robed figure grabbed Rattrap and hurled a large piece of rock directly into the hole of one of the guns, jamming it and causing it to have a backlash.

"Agh!" Tarantulas shouted as the Arachnoid Prime shook violently.

After he cleared his head, Tarantulas looked down again on the camera. Both Rattrap and the newcomer were gone.

* * *

Just a few feet away, safely hidden behind several rocks, the stranger leaped over another boulder and then stopped, putting Rattrap down.

"Thanks," Rattrap said to him. "You saved my bacon out there."

"Don't mention it, garbage-breath," the stranger finally took off his hood to reveal a familiar face.

It was Cheetor. After having been gone for so long, the look of surprise on Rattrap's expression transformed into a look of joy.

"Cheetor!" exclaimed Rattrap. "It's you! What happened to ya?"

"A lot's happened," Cheetor smiled. "I'll be happy to tell you all about it once we head back to base and catch up with everyone else."

"Sounds great!" Rattap agreed.

Cheetor transformed to flight mode.

"Hop on," he told the Maximal rodent.

* * *

"So, it would appear that you've told me everything you know," General Wesley put his hand on the table. "And from what you've said, I believe you're telling me the truth."

"But that's not enough for you to let me go, is it?" asked Optimus, whose body was still heavily shackled.

"No it's not," the general replied.

In the past few months, Optimus had been interviewed by General Wesley, in addition to several other military leaders and politicians. Most of them had been closed-door sessions since they were not quite sure how to tell the public that they had an alien robot living among their midst the entire time.

"However, I could show you a bit more leniency," General Wesley looked at Optimus eagerly, "if you would tell me where your Maximal base is located."

Now the man was asking for the impossible. No matter what, Optimus would not sell out his own friends and comrades.

"I'm sorry," Optimus said firmly. "I can't tell you that."

"Then I'm afraid it's time for us to move on to Step B."

"And what's that?"

"We're going to dissect you and dismantle you piece by piece," the general warned. "We'll find out what makes you tick."

This had been the dreaded moment.

* * *

"Cheetor!" Airazor ran up and gave the cat a hug.

At the base, all the Maximals were there. Rhinox, Inferno, and Tigatron joined them to celebrate Cheetor's return.

"Hey, I'm back," Cheetor greeted everyone.

"I found 'im out in the canyons where he saved me from the Preds," Rattrap informed them.

"You've been gone for such a long time, little cat," Tigatron put a hand on Cheetor's shoulder.

"Just what were you doing out there?" asked Inferno out of curiosity.

"Well, I had to come to terms with myself, that's what," Cheetor said seriously. "I discovered that I was my own worst enemy."

"As long as you're back, that's what matters!" Rhinox smiled.

"Listen everyone, I have something to say," Cheetor told them. "Ever since I came back from Cybertron, I've been enormous jerk to everyone. I just want to say I'm sorry for acting that way."

"No worries kid," Rattrap punched Cheetor's shoulder lightly. "We forgive ya."

Suddenly, the sensors started going off.

"Incoming Predacon!" Rhinox pointed towards the sky.

Rattrap raised his gun but Cheetor quickly put his hand on Rattrap's arm to lower it.

"Hold up," Cheetor told everyone. "It's only Silverbolt and Blackarachnia. I invited them over."

Soon, the Maximal fuzor landed with his beloved. Silence permeated the area as the rest of the Maximal team stared at them.

"You… invited them over?" Tigatron asked Cheetor with a touch of skepticism.

It was a form of skepticism with some degree of validity. After all, Blackarachnia had been their enemy for a long time. Airazor, Rhinox, and the others also felt similarly.

"During my journeys, I met Silverbolt and Blackarachnia along the way," Cheetor told them. "We teamed up and they helped me out."

"You're sure they're okay?" asked Rattrap.

"We would rejoin if you would be willing to accept us," Silverbolt offered.

Rhinox was at a crossroads. Silverbolt had always been welcome to return to the Maximal team. His beloved, however, was another kind of story.

"I figured if I was given a chance," Cheetor said to his teammates, "then Silverbolt and Blackarachnia also deserve a second chance. Besides, we'll need all the help we can get."

"I suppose if Cheetor truly does trust you," Tigatron looked at Blackarachnia. "Then I could also give you the benefit of the doubt."

"I suppose I will too," Airazor spoke up. "But if Blackarachnia wants our trust, she's going to have to earn it."

"She will, don't worry," Cheetor assured the two.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence kid," Blackarachnia said to Cheetor.

"What do you propose now?" asked Inferno, questioning Cheetor intently.

"We have two accounts to settle," Cheetor told them. "I'll settle the first on my own very soon."

"You'd better be careful," Rhinox told Cheetor. "It turned out Megatron survived his battle with Optimus after all. He'll be the most dangerous of all."

"Great," Cheetor said confidently. "Danger's my middle name."

"Depth Charge is no longer with us," Rhinox added. "He and Rampage perished in a final battle."

Cheetor fell silent.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he closed his optics.

* * *

Angrily, Megatron stormed into his personal quarters. He had been in a foul mood for the past few months.

Dinobot was the reason, without a doubt. For the longest time Megatron had seen the raptor as an almost irreplaceable servant, someone whom he trusted and respected.

But now that trust had dissolved. It had been bad enough that Dinobot once had a human master but it was even worse now considering that Dinobot still had lingering devotion to that same human.

There was only one loyalty Dinobot should have possessed. That should have been loyalty to Megatron and Megatron alone.

Suddenly, a dagger flew out from nowhere and struck the wall.

"Who dares?" Megatron raised his head.

No one was there. Megatron flew over to the wall and picked up the dagger. Tied to it was a small note. He picked it up to see just what its contents contained.

_Megatron, meet me in two days at the canyon. We're going to finish it for good._

_Sincerely,_

_Your former "Son"_

Angrily, Megatron crumpled the letter with his dragon's maw, setting it aflame.

* * *

Deep in meditation, Dinobot sat cross-legged in the forest as the crickets began chirping. Surrounding him were his four clone generals who stood guard around him.

Up above, the stars shone brightly. The constellations they formed were almost surreal but Dinobot paid them no attention. He was busy meditating upon other matters.

It was the same kind of meditation stance that Yoshida-sensei had taught him. No matter how hard he tried, he could not get the human's memories out of his mind. His former master had been one of a kind, and now he was gone forever.

"Something's eating you apart, I can sense it," a familiar voice emerged from the undergrowth.

At once the four Dinobot clones took out their weapons.

Dinobot rose up and turned around to face Cheetor. He beckoned for the four clone generals to put down their weapons.

"I can tell you've changed," Cheetor said to his rival. "Your eyes are different now. You're beginning to question your own worth and your place in this world."

"You know nothing of my inner conflicts," Dinobot replied. "I am warrior! There is nothing which can shake my convictions!"

"Oh no?" Cheetor pressed. "Rattrap told me about how when he was in Japan, you had a human master who was killed by Megatron. It must be eating you up inside."

Dinobot lowered his head.

"It's true, isn't it?" asked Cheetor.

"Yes," Dinobot took out the katana which had been given to him by Kaori. "But that is an inner conflict which must be settled by my own accord. Right now, you and I still have unfinished business."

"I was thinking the same thing," Cheetor got in a fighting stance.

Cheetor, too, had changed, noted Dinobot. Something about him was a bit too calm and collected for the moment. It was as if the cat had undergone some training or experience which made him much more tranquil.

"Stand down," Dinobot ordered his clones. "I will settle this in honorable combat."

If there was anything about Dinobot that Cheetor had to respect, it was his sense of nobility and honor which meant that the lizard would always keep his word to the best of his ability.

With a roar, Dinobot charged at Cheetor who dodged a quick punch and leaped up, grabbing a branch and swinging to the far end of Dinobot's back. Dinobot turned around and fired an optical team which the cat immediately avoided.

The two attacked again, slashing each other across the side with their respective talons. In that one moment, Dinobot ascertained just how much Cheetor had changed as he felt a pain that he had never felt before across the area that most humans would call their ribcage.

Dinobot quickly turned and threw a backhand, which Cheetor ducked underneath. The cat came in, ducking under the strike and punching Dinobot in the nose.

Immediately, Dinobot was thrown back, falling to the ground in surprise. The cat certainly hit a lot harder than before.

As Dinobot got up, Cheetor flew towards him with a flying sidekick. Dinobot ducked underneath as Cheetor landed behind him and kicked Cheetor in the solar plexus, driving the cat back. Going on the attack, Dinobot punched Cheetor twice across the face and grabbed him by the arm, hurling him across the air.

Cheetor landed on both feet and took out his gun, firing back. The shot struck Dinobot in the chest and knocked him on his back.

Leaping high into the air, Cheetor came down, punching at Dinobot who rolled aside to dodge it.

Dinobot flipped over and sweep kicked at Cheetor. Quickly, the Maximal leaped over it and blocked a punch from Dinobot. He grabbed Dinobot by the wrist and twisted the Predacon's arm behind him.

Snarling angrily, Dinobot swung his head back, headbutting Cheetor off of him. As Cheetor fell back, Dinobot struck at Cheetor who caught his hand before it could strike his head.

With a vicious kick, Cheetor drove his knee into Dinobot's chin. He drove his fist across Dinobot's face and then slashed him across the other side with his claws. Dinobot struck back but Cheetor ducked under the swing and connected his fist with Dinobot's forehead.

Dinobot recovered from the blow and slashed at Cheetor with both his extended claws. Cheetor leaped over the strike and leaped onto Dinobot's back, bouncing off the lizard and leaping onto the tree behind him. Planting both feet into the tree, Cheetor rebounded off the bark and kicked Dinobot across the face.

Cheetor struck again, punching Dinobot in the stomach hard enough to knock the wind out of the Predacon raptor. Dinobot blocked the next blow and drove his elbow into the side of Cheetor's face. With a spin kick, he sent Cheetor crashing to the ground.

Raising both fists, Dinobot charged forward and slammed them both down where Cheetor lay. The cat quickly avoided the blow and kicked Dinobot in the face with both feet. Spinning around, Cheetor leaped back up and grabbed the Predacon in a headlock, twisting around and throwing Dinobot with enough force to send the Predacon smashing through a tree.

As Dinobot got up again, he realized that Cheetor was growing faster and stronger. Soon, a golden aura surrounded the Maximal, covering him in a powerful energy, the likes of which the saurian robot had never seen before. It was a form of energy which emanated from his very spark.

Finally, Cheetor took out twin blades, which he spun around. In response, Dinobot took out the katana that had been given to him.

"Your move," Cheetor gestured.

With an ear-splitting roar, Dinobot charged, slashing at Cheetor who blocked the blow in a single stroke. Again and again, Dinobot struck at Cheetor, only for the cat to parry against his every sword strike. With each and every move, Cheetor appeared to be moving faster and faster.

Dinobot swung around, attempting a wheel kick but Cheetor quickly got under, grabbing Dinobot underneath his leg and throwing him to the floor, right on his neck. As Dinobot turned over, he raised his sword just in time as Cheetor struck down at him.

In a single blow, both of Cheetor's sabers utterly smashed Yoshida-sensei's katana to pieces, shattering it mercilessly.

Dinobot was too much in shock to register a proper response. Sensing that the battle was won, Cheetor spun around and delivered a crushing roundhouse kick across Dinobot's jaw. As Dinobot fell on his back, Cheetor came down, stabbing both swords into the ground, criss-crossing them across Dinobot's neck.

Raising his hand, Cheetor struck down at Dinobot's spark chamber. Dinobot closed both optics, awaiting death's release.

The final blow did not come. Dinobot opened his eyes again. Cheetor had chosen not to strike the death blow to extinguish his spark. The cat's claws lay only a few inches from the opening of his spark chamber.

Silently, Cheetor removed both swords from the area around Dinobot's neck and got up. Normally, Dinobot would have expected the usual self-congratulatory childish gloating he had always known Cheetor for. Instead, the Maximal feline looked at Dinobot with an unclear expression.

But one thing was clear at that moment. Cheetor had won the battle.

"Why didn't you finish me?" demanded Dinobot, feeling further ashamed that he had been denied the chance for an honorable death in battle.

"Because that would be the easy way out for you," Cheetor replied wisely. "I'm not going to let that happen and I bet your human master wouldn't have wanted it either."

"I am dishonored…" Dinobot's head drooped.

"Don't think of it as a loss of honor," Cheetor told him. "Think of it as a chance for you to search your own spark like I did and see for yourself what's right. Do you really serve a higher code of honor or will you continue to serve a tyrant like Megatron? Choose wisely."

Silently, Cheetor leaped into the air and disappeared across the trees as Dinobot fell to both knees in dishonor as his clone generals surrounded him to help him up.

"The cat's words contain a scent of truth…" admitted Dinobot.

An encounter like this was not something he had been expecting. Perhaps the cat really was maturing after all.

And perhaps… just perhaps, he needed to do the same.

* * *

"So uh, how's Europe?" Airazor asked.

Airazor and Tigatron sat on chairs at one end of the table while Silverbolt and Blackarachnia sat on the other end.

"Everything's good," Blackarachnia answered, not sure how to respond properly.

"Um, great," Airazor nodded, trying to appear enthusiastic.

Things were still uncomfortable between Blackarachnia and the Maximals. She and Airazor in particular were having a difficult time adjusting to each other, though they certainly did make an effort to try, if nothing else at least on Cheetor's behalf.

"So um, you like flying?" Blackarachnia asked, them mentally kicking herself for asking such an obtuse question.

"Yeah, guess I do," Airazor looked at her own feathers.

Everything was proceeding awkwardly. Both Airazor and Blackarachnia had no idea how to communicate with each other and the small talk they did attempt came off as rather wooden and forced.

"Looks like you guys are going to need some time getting used to each other," Cheetor entered into the room.

"Cheetor, what happened?" asked Rhinox.

"I faced Dinobot," Cheetor answered. "And put to rest some inner demons."

"Hold up kid, you mean you beat Dinobot's scaly butt?" asked Rattrap. "Nice job!"

"He was tough," asked Cheetor. "I'll give him that. Now all that remains is Megatron."

"If you're going to face him, then I'm going with you!" Blackarachnia interrupted. "I've been waiting for a chance to put the hurt on old grapeface!"

"We're with you too, Cheetor," Tigatron told the younger feline.

"Alright then," Cheetor promised. "We face Megatron together."

* * *

Being strapped to a table wasn't the most uncomfortable thing Optimus had ever experienced in his life. It was just that he was being held there for the purpose of dissection.

Taking a glance all around him, Optimus noticed that there were a team of scientists preparing some kind of mechanical drill. No doubt that would be the instrument they would use on him for the dissection. To his far left were a few abandoned Predacon vessels, no doubt remnants from the recent Predacon invasion.

"You know," General Wesley told Optimus. "We could avoid this painful procedure altogether if you would just tell me where the rest of your kind is located."

"I won't do that," Optimus replied firmly.

"Have it your way," the General shook his head.

From the ceiling, the large drill came nearer until it pointed directly at Optimus Primal's spark chamber.

"If you won't tell us, we'll just have to pry you apart piece by piece to find whatever information we need," General Wesley stepped back.

As the drill hummed to life, Optimus struggled against his restraints but could not break free.

Suddenly, the ceiling from above exploded. From the skies flew down Obsidian and then Strika.

At once, the two landed as the soldiers around them opened fire. Bullets did not do any harm as the two Predacons laughed off the attack.

"This base has what we need," Obsidian looked around.

"Then let's take it, shall we?" Strika reached over and grabbed on to a Predacon starfighter, breaking open its hull and taking out its vital circuitry.

"Soldiers, contain them!" ordered General Wesley.

As the General turned his attention away from Optimus, Primal suddenly noticed a glowing within his spark. The Terra Matrix had never left his body to begin with. It only stayed dormant until it would find a proper moment to resurface once more.

A glowing light quickly surrounded Optimus Primal's body, allowing him to break free of the titanium shackles which held him. He leaped onto the floor and slowly began transforming.

"Move move move!" shouted General Wesley as Strika sent several more soldiers running with her explosive gunfire.

"You won't stop us from getting what we want," Obsidian told the General. "Soon, Megatron will have this entire planet."

"Ahem…"

Obsidian noticed something very large and powerful tapping him on the shoulder.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Optimal Optimus rumbled.

"Uh oh," Obsidian muttered.

Optimus grabbed him and lifted him up. Beneath him, Strika fired a bomb which exploded against Primal's feet. When the smoke cleared, Strika became aware of just how little damage she could do to Optimus at this point.

"Oh slag…" Strika whimpered.

With a single blow, both Strika and Obsidian were sent flying, far, far away from the military base.

As General Wesley got up, two of his soldiers went over to help him get up. From the ceiling, a piece of concrete left over from the fighting broke off and fell down right where they stood.

The general screamed and closed his eyes, waiting for the end to come. However, nothing happened. He opened his eyes. There was Optimus right in front of him, holding that piece of ceiling with one hand, having prevented it from crushing them.

The unthinkable had occurred. The Maximal had just saved his life.

"I won't allow you to perish," Primal looked down sternly towards the human. "But I won't be your prisoner either."

Having said that, Optimus transformed to flight mode and flew out of the base.

"Sir… did he just save our lives?" asked the soldier next to General Wesley. "Why did he do that?"

"I… I don't know," General Wesley said, clearly shaken from the experience.

And indeed, they were all shaken. None of them could figure out for the life of them why Optimus Primal had chosen to save them. However, it was certain that the experience had left an impression which would bear upon them for the rest of their lives.

* * *

Like a demonic gargoyle, Megatron flew down with wings outstretched. He had been given instructions to come down to the same site where he had his last battle with Optimus. The Maximal signatures, however, lay just a little bit closer towards the sea. Jetstorm, Ravage, Scorponok, and Thrust had accompanied him.

Soon, they became within view. At the very front center was Cheetor. Something about the cat was different, and it wasn't just the two new weapons he happened to be sporting.

Silverbolt and Blackarachnia were there too, in addition to Inferno and the rest of the Maximal team, sans Depth Charge.

"So, I see you've come to face your doom," Megatron flew down, gloating.

"You want us, you got us," Cheetor swished his swords around his body, ready to do battle.

"The rest of you, leave!" Megatron turned around, ordering his Predacon soldiers away.

"But boss, you'll be outnumbered!" protested Scorponok.

"Do not question me!" Megatron replied haughtily. "I want to give the Maximals a sporting chance. Besides, only I should have the honor of killing each and every one of them with my bare hands. Now go!"

Shrugging, Scorponok turned away, followed by the other Predacons.

"Your funeral," Jetstorm muttered.

Soon, it was just Megatron and the Maximal team. This was the opportunity Megatron had relished all along, to be able to vanquish all his enemies by himself to make up for not having had the chance to extinguish Primal's spark.

"Now, where were we?" Megatron turned around. "Oh right."

Without warning, Megatron blasted a powerful spray of flames at the Maximals who quickly had to scatter.

Cheetor was the first to leap over the flames. He landed on top of Megatron's head but leaped off just as fast. Before Megatron knew it, Cheetor was behind him.

"Your speed won't save you forever!" Megatron growled.

Raising his tail, Megatron brought it down, forcing the cat to move out of the way once again.

He felt a sudden jolt. Then he realized that the rest of the Maximals and Blackarachnia had opened fire on him.

"Insolent fools!" Megatron howled.

The last shot came from Tigatron, which struck him dead in the eye. This time, the shot actually hurt, having struck him in a vulnerable area.

"Aaaagh!" roared Megatron who returned fire by spitting a large jet of flames at Tigatron.

Tigatron rolled over and set his own gun to its freeze ray coordinates. He fired back as his ice ray struck Megatron's flames. For a while, the two beams were at a stalemate. Soon, though, Tigatron's ice ray was pushed back, thanks to Megatron's greater power.

Before Megatron could press his advantage, a sudden burst of webbing clamped his jaws shut, causing Megatron to choke back his flames in surprise. Blackarachnia had been the one who fired the webbing.

In that moment, Megatron would have broken the webbing with a snap of his jaw but Inferno came in, blasting him across the face with a shot from his rifle. Silverbolt flew Rhinox up, allowing the Maximal scientist to come down, slamming both his hands down on Megatron's snout. Then Cheetor came in, sailing across the air and delivering a devastating kick into the side of Megatron's face, knocking him down.

Furiously, Megatron broke the webbing from his jaw and swung his tail as the Maximals came in close, knocking away Tigatron, Silverbolt, Rhinox, and Inferno. Airazor and Blackarachnia came in, firing at Megatron side by side. In return, Megatron knocked them away with a second swing of his tail.

Soon, he was face to face with Cheetor.

"Raagh!" shouted Megatron, swinging his tail.

Cheetor avoided one swing of the tail. Angrily, Megatron bit down at Cheetor who flipped aside to avoid the crushing bite. Megatron bit at him again, only to miss.

The third time Megatron came in, Cheetor leaped up, planting both feet into Megatron's lower jaw, causing the tyrant's neck to nearly snap back. As Cheetor leaped in, Megatron swing with one of his hands, knocking Cheetor into a boulder.

"Burn!" Megatron transformed to robot mode and blasted at Cheetor with another powerful spat of flames.

Inferno flew down and picked Cheetor up, flying him away from the fires at that moment.

From one side, Blackarachnia fired her grappling hook, tying it around Megatron's left arm. From the right, Tigatron fired his wrist-mounted grappling hook, tying it around the right arm of Megatron.

Angrily, Megatron swung, throwing them both away. Doing that left him wide open to Cheetor who kicked him from behind, causing him to stumble forward. As Cheetor leaped up, he landed on Megatron's back and took out both swords, stabbing Megatron with them.

"Aaagh!" howled Megatron in pain.

He reached behind and grabbed Cheetor, putting him in a merciless stranglehold. Holding Cheetor tightly, Megatron swung with his other hand, knocking away Silverbolt. Then he lashed out, kicking Rhinox and Rattrap out of his way.

With that done, he slammed Cheetor into the ground and then stomped down on the Maximal with his foot for good measure.

Next in line was Inferno. Megatron reached out and grabbed him but Inferno took his gun and sprayed Megatron in the face with his own flamethrower.

In fury, Megatron threw Inferno into the canyon wall.

"You think _that_ can harm me?" Megatron shouted.

Brazenly, Megatron stepped forward but an explosion underneath his feet soon rocked him. All around him, Rattrap had planted explosive mines.

"Agh!" shouted Megatron who finally had to fly up in the air.

"Rhinox, airlift!" shouted Cheetor.

Rhinox cupped both hands together and heaved Cheetor into the air. Somersaulting across the sky, Cheetor punched Megatron across the chin. In return, Megatron grabbed Cheetor by the leg and swung him two times before throwing the Maximal into the ground.

While the Predacon commander was in the air, however, Tigatron saw his opportunity and raised his gun, firing an ice ray which froze both of Megatron's wings as he flapped them in mid-air.

"No!" screamed Megatron as he plummeted.

He finally struck the ground as both frozen wings on his back shattered from the impact. Now he had lost the element of flight.

"You disgusting feline!" Megatron growled at Tigatron.

Blackarachnia took the opportunity to shoot Megatron in his now-injured back with three powerful darts filled with a full dose of cyber-venom. Immediately, Megatron felt his own joints slowing down. Fortunately for him, he was so large that cyber-venom would not have any immediate effect. However, it was still a handicap, especially in the midst of a battle.

"Backshooting widow!" screamed Megatron, growing more angry and irrational with each crippling blow dealt to him.

Raising his hand in the air, Megatron struck the ground, splitting the earth and causing the Maximals to scatter. He then raised his dragon's maw cannon to fire.

Thinking fast, Cheetor took the tail spear which belonged to Rattrap and chucked it. Just as Megatron opened fire with a powerful dose of fire. The spear jammed the cannon, causing a backlash which finally culminated in the cannon exploding and blowing off part of Megatron's arm.

When the smoke cleared, Megatron stood before them injured heavily but still functional. The front part of his left arm had been blown off along with the dragon cannon.

"Give it up, Megatron!" Cheetor warned. "You can't win this!"

"I will never surrender!" hissed Megatron. "Not to the likes of you Maximal scum!"

The next flurry of attacks caught Megatron completely off guard. Silverbolt and Inferno flew into the air and sent several missile and plasma blasts which struck the ground near the tyrant, forcing him to step back. In the meantime, Rhinox pelted Megatron with several deadly rounds of his machinegun fire, this time blasting through the Predacon's armor.

"No! No!" screamed Megatron.

From Megatron's backside, Cheetor came in; grabbing both his swords now embedded in Megatron and pulled them out. Megatron swung around, trying to catch Cheetor but the cat leaped into the air as both his body and his weapons glowed with a familiar golden aura emanating from his spark.

With a heroic battle cry, Cheetor came down, slashing Megatron across the chest with both his sabers, dealing much more powerful damage to Megatron this time. All across his body, sparks flew out as certain parts of his joints finally gave out. Megatron thrashed about wildly as his body began to implode from within thanks to all the damage being dealt to him.

Finally, Megatron fell down to one knee, trying to steady himself. He stood near the edge of the cliff as the Maximals began to close in on him.

"You Maximal filth cannot defeat me!" Megatron snarled. "I am Megatron, Predacon Emperor of Destruction!"

"Sorry Mega-jerk, I'd say we just did," Cheetor announced.

Cheetor ran forward alongside Silverbolt and Airazor. All at once, they kicked the tyrant, slamming their feet into Megatron's chest. This time they knocked the Predacon leader off the cliff and into the waves below.

Megatron's body struck the water, causing an enormous body of water to erupt from the sea. Soon, his body sank underneath and did not rise again.

"You did it Cheetor," Silverbolt said finally. "You defeated Megatron."

"No," Cheetor corrected. "_We_ defeated Megatron. I couldn't have done it without you guys."

Together, they had beaten Megatron. And the help of his fellow Maximals was something that Cheetor greatly appreciated.

"Now all that's left is to find Optimus," Cheetor declared.

Rhinox looked down on his com-signal and then towards the sky.

"Actually, we may not have to!" he pointed out.

Soon, a large jet was spotted above them. It came closer and closer until at last they could identify it.

"Optimus!" Cheetor shouted excitedly.

The large Optimal robot landed and transformed to robot mode.

"You're back!" Rattrap ran up. "Where'd you go off to?"

"I was held captive for a while," Optimus replied. "I managed to escape in time though."

"Wherever you were, it's good to have you back!" Cheetor smiled.

Optimus looked around, surveying the damaged battleground. Little did he know that the entire team had just beaten Megatron.

"What happened here?" he asked.

"You missed out, Optimus," Airazor told him. "We just got done whooping Megatron's skid-plates."

"Yes, and Cheetor helped to lead us into battle," Tigatron added.

"Did you?" asked Optimus.

"Well, sorta," Cheetor admitted bashfully. "It was nothing."

"Are you kidding me?" Rattrap slapped Cheetor on the back. "You really stepped up to the plate!"

"It's good to hear you performed well in my absence," Optimus put a hand on Cheetor's shoulder. "I now know I can rely on you whenever things get tough."

"Thanks Optimus," Cheetor beamed.

"Speaking of which, I thought the team voted to not have Blackarachnia on the team," Optimus glanced towards the black widow spider.

"Well, we did a recount," Cheetor grinned.

"And it would appear that my beloved is welcome after all," Silverbolt added.

"Yup, looks like it," Blackarachnia crossed both arms.

"She and Silverbolt helped to save my life on one of my solo adventures," Cheetor told his mentor. "I'd trust them with my spark."

"Well, if Cheetor trusts you, then I suppose I should also give you another chance," Optimus reached down as if to shake hands with the female Predacon.

Blackarachnia grimaced as she saw the giant hand, which was easily much bigger than she was. There was no way she was going to shake hands with something as large as that.

"Um," Cheetor pointed out. "Optimus…"

"Oh right…" Optimal Optimus withdrew his massive hand awkwardly.

"Meh, glad I could help out," Blackarachnia scoffed. "That's all. I only did it because Silverbolt convinced me. Plus I wanted to see Megatron get what's coming to him."

"Heh, sure it was," Rattrap poked at her. "Because we all know it wasn't because of 'yer _inner Maximal goodness_."

"Don't push it rodent," Blackarachnia warned. "Unless you want to end up the main course for tonight."

"I think I'll help out," Cheetor joked. "Rat-on-a-skewer sounds just about right."

"What?" Rattrap protested. "Now you're taking her side?"

"We can talk about it all later," Optimus said to them. "But for now, let's go home."

On that issue, practically all the Transformers were in unanimous agreement.

* * *

"Gaaah!" screamed Megatron as he rose above water finally.

He did not possess an aquatic beast mode and as such, was disadvantaged in the battle against the raging seawaters. At last, he had finally reached dry land, having grasped onto several of the jagged rocks around the area for support.

Finally, he hoisted himself onto the land. He was dripping wet from head to toe and his entire body had been damaged badly in his encounter with the Maximals.

Frankly, he was surprised he hadn't drowned.

"Megatron to all units!" Megatron shouted into his com-links. "Report to my location at once!"

Nothing. No one was there to help him. Not even Dinobot.

"Megatron to anybody!" he screamed. "I need immediate assistance."

Static.

Having lost all semblance of self-control, Megatron smashed his fist into the ground, pounding at the formless sand in vain. Still there was no one there to help him.

Raising his head into the air, Megatron began screaming in both agony and despair. But despite it all, not a soul could hear him from miles upon miles.

**A/N:** Got some important news. BW Symmetries will be ending very soon. There will be five more chapters and then my series will officially end at Chapter 78. I've had a blast writing this series and I hope everyone has enjoyed this. I've had a hell of a run writing a reboot of Beast Wars but I think it's time to hang up the hat soon. Nothing good lasts forever but I can sure as slag make it as good as it gets while it lasts. Thanks to everyone who's been enjoying my series!


	74. Winds of Change

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Winds of Change_

"Think we're finally home free?" asked Terrorsaur.

"Waspinator think so!" Waspinator nodded.

The two Predacon fliers were soaring across the skies at full speed. Hot on their tracks were the rest of the aerial Predacons.

"Incoming!" shouted Terrorsaur.

Both of them swerved to the side to avoid a missile from Jetstorm. Behind them were Jetstorm and Obsidian.

"Halt traitors!" shouted Obsidian.

"Not in a million stellar cycles!" Terrorsaur shouted back.

Waspinator and Terrorsaur were now effectively fugitives from the Predacon camp. Because of what they had done, they had made themselves targets of Megatron's wrath.

In front of them loomed a large set of clouds. They were ominous enough to indicate that bad weather was approaching. Now was the chance that Terrorsaur had been waiting for.

"Waspinator, beast mode!" shouted Terrorsaur.

The two of them avoided several more shots by their trailers and transformed to beast mode, flying into the clouds. It was at that point that Obsidian and Jetstorm stopped giving chase.

"Aw man!" Jetstorm protested. "I don't want to go in there! It's a friggin' thunderstorm!"

Obsidian did not like Jetstorm's reluctant tone but had to concede that he did make a very good point. Who knew what kind of damage a lightning storm like that could do to them. It was far better to do the pragmatic thing.

"Hmm, so be it," Obsidian huffed. "Jetstorm, fall back to base. I will handle those two traitors with Strika."

Jetstorm did not need to be told twice. He flew back immediately as Obsidian landed on the ground.

"Obsidian to Strika," he spoke into his com-link. "Do you read?"

"I read," Strika's voice came through.

"The traitors Terrorsaur and Waspinator are within coordinates nine two six within the State of Arizona," Obsidian told her. "Meet me at my specified location and we shall hunt the traitors down together."

"Confirmed," Strika agreed.

* * *

From the skies, Terrorsaur and Waspinator flew down just as the rain began to pour.

They did not necessarily need protection from the rain but it was still an enormous hassle to them just being out there and having rainwater drizzle down on them. Soon, a small cabin came within view. It looked rather rustic and small but it was still the only thing within miles which could provide shelter.

"Let's go in there," Terrorsaur said to his partner.

The fliers walked towards the front door and sat down underneath the roof.

"Terrorsaur think we should go in?" suggested Waspinator.

"Sure, but we could just wait here until the rain's over," Terrorsaur replied.

"Hmm, sounds good," Waspinator agreed.

The two of them sat pensively in waiting. They had just lost everything. Not only were they fugitives, they had become traitors to the entire Predacon base.

Without warning, the door opened and out came a human. It was an elderly human in his sixties wearing trousers and a cowboy hat. To the left of his mouth was a pipe. It was he who had been the resident of the cabin.

"Well what do we have here?" he asked.

Terrorsaur pulled out his gun instinctively.

"Whoa, no need to get excited," the man raised both hands. "I didn't think I'd see others like you way out here."

"Others?" Waspinator asked curiously.

Having decided that the human posed no threat, Terrorsaur put down his weapon.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I go by the name Jim," the human replied. "I've been living in these parts as a hermit for the past few years ever since my wife passed away."

"Jim has seen other Predacons like us?" asked Waspinator.

"Of course I have!" Jim beamed.

"You mean from the recent Predacon invasion?" asked Terrorsaur.

"Actually, I've gotten acquainted with one of you long before that," Jim answered.

"Really now?" Terrorsaur's curiosity began to surge.

"I'll introduce you to him in the morning," Jim said. "But for now, how would you boys want to come inside?"

"Uh… sure," Terrorsaur replied, a bit taken aback at the human's friendliness.

"Oooh, does this mean Waspinator gets bed and breakfast?"

"Yeah," replied Jim. "If you like cooked rattlesnake!"

* * *

_Excitedly, Terrorstreak and Buzzsaw crowded amongst the gathering of Predacons who had come together to listen to the new charismatic young Predacon who had been making waves across the political scene on Cybertron._

_To the Maximals, he was a rebel, a troublemaker, and a rogue who was deemed too dangerous to allow for his political activism. But to many young, disenfranchised Predacons, he was a savior._

"_My fellow Predacons!" Megatron spoke loudly through his microphone. "Have we not had enough? Have we not endured the yoke of Maximal tyranny for long enough? Who are they to rule Cybertron and dictate to us the terms of our lot in life? Why are they allowed to have the lion's share of wealth, arms, political power, and technology while we remain confined as a second-tier underclass of the netherworld?"_

"_This guy's really something!" Terrorstreak said._

"_Buzzsaw agree!" Buzzsaw nodded in excitement._

_The charismatic eloquence exuded from this Megatron had given them hope once more. Whoever this Megatron was, he had the gift of a silver tongue which managed to inspire them and give them the belief that things could change for the better for Predacon-kind._

_Soon, however, the Maximal authorities began to move in._

"_Okay move it along people!" the Maximal officer warned._

_Suddenly, Megatron pulled out a blaster and shot the officer in front of the entire audience. In shock, Terrorstreak and Buzzsaw could only watch as a full-out brawl erupted between the Maximal police forces and the Predacons gathered in the area. _

_In the midst of that brawl, a Maximal police officer came in from behind Megatron with a gun pointed to the activist leader's back._

_Without thinking, Buzzsaw pulled out his gun and fired a shot, blasting the Maximal away from Megatron. Megatron looked up, noticing his saviors._

"_Come with Buzzsaw and Terrorstreak!" Buzzsaw beckoned. "We know secret way out!"_

_Without another word, Megatron left the police and the Predacon activists to fight amongst themselves as he slipped away. After following Buzzsaw and Terrorstreak through several alleyways, they stopped. At the location, Terrorstreak quickly used his keycard to a building to open the door. They went inside with Megatron._

"_Ah, I see I have my faithful supporters," Megatron smiled. "I must thank you for your assistance."_

"_We've been watching you talk out there," Terrorstreak told him. "You were really something."_

"_Yes, Buzzsaw impressed!"_

"_I'm flattered," Megatron smiled._

"_Think we could join you?" asked Terrorstreak. "Buzzsaw and I have been down on our luck for a while and I figured someone like you could really lead the Predacons to something better."_

"_Yes, Buzzsaw want to be part of something big!" Buzzsaw chirped._

_Sensing an opportunity to gather more supporters, Megatron draped both arms across the two Predacons and flashed his biggest smile._

"_You will not regret this, I promise you!" Megatron told them. "Stick with me and you will never go hungry again!"_

At once Waspinator woke up. For the second consecutive night, he had a dream about his and Terrorsaur's past. It was a younger and more idealistic time when they had been so caught up in Megatron's web of promises and deceit. It was a time when they still believed in something and when Megatron seemed to believe in the equality of all Predacons.

But those times were now gone. And the youthful, exuberant Megatron they had known in the years past was also gone. What had once been a revolutionary upstart who promised equality for all Predacons had turned into a tyrant of the highest order who cared only for himself and his own lust for power.

Small wonder why they no longer followed Megatron.

"Hey, you up?" asked Terrorsaur, rubbing his eyes.

"Waspinator feel refreshed!" Waspinator declared.

"Yeah well, where's that human?" demanded Terrorsaur.

"Waspinator thinks he's outside!"

"Let's go find him," Terrorsaur declared.

Transforming to robot mode, both of them walked outside. Nearby was Jim, sitting on top of a rock, cooking his breakfast over a fire.

"Glad to see you boys are up," Jim greeted them. "I actually haven't been able to tell Quickstrike about you yet. If you would just step back in the house for a moment—"

"Quickstrike?" Waspinator stared at Terrorsaur.

"Uh oh," Jim's demeanor turned serious.

Without warning, a blue and yellow blue slammed into Terrorsaur, knocking him down. Before Waspinator could react accordingly, the creature whipped its tail right into his face, knocking the Predacon wasp to the ground.

While he was down on the ground, Terrorsaur finally got a good look at his assailant. It was a grotesque yellow and blue fuzor with the body of a scorpion and the tail shaped with the head of a cobra.

"What in tarnation do you think you're doing in my neck of the woods!" the creature shouted.

In anger, Terrorsaur kicked the creature off.

"What the slag are you?" Terrorsaur demanded.

"Name's Quickstrike!" the creature announced. "And I don't take too kindly to trespassers!"

From behind, Waspinator fired at Quickstrike who rapidly dodged to avoid it and fired back, knocking Waspinator down with a powerful dose of cyber-venom.

Quickly, Terrorsaur tackled Quickstrike, taking both of them down. As they rolled across the floor, Quickstrike finally got the upper hand and pinned Terrorsaur to the desert floor, raising his cobra-hand in the air as a warning.

"You better start talking or I'm gonna pump you with a nasty snake bite here!" Quickstrike threatened.

"We-We're Predacons," Terrorsaur gulped, realizing that Quickstrike was much stronger than would be expected for a 'bot so small.

"Predacons, huh?" Quickstrike seemed surprised. "You mean like them other walking tin-cans who came by a few months ago?"

Having established himself as the alpha male, Quickstrike decided to get off of Terrorsaur and allow the pteranodon to speak.

"There were others like us?" asked Terrorsaur, getting up. "Tell me, did they arrive in squadrons?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact they did," Quickstrike replied. "They wanted to take over this world. I fought them."

"You fought against the Predacons in the recent invasion?" asked Terrorsaur. "I guess that would make sense. Your signature says you're a Maximal."

"What's a Maximal?" asked Quickstrike.

Suddenly, Terrorsaur began to realize that Quickstrike was not exactly too keen on his own origins or if he even realized he was a Transformer.

"In any case Quickstrike, what do you say we call a truce?" suggested Terrorsaur. "Waspinator and I are already on the run and we don't need anymore trouble than we already have."

"Hmmm, fine by me," Quickstrike agreed. "You might want to help your friend over there."

By now, Waspinator was beginning to recover from some of the cyber-venom. He sat up groggily and shook his head. Terrorsaur walked over to him and helped the insect up.

"Waspinator's head is spinning!" Waspinator groaned.

"So you boys are Predacons, huh?" asked Quickstrike. "Don't tell me you're here to try to take over."

"Actually no," Terrorsaur replied. "You see, we're what you might call deserters."

"Deserters?" Quickstrike was taken aback. "You mean you're no longer with them so-called Predacons?"

"Not anymore," declared Waspinator. "Waspinator and Terrorsaur decided it was time to call quits for good!"

"Well I'll be a jackrabbit's uncle," Quickstrike shook his head slowly. "I reckon you boys might be alright after all."

"Two-head not want to fight anymore?" asked Waspinator.

"Nah, not anymore," Quickstrike told the bug. "I've always been keen on a good campfire story. I reckon if you tell me one, we might be square."

"Well, it's a loooong story," Terrorsaur sat down. "But I guess if we're all the way out here, we might as well."

* * *

Leaning back, Megatron relaxed himself against the very edge of the CR bath as he allowed himself a small sigh of relief.

The last bits of injuries to his body had been healed. He was now back at full strength but he was not quite done savoring the bath itself. Across the waters, the rubber ducky he possessed floated aimlessly.

One of the many things currently on his mind was revenge against the Maximals for what they had done to him. With Cheetor back, the entire team had its fortunes reversed and beat him in combat, leaving him nearly at death's door. Had it not been for the Darkspark shard within his own spark to power him, he would certainly have been killed by them.

Other than the Maximals, there were still Waspinator and Terrorsaur he had to contend with. After what they had pulled, there was no way he, Megatron, would allow them to escape unpunished.

_The battle against the Maximals had been fierce and uncompromising. But in the end, Megatron had lost. _

_Now he was stranded on a remote beach with little to no chance of reaching any of the Predacons. His com-link had been water-damaged since he had been knocked into the ocean by Cheetor. _

"_Warning, stasis lock may commence in two remaining cycles," his personal computer warned._

"_Blast…" Megatron cursed._

_What else could he do? He wasn't about to go offline permanently but at the same time, he did hate having to feel so helpless. Already heavily injured, there was nothing he could do except drag his own body across the sand and lay down against a rock._

_Suddenly, from the sky he noticed two fliers. Then he recognized who they were._

"_Terrorsaur!" screamed Megatron. "Waspinator!"_

_His voice appeared to have been loud enough for now they came down to his aid. The two of them transformed to robot mode and landed before the fallen tyrant._

"_My, look how the mighty have fallen!" Terrorsaur appeared to have a smirk on his face._

"_You two, help me at once!" ordered Megatron._

_That was it. A simple command. At this point, Megatron did not even bother acknowledging their help or being grateful for it. He simply took it for granted._

_And at this point, both Terrorsaur and Waspinator had had enough. They were through being lackeys to Megatron anymore._

"_Help yourself up," Terrorsaur responded coolly. "We're done taking orders from you."_

"_You dare defy me?" Megatron growled. "I command you imbeciles to help me at once!"_

"_Hmph, Megatron not tell Waspinator what to do anymore!" Waspinator crossed both arms. "Waspinator is sick and tired of being chew-toy!"_

"_Five seconds until stasis lock," Megatron's computer warned._

"_Well Megatron, we've had a good run," Terrorsaur mock-bowed before the Predacon leader. "But I'm afraid now is the moment where we depart and leave you hanging dry!"_

"_You idiots!" shouted Megatron. "You've just signed your own death warrants!"_

_As Terrorsaur and Waspinator flew off, Megatron at last entered into stasis lock._

Megatron had not forgotten what the two Predacon fliers had done. And rest assured, he would see to it that they paid the price for their betrayal.

Suddenly, his com-link began to activate.

"Lord Megatron, this is Strika reporting in," Strika's voice emerged.

"Report," ordered Megatron.

"We have located the whereabouts of Terrorsaur and Waspinator," reported Strika. "They appear to be within the area known as Arizona."

"Then find them and dispose of them," Megatron ordered. "Lethal force has been authorized."

"Sir, there is one more thing in our report," Strika told him. "With Terrorsaur and Waspinator we seem to have located the spark of an unknown Transformer."

"Hmm, this is an interesting development, yes," Megatron noted. "I would like for you to destroy Waspinator and Terrorsaur first. Then bring in this new Transformer for reprogramming, if he is not already a Predacon."

"Yes Megatron. Strika out."

* * *

"Lemme get this straight," Jim almost howled with laughter. "You boys left this Megatron feller hanging high and dry?"

"Basically," Terrorsaur confirmed, chewing with his mouth open.

The four of them were sitting around a campfire. Above the campfire were several skewers of rabbit meat. While in beast mode, Terrorsaur had taken a liking to them.

"Sounds like this Megatron fella's a real jerk," Quickstrike pointed out.

"Hmph, Two-head not know the half of it!" Waspinator waved his hands in the air for emphasis.

"So now that you've cut ties with this Megatron, you're on the run," Quickstrike concluded. "Got any idea what you want to do now?"

"Not sure," Terrorsaur replied. "We're not joining the Maximals. But it's not like we can go back to the Predacons either."

"You ever thought about going back to this planet you came from?" asked Quickstrike.

"Cybertron?" Waspinator's interest suddenly piqued.

"Yeah, that place," Quickstrike replied. "I think I know how you can make it back."

"Really?" Waspinator was surprised. "How? Waspinator thought all Predacon invaders went back to Cybertron."

"Actually," Jim interjected. "That's not entirely the case. You see, back when the Predacons made their invasion, they left behind a few space-faring ships in a hidden place. They've been abandoned though."

"I know where they're hidden," Quickstrike pointed out. "I could bring you there if you want."

"That would be great!" Terrorsaur stated. "I've wanted to get off this rock for the longest time!"

"Waspinator can't wait to leave!" the Predacon insect declared. "Be glad to escape Megatron for good!"

"Quickstrike and I will go inside to get a map," Jim told them. "We'll get right out."

As Jim and the fuzor left for the cabin, Waspinator and Terrorsaur sat there, contemplating their next move.

"So I guess this is it," Terrorsaur said softly. "We're leaving this planet."

"Hmm, Waspinator will miss Earth," confessed the bug.

"Why would you miss this mudball?" asked Terrorsaur.

"Because Earth has nice scenery!" chirped Waspinator. "Waspinator like!"

Before Terrorsaur could answer, he saw an incoming missile from the air.

"Scatter!" he shouted.

Both Predacons leaped out of the way as the missile came down and destroyed the campsite. As Terrorsaur looked up, a massive paw struck him in the face to knock him down. Above him was Strika, in her bear mode.

"No one betrays Megatron and lives!" she growled.

As Waspinator got up, Obsidian flew down, striking him in the gut to take him down as well.

Terrorsaur pulled out his gun and fired a shot. The blast struck Strika's thick armor but did not penetrate. Then he fired again and again but every time the larger Predacon shrugged off the shots.

Strika transformed to robot mode and grabbed Terrorsaur's arm, twisting it in such a painful angle that the pteranodon was forced to drop his gun.

"Ack!" screamed Terrorsaur.

Obsidian took out his blade and sliced Waspinator's gun in half before the insect could use it. With a quick blow, he struck Waspinator in the chin and brought him down once again.

"It's such a waste of our talents for Megatron to have given us such an easy assignment," sighed Obsidian.

"You said it!" Strika agreed, picking up Terrorsaur and placing him in a headlock.

"Shall we finish them now or bring them back as prisoners?" asked Obsidian.

"They're not worth it!" Strika began to apply more pressure on the helpless Terrorsaur. "I say we finish them now and get it over with!"

"My sentiments exactly!" Obsidian raised his blade to strike down on Waspinator.

Just before Strika could hear Terrorsaur's head pop from the pressure, she felt a sudden pain on her lower thigh.

"What the—"

Before she knew it, a powerful dose of cyber-venom had entered into her stream of mech fluid. Looking down, she noticed a small ugly fuzor with a cobra headed right arm. Its fangs had penetrated her armor and left its deadly snake bite.

"No…" Strika groaned.

She dropped Terrorsaur and swung at Quickstrike who ducked underneath it. The fuzor rolled under the punch and blasted her square in the chest with a second blast of cyber-venom. This time, the giant Predacon female fell down on her back unconscious.

"Strika!" Obsidian let Waspinator go to attack the newcomer.

Before Quickstrike could fire a shot, Obsidian was upon him. The general quickly sliced off Quickstrike's cobra arm before the fuzor could shoot.

"Aaaagh!" shouted Quickstrike.

Now with Obsidian's attention turned elsewhere, Waspinator noticed one of the light grenades hanging around the unconscious Strika's waist. Crawling over, he grabbed one of the light grenades and took it off.

"Two-head, look away!" shouted Waspinator.

Without thinking, Quickstrike closed his eyes as Waspinator took off the pin and threw the grenade in Obsidian's direction. Immediately when it came into contact with the Predacon general's line of sight, it erupted into a big explosion of solar light, blinding Obsidian.

"Agh!" screamed Obsidian as he flailed around wildly.

Quickstrike took the opportunity and planted both feet into Obsidian to knock him away. Then he picked up his own snake-arm and re-attached it to his own body.

With Strika down and Obsidian blinded, a large pickup truck quickly pulled up in front of the two Predacon fugitives.

"I reckon it's time we got the heck out of dodge," Jim recommended.

The human had a good point. If Obsidian and Strika were here, it would only be a matter of time before reinforcements would arrive. They did not need to be told twice. Waspinator and Terrorsaur both got on to the truck along with Quickstrike as Jim drove away at ninety miles an hour.

"Yeehaw!" shouted Quickstrike as the truck picked up speed.

* * *

In the large mountainous area of Arizone, Jim finally made his stop and beckoned for his backseat drivers.

"Here's where I drop you boys off," Jim told them. "Quickstrike can show you the rest of the way. He's really good with wilderness survival and tracking."

Terrorsaur and Waspinator got off along with the fuzor as Jim took out a bottle of water and began to drink.

"Thanks for help," Waspinator told Jim. "Jim not so bad for a human!"

"Err, thanks I guess," Jim shrugged. "Quickstrike can show you the rest of the way."

"That's what I'm good for," Quickstrike gave a short salute to Jim.

Soon, the human drove away, leaving the three Transformers in the area. It was a larger, more mountainous terrain, the perfect area to hide a few ships.

"So what now?" asked Terrorsaur.

"Now we start hiking," Quickstrike replied.

"But Waspinator and Terrorsaur can fly!" Waspinator pointed to his wings for emphasis.

With that being said, Quickstrike leaped onto Waspinator's back.

"Well gee golly!" Quickstrike cried in excitement. "Why didn't you say so before?"

Both Predacons were shocked at how fast Quickstrike decided to hitch a ride.

"Hey, Two-head can't do that!" Waspinator protested. "Uncalled for!"

"Yeah, you can't just hitch a ride like you're at a petting zoo!" added Terrorsaur.

"Well what're you tumbleweeds waiting for?" demanded Quickstrike. "Giddyup and fly already!"

Realizing that they were not about to shake off their demanding passenger anytime soon, Waspinator sighed and flew up into the air with Terrorsaur soon following him.

* * *

"Are you getting a lock on their signals?" asked Obsidian.

"Yes," Strika confirmed, looking down at her tracer. "It would appear that Waspinator and Terrorsaur are heading north."

"Then we should have no problem finding them," Obsidian transformed to beast mode as his dragonfly wings transformed into rotors.

"Just what in the name of Unicron was that new creature who helped them?" Strika shook her head. "I've never seen anything so hideous!"

"Whatever it is, it bears a spark signature," Obsidian told her. "And judging from my readings, it appeared to have been a Maximal."

"Why would a Maximal help those fugitives?" demanded Strika. "Not even those two imbeciles would willingly join the Maximals no matter how desperate they are!"

"They may not join the Maximals," Obsidian mused. "But perhaps they are not above seeking help wherever they may find it."

"Then let's move!" Strika declared.

* * *

"What is this place?" asked Terrorsaur as he looked around.

They were now in another part of the desert. All around them were abandoned military buildings. Dust and cobwebs had already begun to gather around the unused buildings.

"This place used to be a government complex," Quickstrike told Terrorsaur and Waspinator. "A long time ago, it was said this place was used to house alien technology. I reckon ever since the recent Predacon invasion, the security of this place was compromised."

The three of them moved past two barracks as they continued their journey.

"As far as Jim and I know, this whole area has now been abandoned," continued Quickstrike. "We explored this place ourselves."

"So Two-head, Waspinator have a question," Waspinator told the fuzor.

"And what might that be, bug-eyes?" asked Quickstrike.

"How did Two-head end up here?" asked Waspinator.

"Oh, you mean in the desert?" Quickstrike turned around.

"There's no way you could be native to this world!" Terrorsaur pointed out.

"I got no idea what you boys are talkin' about!" Quickstrike lashed back verbally. "I was born and bred on this fine planet!"

"Were not!" Terrorsaur protested. "You had to have come from one of the stasis pods from the Maximal's ship!"

"Well now that you mention it, I think I was born from some large metal thingamajig," Quickstrike concluded. "Ya see, when I first came out, I had no idea who I was or what past I may have had. Jim was the one who found me and raised me. He taught me how to survive in a rough area like this."

"How did Two-head end up with two beast modes?" asked Waspinator.

"I dunno," shrugged Quickstrike. "I was just born this way."

Silently, Terrorsaur analyzed Quickstrike's situation. From what he had gleaned, he could only guess that the fuzor had emerged from a Maximal stasis pod which had already been damaged, not unlike Inferno or Silverbolt's pods. Because of the possible damage the pod had taken, it had scanned two beast modes into Quickstrike before he emerged fully formed.

"You don't mind that we're Predacons, do you?" asked Terrorsaur. "I mean, you were born as a Maximal and you did fight against the recent Predacon invasion."

"I told you before and I'll tell you again," Quickstrike reiterated. "I got no idea what you're talking about when you mention that Maximal word."

Truer words had never been spoken. Finally, Terrorsaur realized that Quickstrike really had no idea who or what the Maximals were, much less what they stood for. As far as the fuzor went, he was for all intents and purposes a non-aligned Transformer.

"Alright, forget I mentioned it," Terrorsaur decided to drop the subject.

"So Two-head, when do Waspinator and Terrorsaur reach Predacon ship?" asked the insect.

"Aw, I figure it should be a few feet away from here," Quickstrike pointed out. "Besides, this complex is pretty big. It has enough room to store secret alien technology and the like."

Finally, they reached a large hanger.

"This is it, right?" asked Terrorsaur.

"Should be," Quickstrike nodded.

Waspinator and Terrorsaur walked over to the hanger and lifted up the garage door in front of it.

Within were several Predacon battleships. Most of them had been abandoned ever since the Predacon fleet decided on a hasty retreat due to their defeat at the hands of Optimal Optimus and the Maximals.

Ever since then, the government had confiscated several of those Predacon ships and put them away in secret storage. Now though this place had been abandoned.

What Terrorsaur and Waspinator did not realize was that this whole area had been abandoned because its security had been compromised thanks to Optimal Optimus breaking free from his imprisonment here. Because of the breach in security, the government had pulled a hasty retreat from this secret desert base.

"Let's go inside and have a look," suggested Terrorsaur.

Excitedly, Waspinator nodded and flew in to examine the ships. Quickstrike went over to the side to sit down and allow the two Predacons to have a good long look.

"Think this ship will do?" Terrorsaur asked Waspinator, pointing towards a medium-sized battlecruiser in the back.

"Hmm, too big," Waspinator shook his head.

"How about this?" Terrorsaur pointed towards one of the Predacon fighter jets lining the right side of the building.

"Seat not look big enough for Waspinator!" protested Waspinator.

"Okay okay," Terrorsaur flew over to one of the Predacon skyhoppers. "Let's try this one!"

"Oooh, Waspinator like!"

"You boys done picking your mode of transport?" asked Quickstrike.

"Sure have," Waspinator beamed.

"So tell me something," asked Quickstrike. "Once you leave Earth, what're you going to do?"

That gave Terrorsaur a moment for pause. Truthfully, he hadn't really considered much of it, outside of leaving Earth and escaping Megatron's wrath. Just what would he and Waspinator do?

Returning to Cybertron was always an option. After all, it was now under Predacon rule the last time they checked. Perhaps now there would be a place for them back on Cybertron. While on Cybertron, they had simply been down-on-their-luck Predacons who sought a leader in someone as charismatic as Megatron. But now that Predacons ruled Cybertron, perhaps they could find a place for themselves back on their estranged homeworld.

Then there was always the option of exploring the entire cosmos.

"I guess we'll return to Cybertron," Terrorsaur replied. "If not, it's a big universe out there. Waspinator and I will find something to do."

"Well, it looks to me like you boys are going through some kind of soul-searching," Quickstrike told the pteranodon sagely. "Maybe one day you two will find what it is you're looking for."

"You want to hop along?" offered Terrorsaur. "There's plenty of room for you on that skyhopper. The three of us could return to Cybertron together."

"Naw boss," Quickstrike declined. "I was born and bred in this land and I wouldn't give it up for all the gold in the world. Thanks for the offer though."

"Say, where's Waspinator?" Terrorsaur looked around.

The Predacon insect had vanished. Now Terrorsaur was concerned.

"Hmm," Quickstrike scratched his head. "Where did that bug-eyed varmint go do?"

From behind one of the ships, Strika stepped out with Waspinator held in her arms as a hostage. Obsidian was also right next to her.

"You again!" growled Quickstrike. "You tin-horned toads really picked the wrong scorpion to mess with!"

"Don't move or the bug gets it!" Strika warned.

Both Quickstrike and Terrorsaur stood still where they were.

"Knowing Terrorsaur, he won't care," Obsidian reminded her. "I've studied this lizard's profile. He cares only for himself and would never put his spark on the line for another's life."

"In that case, why take this insect prisoner at all?" Strika questioned.

"Hmm, good point," Obsidian, "Strika, would you do the honors?"

"Gladly!" Strika took out a rifle and pointed it towards Waspinator's head.

"Wait!" shouted Terrorsaur.

"What?" growled Strika.

"Don't do it!" Terrorsaur ordered her with a conviction in his voice he didn't even know he had.

"And why not?" Strika demanded.

"Because—" Terrorsaur tried to get the words out.

"Spit it out," Obsidian ordered.

"Because Waspinator's the only friend I got in this whole stinking universe!" Terrorsaur finally confessed.

With that, he dropped his weapons to show that he was serious.

"I don't believe this," Obsidian shook his head. The entire time he had expected Terrorsaur to abandon Waspinator and save his own neck.

Strika, too, was surprised. Momentarily, she wavered and lowered her gun. Sensing a moment of opportunity, Quickstrike leaped up and grabbed Obsidian from behind, pointing the fangs of his cobra-hand near Obsidian's throat.

"Don't make any sudden movements!" Quickstrike told Strika, "or I'll pump your partner full of snake toxins!"

"I still have Waspinator!" Strika pointed her gun towards Waspinator's head once more.

"Then it seems like we've got a bit of a sticky situation here," Quickstrike told her coyly. "Appears to me we need to do a little hostage tradeoff, eh sugar-bot?"

"I don't think so," Strika growled.

While Quickstrike and Strika continued their standoff, Terrorsaur quickly ran off.

"Heh, looks like the lizard was a coward as expected," Obsidian observed.

"Let Obsidian go or else," Strika threatened.

"Awww now," Quickstrike hissed. "I don't think so, unless you're willing to make a bit of a fair trade."

"I suggest you do something and soon," Obsidian told her, feeling the fangs of Quickstrike's cobra fangs slowly sinking into his metal.

"Give Obsidian to me first," Strika told him. "Then I release Waspinator."

"You want 'im?" Quickstrike snarled. "You got 'im!"

Rather than let Obsidian go, Quickstrike released Obsidian and then leaped up, planting both feet into the Predacon general's back, knocking him forward. At that moment, Waspinator took advantage of Strika's sudden distraction to break free of her grip and fly out.

Quickly, Strika grabbed Obsidian to steady him.

"You alright?" she asked.

"Yes, now for these miscreants!" Obsidian turned to Waspinator and Quickstrike.

"Ready to get down and dirty, bug-eyes?" Quickstrike asked Waspinator, readying himself for a fight.

Before a battle could erupt, twin turbo laser blasts struck Obsidian and Strika, knocking him straight through a wall. Both Quickstrike and Waspinator turned around. Behind them was one of the Predacon stealth fighters piloted by Terrorsaur. He had been the one who blasted both Obsidian and Strika into stasis lock. Terrorsaur had never fled in the first place. He remained true to his word after all.

"Terrorsaur really mean what he said?" asked Waspinator. "About how Waspinator is best friend?"

Terrorsaur got out of the fighter jet and landed.

"Don't let it go through your head," he told Waspinator. "You're a reliable partner, nothing more."

"Sure he is," Quickstrike rolled his optics. "And I'm Abraham Lincoln."

"What was that?" Terrorsaur demanded.

"Hey, denial ain't just a river in Egypt, ya know," Quickstrike pointed out.

"Terrorsaur saved Waspinator's life!" Waspinator chirped. "Waspinator grateful!"

"Yeah, no big deal," shrugged Terrorsaur.

"No big deal?" Quickstrike slapped Terrorsaur on the back almost painfully. "Why don't you just come out and admit that Waspinator's your best compadre?"

"Because Predacons don't have friends!" Terrorsaur fumed. "We're born to conquer and rule!"

"Heh, then how come you haven't taken over this world yet?" asked Quickstrike.

"Oooh, Two-head make good point," Waspinator had to agree.

"I'm just… biding my time!" insisted Terrorsaur. "Yeah, that's it! When the time comes, everyone will bow before Terrorsaur, Emperor of Destruction, mwahahaha!"

"Yeah, and they say I'm the Queen of England," quipped Quickstrike.

"Hee hee hee!" laughed Waspinator.

* * *

After a few minutes of preparation, the Skyhopper Waspinator and Terrorsaur had chosen was finally ready for flight.

"Waspinator will miss Two-head," Waspinator sniffed.

"Aw, don't think nuthin' of it," Quickstrike told Waspinator. "You boys turned out alright after all."

Both Terrorsaur and Waspinator began to board the ship.

"You can still come with us if you want," Terrorsaur offered.

"Naw," Quickstrike declined graciously. "I like my life the way it is now and I think I'm going to be staying on Earth 'till the end of my days."

"Thanks for your help," Terrorsaur replied. "Waspinator and I wouldn't have made it this far without your help."

"Yes, Two-head help us very much," chirped Waspinator.

"Well, hopefully one day you boys will find what it is you're looking for," Quickstrike told them. "I'm certain there's a place out there for two 'bots like yourselves."

"Thanks!" waved Waspinator. "Goodbye, Two-head!"

"See ya on the flip side!" Terrorsaur did the same and closed the hatch to the ship.

Finally, the ship took off until Quickstrike became just a gold and blue blur in the distance. Terrorsaur leaned back against his chair and began to relax.

"So where we head now?" asked Waspinator.

"I don't know," Terrorsaur replied. "But what I do know if that we're not going to deep space just yet."

"Why not?" Waspinator perked up.

"Well, let's just say I want to tie up some loose ends before we go," Terrorsaur responded. "Seems to me we didn't give our friends a proper goodbye."

"To Maximals or Predacons?" Waspinator looked at him quizzically.

"Mmm, both," Terrorsaur replied.

"Terrorsaur think what Two-head said is true?" Waspinator continued. "Is there place out there for us?"

"Where there's a will, there's a way," Terrorsaur looked at his long-time friend. "We'll find it, I'm sure of it."

"Sounds good to Waspinator!"

Soon, their ship blasted off across the sea at full speed, leaving behind nothing but vapors in the air.


	75. Year of the Dragon Part 1

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Year of the Dragon – Part One_

From the stars above, a bright meteor blasted across the coldness of space, a remnant of a battle now resolved.

It was a strange meteor, not like any before it. It glowed with a vaguely blue hue. Moreover, the rock was covered in radioactive isotopes. Before long, it blasted past a satellite, coming closer and closer to Earth.

Soon, it had entered into Earth's atmosphere, descending ever so rapidly. The mountains first came within view, then the lakes and trees. With a roar, the meteor smashed into the ground, sending dust and debris flying everywhere.

Then, everything settled once more.

* * *

Inside his hidden mountain lair, Tarantulas dropped the welder he had, falling down from his ladder because of an outside explosion.

"Agh!" cursed the spider. "What in the name of –"

"It was some kind of meteor," Tankorr confirmed.

Recently, the two Predacons had come into an alliance with each other. Tankorr was intelligent and ambitious and he had proven himself to be a valuable ally. They were working together on the ultimate weapon.

Several months ago, Tarantulas had discovered a large Vok warship lying at the bottom of the ocean. Through great effort, he had finally gotten it on dry land and hidden it within his mountain lair.

Before the two of them was the massive ship. It was almost as magnificent as the Decepticon Nemesis itself. Tarantulas himself had taken it upon himself to rechristen the large ship as the _Metalhunter_.

Arachnoid Prime, his other vehicle, had proven invaluable in helping to bring the Metalhunter on land. With both engines of destruction at his disposal, Tarantulas would soon have enough power to destroy Megatron and the Maximals to bring an end to the Beast Wars once and for all. With that added power, he would take over the Predacons and return to Cybertron.

Tankorr walked over to the welder that Tarantulas had dropped and picked it up, handing it back to the spider.

"Here you go," he said.

"My thanks," Tarantulas acknowledged.

"Will this ship be operational any time soon?" asked Tankorr.

"It will soon," replied Tarantulas. "In the meantime, have you been keeping Megatron off my back?"

"I do my best," Tankorr sighed. "But you know he'll get suspicious sooner or later once he finds out you've been taking more time off."

"Then I'll just have to redouble my efforts," Tarantulas sneered.

* * *

Dinobot walked into the Predacon chambers with his four clones accompanying him. They stood at his side as his guardians. They knew about his low standing in Megatron's eyes and they would do whatever it took to protect their master.

"Master, you summoned me?" asked Dinobot.

"I have," Megatron replied. "You see, you now have a chance to redeem yourself."

"So don't screw it up!" added Strika.

"I understand," Dinobot replied numbly.

"Recently I've had a feeling Tarantulas is working underneath my line of sight," explained Megatron. "I am not certain what that treacherous spider is up to, but I would like for you to track him down."

Tarantulas was now suspected of trying to betray Megatron again. At this point, that came as no surprise to Dinobot.

"I will do as you ask," promised Dinobot.

"Good," Megatron waved a dismissive hand. "If you succeed, perhaps there will be exoneration for you yet."

Bowing deeply, Dinobot left the room along with his clone generals.

"Monitor him," Megatron told Scorponok as soon as Dinobot as out of sight. "Report to me anything suspicious or unusual with him.

Smiling, Scorponok unveiled the cyber-bee underneath his claws.

"One cyber-bee coming right up!" Scorponok grinned.

* * *

"So Optimus, how's it feel to be back?" asked Rhinox.

"After being held prisoner for who-knows-how-long?" Optimus shook his head. "It feels good coming back and going on research trips again!"

Optimus, Rhinox, Cheetor, and Rattrap were deep in the forests, engaging in the scientific explorations that they had always been fond of doing with one another. Right now was a time of peace and tranquility ever since Megatron's defeat. And Primus willing, that peace would hopefully at least last a good while.

"These sequoia trees have an enormous lifespan," Rhinox noted, scanning the tree with his microscope. "Thanks to my new microscope I can see exactly how many rings they have inside."

"And ya gotta wonder," Rattrap noted. "How many lifelines does Megatron have left? I swear, the guy just won't expire."

"We'll handle it somehow," Optimus promised. "We can stop Megatron without killing him."

"But how many times will we have to stop him?" Cheetor asked. "How much more damage is Megatron going to do before we're tempted to put him down for good?"

"Let's just hope it never comes down to that," sighed Optimus. "Besides, I'm not even sure we can put him down permanently."

"Yeah, ol' dragon-whiskers does have a tendency to cheat death," Rattrap noted.

Suddenly, Rhinox put down his scanner. They were not alone anymore. Cheetor sensed it as well and took out both his swords.

"Someone's here," growled Cheetor.

"Whoever you are, step out now!" ordered Optimus.

Through the undergrowth, Dinobot emerged along with his raptor clones.

"You again!" Rhinox held his chain gun tightly.

"What's Chopper-face doing all the way out here?" Rattrap looked confused.

"What are you here for?" asked Cheetor.

"I have no quarrel with you Maximals," Dinobot told them. "You merely happened to be within the vicinity."

"Then what are you doing?" Optimus looked at the Predacon curiously.

"I am here to settle an internal matter between Predacons," Dinobot responded curtly. "This does not involve any of you."

Slowly and un-aggressively, Dinobot strode past the Maximals with his clones. This time, he was serious when he said that he wasn't here to start any conflict with them.

"So tell me," Cheetor called out. "Have you thought about what I told you?"

"About my duty to Megatron?" Dinobot replied back.

"Yeah that," Cheetor nodded. "Have you decided what's more important? Your honor or your service to Megatron?"

"You underestimate me," Dinobot told him. "I can reclaim both. Once I uncover the plot Tarantulas has undertaken, I will regain Megatron's trust."

"And what's Megatron's trust worth to you?" demanded Cheetor. "Your previous master's life?"

Dinobot spun around angrily, with his claws stretched out. His clones also got into their battle stances.

"Do not mention his name ever again!" Dinobot growled.

Cheetor only stood there calmly. Even Optimus was astonished that Cheetor stood there so serenely and in such a tranquil manner.

"Well is it?" he asked.

"I do not need to explain my actions to you, feline!" Dinobot finally turned around and motioned for his clones to follow him.

"No, but you'll have to explain them to someone someday," Cheetor said softly, watching Dinobot disappear into the forest.

* * *

"Within only a few more hours, the Metalhunter will be ready!" Tarantulas cried excitedly.

"Good work indeed!" Tankorr smiled.

Tarantulas removed his goggles and sat them down. The final process of powering the Metalhunter had begun and soon, it would be fully operational.

"It's a shame this will be the last thing Megatron sees!" Tankorr grinned.

"Yes," Tarantulas agreed. "And let's not forget the Maximals. I've been looking forward to dealing with them as well."

"So Megatron's suspicions were correct."

Both Tankorr and Tarantulas turned around. Behind them were Dinobot and his four clone soldiers.

"Ah, I see you're here," Tarantulas sneered. "Did Megatron send you here like a whipped dog?"

"Do not insult our master!" Dinobot Gamma snarled.

"You fossilized lizards think you can stop me?" Tarantulas huffed. "Give it your best shot!"

The Dinobot clones drew their weapons and charged. Out of the blue, a laser blast struck the ground in front of them and knocked them all back.

From the air, a large robotic spider landed before them. The cockpit to Arachnoid Prime opened up as Tarantulas climbed inside.

Sensing his opportunity, Tankorr opened fire on Dinobot as Arachnoid prime transformed to robot mode.

At once the four clones attacked Arachnoid Prime. The large robot swung at the four like they were insects as they danced round him, slashing at him with their weapons.

Meanwhile, Tankorr punched at Dinobot who dodged the blow.

"Tankorr…" mused Dinobot. "I hadn't counted on you being a traitor."

"Traitor or not," Tankorr replied. "It still beats groveling before a human!"

That set Dinobot off at last. With a swift punch to the gut, Dinobot knocked the wind out of the large Predacon. Before Tankorr could even mount a proper defense, Dinobot swung his entire body around and elbowed Tankorr in the jaw, flooring him.

As Tankorr fell, the four clones continued their battle against the much larger Arachnoid Prime.

With a single fist, Arachnoid Prime knocked away two of the clones.

"Too easy!" Tarantulas laughed. "Hah hah!"

Suddenly, a massive outpour of flames enveloped Arachnoid Prime.

"What?" Tarantulas cried.

From the air, Megatron came down, knocking down the large robot with a single kick.

"Ah Tarantulas," Megatron smiled. "Did you really think you could get away with your treachery?"

"What treachery?" Tarantulas gasped. "I've done no such thing!"

With a large foot, Megatron pinned Arachnoid Prime down, preventing it from moving.

"Oh no?" Megatron growled, pointing towards the newly refurbished Metalhunter. "Then how do you explain that?"

"It was… a gift for you!" Tarantulas lied. "I had dug up this ancient Vok war machine and was planned on giving it to you as a present!"

"Oh really now?" Megatron smiled.

"Yes!" Tarantulas turned Arachnoid Prime off and crawled out of its cockpit.

"Master, do not listen to him!" Dinobot protested. "This spider and Tankorr were plotting against you!"

Megatron raised a hand to silence Dinobot.

"I will be the judge of that," Megatron told the protesting Dinobot.

"So, when had you been planning on giving this ship to me as a present?" Megatron demanded of Tarantulas.

"Why… as soon as it was operational!" Tarantulas smiled. "Which should be in a few short hours!"

The top part of Megatron's mouth curled into a bit of a smile. Tarantulas had always been a treacherous 'bot but there were times that his treachery always benefited him inadvertently. This was perhaps the only reason why he hadn't murdered Tarantulas up to now.

"It is a rather massive warship," Megatron ended his smile just as quickly as he had started it. "Perhaps you could give me a tour of the insides."

"I would like nothing better!" Tarantulas' voice dripped with false sincerity.

As Tarantulas and Tankorr led Megatron to the inside of the ship, Dinobot and his clones followed from behind slowly to keep an eye on the two turncoats.

* * *

In the center of the crater, smoke continued to stream out from the crashed meteorite. At this point, it had stopped glowing and was finally in the process of cooling down.

A crack soon erupted across the enormous rock. Soon, it split open as a mangled and charred body fell out.

Depth Charge dropped to the ground motionlessly. A butterfly soon fluttered near him and landed on his hand. Suddenly, the Maximal's optics opened up, scaring the tiny insect away.

"W-What happened?" Depth Charge moaned.

Slowly, he got back to his feet. Only then did he realize how wobbly and uncoordinated he was. With a heavy thud, Depth Charge fell back down.

Then he remembered.

He had pursued Rampage into space for a final battle. In that very battle, he slew Rampage and struck the death blow to the behemoth's spark, triggering a nuclear explosion which enveloped both of them. If that was the case, why, then, was he still alive? Why did he not perish in the explosion which was strong enough to have atomized him?

To the right of his hand, Depth Charge saw the remains of what was once the Matrix Blade. Only the hilt and the crossguard were there. The blade itself had been destroyed.

"So that's why?" Depth Charge groaned as another wave of pain racked his body. "Aaaagh!"

He clutched his own chest, trying to comprehend why he was in such terrible agony.

This time the Matrix Blade was not working. It would not heal him of his injuries. And not only that, Depth Charge realized that he could no longer hear the will of the Matrix Blade anymore.

Painful though it was, it all made sense to him. In his final moments, he, Depth Charge, had pursued the path of vengeance. And in doing so, he had forsaken the higher ideals he was supposed to fight for and lost the blessings of the mystic sword as a result.

Fighting past the pain, Depth Charge opened up his own spark chamber. Now his own spark was glowing an eerie red color.

"Warning, spark poisoning has contaminated your body," his personal computer warned. "Stasis lock unable to commence."

"Slag…" Depth Charge dragged himself across the ground and leaned against the meteor. "So it's all come down to this?"

Soon, another wave of pain swept over him, causing Depth Charge to cry out in anguish.

"Guess you reap what you sow," Depth Charge muttered bitterly.

* * *

"Looks like the cavalry has arrived!" Cheetor pointed to the sky.

Airazor and Silverbolt flew down along with Blackarachnia. Soon, Tigatron came through the forests to greet them as well.

"What's the situation here?" asked Airazor.

"Dinobot's been spotted," Cheetor confirmed. "And where there's Dinobot, the rest of the Preds will probably show up."

"My sensors also tell me there's a large residue of alien energy in this area too," Blackarachnia told them.

"On our way, we also spotted Megatron flying to this area," Airazor added. "He was moving really fast and then disappeared before we could catch up."

"Megatron normally doesn't make any rounds in an area like this," Optimus pointed out. "If he's here, then he probably has something planned out."

"Blackarachnia's right. My scanners also point out a massive alien energy source somewhere in this place," Rhinox held his personal computer up. "Whatever it is, it resembles the alien energy we got during the Vok invasion."

"First things first," Cheetor cleared up. "We gotta know where Megatron is. There's a large batch of mountains ahead and Megatron could be holed up anywhere in that place."

"Right now I'm not picking up anymore Predacon energy signatures in this place," Rhinox looked into his scanner. "They've probably got something to block out their own signatures."

"Let's start with the alien energy," Optimus told his team scientist. "Where is it concentrated?"

"Funny thing," Rhinox pointed out. "The entire mountain range is brimming with alien energy."

"Like findin' a needle in a haystack," commented Rattrap.

"I know, we could contact Tigerhawk!" Airazor suggested. "If anything, he could help us out!"

"Agreed!" nodded Optimus.

"Right on!" agreed Cheetor. "There's no better cat for the job!"

* * *

"So Tankorr," Megatron asked as he walked down the hallway of the massive alien warship. "Why are you out in the middle of nowhere with Tarantulas?"

This was the sort of question Tankorr had been dreading.

"I'm out here 'cause Tarantulas asked me for some help," Tankorr explained as carefully as he could. "He needed me to move some lab equipment."

"Hmm, that would make sense," Megatron noted, considering Tankorr's formidable physical strength. "But wouldn't it make more sense for the spider to spin his own webs?"

"I'll have you know I'm a very busy 'bot!" Tarantulas protested. "In between working for you, I have my own home to clean up! I can't do it all alone, you know!"

"Yes, I'm certain," Megatron sneered.

"Anyways, we should be inside the main control room soon," Tarantulas told him.

Megatron stopped at the entrance door.

"By all means, proceed," he beckoned to Tarantulas.

"Yes Megatron," Tarantulas managed as subservient of a tone as he could.

Pressing down on the button on the wall, Tarantulas opened up the door to reveal a massive alien throne room. Towards the left was a massive vortex of power, channeling all the energies of the warship. It was as if the vortex was a conduit for the very life force of the warship.

"Ah, fascinating!" Megatron smiled, walking inside.

When Tarantulas was certain Megatron was no longer paying attention to him, he made a small motion of Cybertronian sign language towards Tankorr. Tankorr nodded and walked up to Megatron to get closer.

"Come along now!" Tarantulas motioned towards Dinobot and his clones.

Before Dinobot and his clones could reach the door, Tarantulas slammed his fist onto the wall's button, closing the door just before they could get in.

"What treachery is this?" Megatron whirled around.

Sensing the right moment, Tankorr took out the cyber-venom staff Tarantulas had given him and stabbed Megatron in the leg with it.

"Aaaahhh!" shouted Megatron, falling down to one knee.

"It's taken me a while," Tarantulas told Megatron haughtily. "But I've finally come up with a batch big enough to take you down."

"Tarantulas, you worm!" shouted Megatron.

Tankorr continued to drive the cyber-venom spear into Megatron but the dragon-bot whirled around, knocking Tankorr away with a backhand. It was at that moment that Arachnoid Prime appeared through a ground opening in robot mode.

Before Megatron could recover from the initial onslaught of enhanced cyber-venom, Arachnoid Prime opened fire on Megatron, blasting him with the mega-cannons mounted on its two hands. Shot after shot, it rained down energy blasts on Megatron who was forced back.

"Don't stop!" Tarantulas began blasting Megatron with several missiles of his own. "Take him down!"

At that moment, Tankorr got up and blasted Megatron as well with his own arm-mounted blaster.

Taking the opportunity, Tarantulas leaped into Arachnoid Prime's cockpit. Taking control of the giant robot, he launched Arachnoid Prime into the air and fired down several more missiles onto Megatron.

Not giving Megatron a chance to recover, Arachnoid Prime punched Megatron viciously across the jaw. Clenching its other fist, the large robot punched Megatron a second time, this time flooring the tyrant.

"Tarantulas, you insolent bug!" Megatron growled. "I'll have you ground into scrap metal!"

"I think not!" Tarantulas opened up a button on his control panel and pressed down.

Megatron got up and charged but the spider arms mounted on Arachnoid Prime's back opened fire, unleashing several webs charged with cyber-venom. As Megatron charged forward, the first batch of webbing struck his chest, slowing him down briefly. Then a second and third batch of webbing dramatically slowed his movements.

As more and more webbing encased him, Megatron felt himself growing weaker and weaker by the moment. The cyber-venom from the webbing was slowly but surely taking its toll. Unceasingly, Tarantulas continued to fire more and more cyber-venom webs until Megatron fell down on the floor, completely paralyzed from head to toe with so much cyber-venom.

"T-T-!" Megatron spat.

"Were you calling my name?" Tarantulas gloated. "Or are you trying to call me a traitor as usual?"

"This was too easy!" Tankorr sneered. "Maybe Megatron isn't as tough as he looks."

"I'm not taking any chances!" Tarantulas growled.

Arachnoid Prime grabbed Megatron by the webbing that had surrounded his body and dragged him towards the energy vortex in the main chamber.

"According to my calculations, this should completely vaporize Megatron once he makes contact!" Tarantulas told Tankorr.

"Then let's get this show on the road, shall we?" Tankorr suggested.

"You've read my mind!" Tarantulas replied jovially.

The large robot spider-bot picked Megatron up and heaved the tyrant up with both arms.

"I would say it's been nice knowing you Megatron," Tarantulas sighed. "But I can't. I always hated your servos."

With that, Arachnoid Prime threw Megatron into the energy vortex.

"Tah tah," Tarantulas waved.

"Aaaaaahhh!" screamed Megatron as he was completely consumed by the energy.

"Looks like we're the ones in charge now," Tankorr smiled.

"Indeed!" Tarantulas agreed. "Our next course of action should be the destruction of those accursed Maximals!"

Suddenly, the front door finally opened up as Dinobot and his clones poured in.

"What have you done with Megatron?" demanded Dinobot.

Tankorr and Tarantulas looked at each other, smiling.

"Megatron is of no more concern," Tarantulas told Dinobot. "From now on, I am leader of the Predacons."

"I will not follow you!" Dinobot snarled. "You are not worthy of the mantle of leadership!"

"I'm afraid you have little say in the matter," Tarantulas responded with more than an air of arrogance to his voice.

"If you want to lead so badly," Dinobot beckoned. "Why not come out of your toy to fight me in fair combat?"

"I don't think so!" Tarantulas pressed down on several levers to prepare Arachnoid Prime for combat. "If you want a fight, you deal with me, Tankorr, AND Arachnoid Prime!"

"Then so be it!" Dinobot got into a combat stance along with his clone generals.

Tankorr quickly got by the side of Arachnoid Prime as he and Tarantulas prepared to do battle with the raptor-bots.

Before an all-out brawl could erupt, however, the energy vortex blackened and began to mutate, swirling around a single core.

"What is that?" Tarantulas glanced at the sphere of energy.

From the energy sphere, two large wings appeared, skeletal and black in appearance. Soon, two arms appeared, along with two legs and a tail. From the top of the sphere, three elongated necks stretched out, coming to fruition with several ferocious roars.

"No… by the Pit!" Tarantulas gasped.

Very soon, the enormous three-headed black dragon landed, stomping down on the ground hard enough to make all the Predacons in the room feel its tremors.

"You thought you could be rid of me so effortlessly?" Megatron said to the frightened Tarantulas. "I regret to inform you that I am not so easily destroyed."

* * *

"Hey, Tigerhawk's here!" Cheetor pointed out.

The winged feline flew down and transformed to robot mode before his companions. Something on his expression, however, was troubling him.

"Something has happened," Tigerhawk confirmed. "Megatron has changed once again."

"This is bad, right?" asked Rattrap.

"It's worse than we could imagine," Tigerhawk replied affirmatively. "He has full control of the alien warship."

"Now all the power's concentrated on that big mountain over there," Rhinox pointed towards one mountain which still had a snowcap on top of it.

"Then let's move out!" ordered Optimus.

* * *

"Hah hah hah…" Megatron began to laugh softly as he stomped towards Tarantulas and Tankorr.

"Well Tarantulas," Tankorr gulped. "It was nice knowing you."

Tarantulas scowled. He did not like those words but they were as true as gospel by now. He had betrayed Megatron but the tyrant simply came back much stronger and more powerful than before. In effect, he had signed his own death warrant.

Megatron stopped before them.

"Megatron… terrorize!" he shouted.

At once he transformed to robot mode. Megatron's face remained much the same as before but the rest of his body resembled that of a black knight from mythical lore. A large purple gemstone glowed brightly at the top of his helmet while one of the dragon heads adorned his right arm as a mega-cannon. A white plume decorated the back of his helmet, giving the Predacon a regal air about him.

His body was even larger than his previous form and purple electricity crackled all around his body. Both black wings adorned the back of his body much like they did with his previous form. Dark red spikes also ran down his leg and along the newly decorated shoulder pads on both his arms.

Smiling, Megatron took out a sword made out of an unknown dark metal and pointed it towards the two.

"I suppose I have you to thank for my new body!" Megatron grinned. "Allow me to show my gratitude!"

Telekinetically, Tarantulas and Tankorr felt themselves being lifted up into the air. As Arachnoid Prime's cockpit was pried open psychically, Tarantulas howled and grasped onto the seat of his cockpit but all too soon, he was raised from Arachnoid Prime by the new telekinetic powers Megatron was displaying.

At this point, Megatron had more than just improved strength and power. He had been granted new abilities beyond that of anything he had before.

"Nooo!" cried Tarantulas.

"Oh yes!" Megatron cried.

Megatron stretched out one hand and allowed a powerful blast of purple and black electricity to pour out from his fingers, electrocuting both Tarantulas and Tankorr in mid-air.

"Aaaagh!" screamed Tankorr as he felt himself being torn apart slowly and agonizingly.

"S-Stop!" begged Tarantulas. "I beseech you!"

"Give me one good reason why I should tolerate you traitors one second longer!" demanded Megatron.

Dinobot was not one to step up to defend Predacons like Tarantulas but he looked down upon one of the scanners in the room installed by Tarantulas. On the screen, several Maximal signatures were displayed fully.

"Megatron," Dinobot spoke up. "I do not wish to vouch for the lives of these two, but we have something else on our hands… Maximals!"

Finally, Megatron stopped his barrage of lightning and ended his telekinesis, allowing both Tarantulas and Tankorr to drop to the ground, in pain but still alive.

"So, the Maximals are here, are they?" Megatron smiled.

Inwardly, Tarantulas mentally thanked himself for having installed Cybertronian components into the Metalhunter. It had narrowly saved his life.

"They've gathered in larger numbers," Dinobot told Megatron. "This situation is serious."

"If you would allow us, Megatron," Tarantulas offered. "Tankorr and I could go out there and stop the Maximals' advancement!"

True, what he said was only an excuse to try and get as far away from Megatron as possible, but it was the only thing he could think of after having nearly been killed by the furious Predacon leader. And as far as Tarantulas knew, Tankorr also felt the same.

"You shall go nowhere!" Megatron glared at the two. "I shall spare your pitiable lives for now! In the meantime Tarantulas, how much longer before this ship is fully operational?"

"T-The Metalhunter only has forty more minutes before it's at full power," Tarantulas stuttered nervously.

"Hmph, that's not enough time!" Megatron scowled. "But luckily, I now possess the means to grant us the time we need!"

"What do you mean?" asked Tankorr.

"Tarantulas, open the hatch!" Megatron commanded. "I will greet the Maximals personally!"

"Y-Yes Megatron!" Tarantulas obeyed without hesitation.

* * *

"We're closing in!" Optimus announced. "Let's get into position!"

Quickly, the Maximals and Blackarachnia spread out into different strategic positions around the mountain.

"Hah hah hah hah hah!" a booming voice echoed from the mountain.

"By the Matrix!" Tigatron gasped as a large three-headed dragon emerged from mountain.

"Is that Megatron?" Cheetor exclaimed.

"My, you Maximals are persistent!" Megatron smiled.

The Predacon howled as the purple gem on his head flashed and enveloped the entire mountain with a powerful energy barrier which barred the entry of the entire Maximal team.

"Do try not to knock yourselves out," Megatron sneered and went back into the mountain retreat.

Optimal Optimus raised a giant fist and punched at the barrier. As soon as his fist connected with the barrier, he was knocked back by an energy backlash.

"Agh!" Optimus fell down to the ground.

Cheetor and the other Maximals opened fire onto the barrier but to no use. It was impervious to any form of firepower or force.

"Stand back!" Tigerhawk ordered all of them.

The Maximals gathered back as Tigerhawk unleashed a raw barrage of green lightning towards the energy barrier. After a while, however, Tigerhawk realized that not even he could penetrate the shield and stopped his attack.

"Agh!" growled Tigerhawk. "It is no good!

"How are we going to get through?" demanded Blackarachnia.

"Rattrap," asked Optimus. "Do you have any demolitions charges which might be able to create an opening?"

"Trust me boss monkey," Rattrap told his commander. "If Tigerhawk couldn't get through, I ain't gonna be able to."

"Hey, is that Inferno?" Airazor pointed towards the sky.

Sure enough, the fire ant came down before them. As he landed, he surveyed the scene with a grimace on his face.

"Inferno, thank the Matrix!" Optimus went up towards him. "We could use your assistance right about now!"

"Hmm, what is the situation?" demanded Inferno.

"Megatron's gotten his hands on a weapon of unspeakable power," Rhinox gave Inferno the rundown. "If we don't do something soon, we're going to end up pushing daisies. And trust me, I'd rather be smelling daisies than doing the pushing."

"This whole world will be in danger if Megatron has his way," Optimus told Inferno, "which is why we need to get in there and stop him!"

"Hmm," Inferno walked up towards the energy barrier and looked at it carefully.

Then he stepped back and transformed to beast mode. Without stalling, Inferno began to dig a hole into the ground.

"Underground is the fastest way!" Inferno told them.

"I'm too big to fit inside," Optimus told the team. "Cheetor, I want you, Blackarachnia, and Rattrap to accompany Inferno. Once you're inside, see if you can shut down this barrier somehow."

"Will do, Optimus!" Cheetor promised.

* * *

"Thirty more minutes and we shall be ready, Megatron!" Tarantulas promised.

"Ah yes," Megatron flew down. "That is good to hear. Now Tarantulas… to continue our discussion."

"I… didn't know there was anything to discuss," gulped Tarantulas.

Megatron closed his own optics and put his own hand on the controls of the Metalhunter. Within mere seconds, his newly formed techno-kinesis had absorbed every intimate bit of knowledge on the warship and how it functioned.

"Ah, that's more like it!" Megatron opened his eyes.

Slowly, Megatron raised the dragon-cannon mounted on his wrist and pointed it in the direction of the Predacon scientist.

"Megatron… what are you doing?" Tarantulas stepped back fretfully as the massive weapon began to glow ominously.

"I have no more need of you now," Megatron told the spider.

Before the tyrant could blast Tarantulas, the alarms went off.

"Intruder alert! Maximals located within the area!" the computers warned.

"Hmm," Megatron de-powered his cannon and lowered his hand.

"See!" Tarantulas offered. "You still have use for me! I could go out and destroy the Maximals for you!"

Dinobot pondered a bit before speaking up. There were, after all, times when Tarantulas could be useful. In fact, he would not be standing here now if it weren't for Tarantulas removing a part of Rampage's spark to create him.

"Megatron, perhaps it would prove beneficial to send Tarantulas to engage the Maximals," Dinobot suggested. "He would make rather useful bait."

"Very well then," agreed Megatron. "Go and do not return unless you have dealt accordingly with the Maximals."

"You won't regret this, Megatron!" Tarantulas bowed, climbing into Arachnoid Prime.

Arachnoid Prime spun to life and transformed to flight mode, leaving the mountainous lair.

After that, Megatron turned his attention to Tankorr.

"Don't think I've forgotten your treachery!" Megatron snarled.

"Tarantulas brainwashed me into doing it!" Tankorr raised both hands in protest. "He used those spider probes on me!"

"He's lying," Dinobot told Megatron.

"Even so," Megatron replied. "I will spare his life for now. Once we return to Cybertron, however, all bets are off."

"We will be going to Cybertron?" asked Dinobot.

"Yes, but only after we've razed this pitiful planet!" smiled Megatron.

Without another word, Megatron moved over to another section of the room as Dinobot, Tankorr, and the clones followed him from behind.

"What are you doing?" asked Tankorr.

"I know this vessel inside and out," Megatron responded cooly. "Now is the time to call in reinforcements."

That being said, Megatron punched a few coordinates into the trans-mat machine inside the room and after a while, the machine glowed softly.

In a flash, the rest of the Predacon team arrived, via teleportation. They all fell down on the trans-mat device that had summoned them.

"Whoa, how'd this happen?" Jetstorm looked down.

"I have summoned you," Megatron told him.

"Megatron!" Scorponok got up. "How can we serve you?"

"You may serve me as you always have," Megatron told each and every one of the Predacons. "By obeying all my whims, no matter how arbitrary!"

"Well, you heard the 'bot," Jetstorm looked around.

"How did you gain your new form?" asked Obsidian curiously.

"Oh, it is quite an interesting tale," Megatron replied. "You see, Tarantula and Tankorr attempted to betray me but his treachery resulted in merely furthering my power!"

"Man, you really suck at this betrayal thing!" Jetstorm nudged Tankorr who grumbled angrily.

"Now," Megatron got straight down to business. "All of you pay attention! I will need all your hands on deck! This ship will soon be operational…"

* * *

"How much further until we reach the top?" asked Cheetor.

"It will not be long," Inferno told them absentmindedly.

Cheetor did not blame Inferno for replying a bit shortly. After all, he was concentrated on the task of digging while he, along with Blackarachnia and Rattrap, followed the fire ant.

Suddenly, one of the rocks flung out by Inferno struck Rattrap in the head.

"Hey, watch it!" Rattrap raised a fist.

"Easy Rattrap, we're almost to the top," Cheetor said as he saw a glimmer of light just above Inferno.

Soon, Inferno uncovered the last pieces of dirt through his digging and unveiled the entrance to the mountain. All of them climbed out and transformed to robot mode.

"Whew, tunnels make me nauseous," Blackarachnia shook her head.

"I thought you liked dark tunnels and creepy areas," Rattrap looked at her.

"Just because I'm a spider?" Blackarachnia eyed Rattrap.

"Yeah, pretty much," shrugged Rattrap.

"Then would you believe me if I told you that rat was also on the menu for tonight?" she asked.

"This is going to take a while," Cheetor put a palm on his own head.

Indeed it would. Rattrap and Blackarachnia, in particular, still needed some time to get used to each other and learn to trust one another. They had a history together and it was no understatement to say that it affected their current attitude towards each other.

"We should go now," Inferno suggested. "Before Megatron finds out we're here."

Suddenly, a missile came crashing down upon them, scattering all of them.

As Inferno fell, he got up only to see a large arachnid robot standing before him on eight legs. With a powerful blow, Tarantulas piloted Arachnoid Prime to knock Inferno several yards away.

"Just what in the heck is that?" Blackarachnia cried.

"Whatever it is, it's ugly!" Rattrap growled.

"Don't like the decorations for Arachnoid Prime?" Tarantulas feigned shock. "I designed it myself!"

"Let's attack from all sides!" Cheetor ordered. "We stand the best chance that way! Rattrap and Blackarachnia, get behind him!"

Without further argument, the two did as ordered and went around the huge Arachnoid Prime. In the meantime, Inferno got up as well.

"Get it in gear, guys!" Cheetor told them. "We need to work as a team!"

"Yes, and you will die as a team!" promised Tarantulas.

"Now!" shouted Cheetor as all of them pounced at the large robot which Tarantulas was currently piloting.

As the four leaped up at him, Arachnoid Prime also leaped into the air with an agility that surprised all of them. Spinning around with all eight legs, Arachnoid Prime spun his legs around to knock away all four of them to the ground.

While in the air, Arachnoid Prime slowly began to transform, taking on a more humanoid shape. Finally, it stood before them on both feet ready for battle.

"Let's finish this!" Tarantulas declared, beckoning them with an enormous hand courtesy of Arachnoid Prime.

**A/N:** The Beginning of the End! I've honestly had a blast writing this series and I hope you really enjoyed it. When I wrote Symmetries, I wanted to give it the same amount of chapters that both Beast Wars and Beast Machines got. In short, I wanted to give it a long, fulfilling run. However, this isn't like comic books which can go on pretty much forever. I knew that Symmetries had to have a beginning and eventually an end as well. Truthfully, when I started this series, the idea I originally pitched was more akin to Transformers Armada where Jack and Luna would play a bigger role and even see some teen drama. Thankfully in the end, I chose not to go that route. Good thing I decided to keep the focus mostly on the Beast Warriors themselves. As for Quickstrike showing up so late, I'll be honest and admit that I couldn't really think of much I could've done with him, outside of him being a Scorponok replacement. So I decided to go the Inferno and Dinobot route and give him a completely new backstory for my series. But anyways, on with the series finale!


	76. Year of the Dragon Part 2

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Year of the Dragon: Part 2_

"Die Maximals!" Tarantulas shouted as Arachnoid Prime opened fire.

Cheetor and Blackarachnia leaped to opposite sides as several missiles rained in their direction, forcing them to dodge. They returned fire, though their shots had no effect on the large robot.

Inferno flew into the air and blasted the enormous behemoth several times with his blasters but Arachnoid Prime knocked him down with a single hand.

From underneath, Rattrap planted several bombs on the robot's legs. As he ran forth, they exploded, managing to knock Arachnoid Prime down on its front body. Seeing their opportunity, Cheetor and Blackarachnia closed in. From the backs, several metal tendrils erupted from the machine and knocked them back.

"We need a plan," Cheetor wiped away a bit of mech fluid from his chin.

"What do you suggest?" asked Inferno.

Arachnoid Prime got to its feet once more.

"Arachnoid Prime is impenetrable!" declared Tarantulas. "It is indestructible!"

"That thing's gotta have a weakness," Cheetor analyzed the situation.

Without warning, Arachnoid Prime opened fire again from its wrist-mounted lasers, forcing all the Maximals and Blackarachnia to dodge. All of them fled behind a rock to hide from the onslaught of firepower.

"Better find it quick!" Blackarachnia cried.

"I got it!" Cheetor snapped his fingers. "Blackarachnia, I'll need your cyber-venom!"

After whispering muted directions towards his comrades, Cheetor ran out into the opening and charged, unleashing a fearsome battle cry. Tarantulas remained unimpressed and continued opening fire with the Arachnoid Prime. Then he noticed Cheetor's entire body was now bathed in a golden aura.

With a ferocious cry, Cheetor leaped up, slashing Arachnoid Prime across the chest, cutting the large robot open to reveal its inner circuitry. Arachnoid Prime reacted just as quickly, grabbing Cheetor in mid-air before he could deal another damaging attack.

"Blackarachnia, now!" shouted Cheetor.

From the rock, Blackarachnia leaped out and fired several cyber-venom darts into the open wound on Arachnoid Prime's chest, filling the entire machine with paralyzing toxins which froze its gears in place.

"No!" cried Tarantulas.

With a burst of strength, Cheetor burst out of the robot's grip and leaped to the floor as Inferno came in, kicking Arachnoid Prime with enough strength to topple it.

"Come on out Tarantulas!" Cheetor called. "You're beaten!"

"Surrender to you?" scoffed Tarantulas. "Never!"

Reaching down on the control panel, Tarantulas pressed down on the panic button he had reserved for desperate situations.

"Countdown to destruction in ten… nine… eight… seven…" the computer on Arachnoid Prime began to speak.

"Get away from that thing!" ordered Cheetor.

At once, the Maximals and Blackarachnia got away from the area as the Arachnoid Prime went up in a shower of flames and flying shrapnel. By the time the shrapnel had stopped flying, Cheetor looked up from the tree he was hiding behind. Tarantulas, now in vehicle mode, was already racing away back to his mountain lair.

"Everyone, follow him!" Cheetor ordered.

* * *

"The ship is nearing ninety percent completion," Megatron stated, closing his eyes.

"Pardon me for asking," Scorponok asked. "But how do you know this?"

"The Metalhunter and I have become one," Megatron replied. "I control its very essence now!"

"I'll believe it when I see it," Tankorr muttered under his breath.

"Ah, I see we have a skeptic amongst us," Megatron turned to Tankorr.

"Y-You heard that?" Tankorr was taken aback.

"My merger with the Metalhunter did more than give me the power of the Vok," Megatron informed him. "My hearing also happens to be sharper than before."

"I uh…" stammered Tankorr.

Before Tankorr could come up with some kind of excuse, Tarantulas rushed into the room, looking like he had just come back from the brink of exhaustion.

"Megatron!" Tarantulas exclaimed. "I attempted to stop the Maximals! But they destroyed Arachnoid Prime and nearly took my life in the process!"

"Your failures grow less and less amusing by the minute, lieutenant," Megatron eyed Tarantulas with impatience.

Suddenly, Megatron closed his eyes. He had sensed a disturbing presence upon the ship, now thanks to the psionic powers he had developed in his new body.

Megatron opened his optics again. "You did worse than fail me, Tarantulas! You led the Maximals straight into this ship!"

"What?" Tarantulas gasped. "How did I do that?"

From the ceiling, a ventilation cover fell down, clattering next to Tarantulas. Up above, Inferno leaped down, kicking Tarantulas aside as Cheetor, Blackarachnia, and Rattrap landed next to him.

Cheetor took out both his swords, pointing them at Megatron.

"Lower your shields, Megatron!" he ordered.

"Haha, fool!" Megatron laughed. "Did you really think I set that energy barrier up because I feared confronting you Maximals?"

The tyrant raised one hand, lifting the four heroes up into the air telekinetically with little effort.

"Whoa, since when did Megatron learn that?" gasped Rattrap.

"Ever since I've taken command of this ship!" answered Megatron.

"You won't stop us!" Cheetor growled. "As long as our sparks beat, you won't have Earth or Cybertron for the taking!"

With that, Cheetor's spark began to glow, surrounding his body with a faint golden energy once again, enabling him to fight back against Megatron's telekinesis.

"What?" Megatron growled.

Finally, Cheetor leaped out of the psychic hold and leaped down. Scorponok stood behind Cheetor, attempting to blast him, but Cheetor rolled over and kicked the Predacon into the wall behind him. Now that Scorponok was down, Cheetor charged Megatron, leaping up and kicking the Predacon leader in the chest as hard as he could.

After one kick, Cheetor felt himself being thrown to the floor. He hadn't even harmed the tyrant. He had just bounced off of him ineffectually.

"I have become the living embodiment of power!" Megatron snarled. "You cannot harm me!"

The other two Maximals and Blackarachnia opened fire. Reacting quickly, Megatron froze all the blasts in mid-air and dissipated them with the flicker of a wrist.

"Something tells me grape-face isn't joking here," noted Blackarachnia.

With a single fist, Megatron backhanded Cheetor hard enough to send him flying into the metal wall. Turning his attention back to the rest of the intruders, Megatron closed both fists and punched them together, generating a shockwave which knocked all of them back.

Cheetor shook his head and got up again. He gripped both blades and attacked again, cutting Megatron across the face with one of the swords.

"Agh!" shouted Megatron as purple energy flowed out of the wound.

Soon, however, the wound closed up.

"Pathetic!" Megatron snarled and blasted Cheetor with an enormous surge of purple and black energy.

Soon, Cheetor fell down, writhing in agony.

"Since you have volunteered," Megatron raised his mega-cannon and pointed it towards Cheetor. "You can be the first to die!"

As Megatron began charging up energy, Inferno looked up. The cat could barely move at this point thanks to Megatron's attack and if he didn't do something soon, Cheetor would die.

It was at that point that Inferno realized that his moment of truth had come. Despite all his harsh words in the past, he was not alone. He was not a lone soldier protecting the Queen and the Colony. He had brothers, sisters, and fellow workers, all of whom defended the Colony, both in his land and in the entire world.

He had friends and allies. They had helped him defend the Colony in the past and they would continue doing so in the future.

"Now I understand," Inferno spoke softly.

Just this once, he had to give something back in return.

"Farewell!" Megatron opened fire.

Before the powerful purple beam from Megatron's gun could strike Cheetor, Inferno leaped into the way, taking the full force of the blast.

"Inferno!" shouted Cheetor.

"Yaaaaaagh!" screamed Inferno as his entire body and spark was torn apart, molecule by molecule.

Finally, the entire body was consumed by the blast. Inferno was no more.

"Hmph," Megatron snorted.

"Inferno…" Cheetor fell to both knees, not believing his eyes.

"Good riddance," Megatron lifted his cannon.

Rattrap and Blackarachnia both got up in stunned silence. Inferno had just sacrificed himself to save Cheetor's life. They had never expected the fire ant to make such a brave sacrifice like that.

Shock soon turned to sorrow. And just as quickly, sorrow transformed into anger.

"You monster!" Cheetor roared.

Without even moving his body, Megatron opened the palm of his hand, blasting his three remaining enemies with another surge of lightning.

"Aaaagh!" shouted Cheetor as he, Rattrap, and Blackarachnia finally fell down unconscious.

"On second thought," Megatron mulled. "I could use you three as a bargaining chip."

* * *

"No…" Tigerhawk held his head as if traumatized.

"What happened?" asked Optimus.

"It is Inferno," Tigerhawk replied. "He has been slain by Megatron."

Everyone fell silent.

"He's gone…" whispered Tigerhawk.

Optimus lowered his head. He and Inferno had an even more tempestuous relationship than he did with Depth Charge. And he did not even have the chance to say any final words to the fire ant.

Suffice to say, he had always respected Inferno's dedication and warrior abilities. But now he no longer had the opportunity to tell him that.

Suddenly, the energy barrier lowered before them. Tigerhawk became alert once more.

"This is worse than we feared," he whispered.

"What is?" asked Tigatron.

"Father," Tigerhawk said to Tigatron. "This may be my final moment with you. I just want you to know how proud I am to be your son."

"Tigerhawk?" Tigatron looked at the fuzor quizzically.

Without another word, Tigerhawk raised an enormous energy barrier of his own around Optimus, Rhinox, Tigatron, Airazor, and Silverbolt.

"What are you doing?" Silverbolt's optics widened.

"None of you are powerful enough to confront Megatron," Tigerhawk told them. "As long as I remain alive, this force field will also remain intact."

"Why are you doing this?" demanded Optimus.

"I will hold the line from here," Tigerhawk told them. "Farewell my friends."

* * *

"Megatron, why have you lowered the defenses?" asked Scorponok.

Megatron stared over the horizons on top of the Metalhunter. The city ahead was just ripe for plunder at the moment and he had always wanted to test out his new abilities on a scale as large as this.

"The Metalhunter will be operational very shortly," Megatron said to Scorponok. "In the meantime, I wish to enjoy myself."

Without saying anything further, Megatron transformed back into his three-headed dragon mode and flew into the air with his enormous wingspan.

In a huge gust of wind, he flapped into the air, knocking Scorponok back just from the backdraft alone. In no time at all, he was streaming towards the city.

"Are you alright?" asked Dinobot, who came up.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Scorponok shook his head. "But hey, at least Megatron is going to enjoy himself."

"Enjoy himself?" Dinobot looked at the scorpion uncomfortably.

"Yeah, I figured he'd go cause some havoc in the city," Scorponok shrugged.

Dinobot lowered his head and glanced away. He was beginning to doubt the morality of his cause more and more.

* * *

"Hey Rattrap," Cheetor asked. "You ready?"

"Just about," Rattrap replied.

"How much longer is this going to take?" demanded Blackarachnia from a different cell.

Rattrap shook his head. Some people just didn't have any patience.

"Go weave yourself a quilt," he told Blackarachnia. "I'm working on it. Being an escape artist ain't all it's cracked up to be."

Finally, Rattrap's finger opened up to reveal the key pick he had in storage for occasions such as these. Fiddling with it for a while, he finally undid the shackles on his back.

"Okay, step one is complete," Rattrap finally got up.

"Now for us," Cheetor finished.

"Be right with you," promised Rattrap, taking out two electronic discharges from his compartments.

* * *

"Hah hah ha…" Megatron laughed as he flew across Crimson City.

Down below, the people began to panic as they saw the winged dragon fly over them.

"Worthless creatures!" howled Megatron. "Feel the dragon's wrath!"

All three heads opened their mouths simultaneously to unleash several blasts of black and purple lightning, destroying several cars below.

After having destroyed a significant portion below him, Megatron turned his attention to the buildings he was flying around. Diving down, he slashed through several of the skyscrapers with his powerful metal wings.

Flying upwards, Megatron transformed back to robot mode and aimed his mega-cannon towards the nearest skyscraper right across from him. With a powerful blast, Megatron leveled the entire building with a purple laser beam. As the entire building came crashing down, Megatron started cackling wildly again.

"Hah hah!" shouted Megatron. "There is no stopping me!"

Raising his mega-cannon again, he fired again and again, destroying building after building with each shot.

Exactly how many casualties he had claimed was not exact. But looking down, Megatron saw several bodies strewn across the streets.

"The law of the jungle states that the weak shall fall to the strong," Megatron mused. "How fitting it is that I am the strong!"

From the distance, Megatron saw several fighter jets streaking towards him, no doubt having been called in by the military.

"I grow weary of this," Megatron raised a hand, sending a powerful electric blast out which destroyed several fighter jets.

Several more jets came in and bombarded the Predacon with their missiles.

Not injured in the least, Megatron returned the favor and clasped both hands together, then released them, generating an EMP shockwave which shorted out all the planes and sent them crashing either into the buildings or onto the grounds below.

"Humanity's time has come!" declared Megatron. "Let their fate serve as a warning to all who would oppose Megatron, Emperor of Destruction!"

Suddenly, a massive green blast struck him from behind, catching him off guard. Megatron was thrown off his building and crashed into the ground below. As he looked up, he saw Tigerhawk floating down, both hands crackling with green lightning.

"You," Megatron got up.

"I will stop you," promised Tigerhawk, "or die trying."

"I'm leaning towards the latter," Megatron smiled, crossing both arms.

Without another word, Tigerhawk charged, punching Megatron with enough force to send the tyrant crashing through five buildings. With his speed, Tigerhawk flew forward until he reached the site Megatron had crashed into.

Megatron got up and dusted himself off. As he did, Tigerhawk tackled him into the ground.

Raising the fuzor up, Megatron kicked him off. Tigerhawk landed and spun around, blasting Megatron with a powerful array of emerald lightning.

Slowly, Megatron stretched out his hands and began to absorb the emerald lightning into himself.

"Yes, yes!" Megatron cried. "I feel it!"

Tigerhawk immediately stopped, realizing that he was only making the Predacon stronger. That moment was all Megatron needed. He transformed to beast mode and all at once, the three heads opened their mouths, blasting Tigerhawk with a powerful surge of black and purple flames, pushing the fuzor back as he desperately tried to hold back Megatron's new power.

Finally, the flames finally exploded as Tigerhawk's body flew back. The dark dragon stomped forward as the two dragon heads to the left and right grabbed onto Tigerhawk's wings and tore them off.

"Aaaagh!" screamed Tigerhawk.

Megatron stomped down on Tigerhawk's chest with a foot, grinding into the fuzor who cried in pain. Fighting past the pain, Tigerhawk raised a hand, blasting Megatron square under the jaw with an energy ray.

"Ugh!" Megatron fell off of Tigerhawk.

At once Tigerhawk took out his mystic sword and slashed Megatron across the chest.

"Naaah!" screamed Megatron.

Not letting up for a second, Tigerhawk began to slash Megatron again and again. Each and every time he managed to drive the three-headed dragon back more and more.

From out of nowhere, however, Megatron's tail lashed out and struck Tigerhawk in the face, knocking him to the ground. As Tigerhawk fell, Megatron transformed back to robot mode and took out his own dark blade. Raising it up high, Megatron struck down and knocked Tigerhawk's sword out of his hand.

Refusing to give up, Tigerhawk blasted Megatron with another array of emerald flames. By the time the blasts stopped, Megatron stood before Tigerhawk unscathed.

"You'll have to do better than that," Megatron smiled.

Before Tigerhawk realized what had happened, Megatron drove his sword into Tigerhawk's chest.

"Aaaaagh!" screamed Tigerhawk, falling down to both knees.

"Oh wait, that's right…" Megatron sneered. "You can't!"

Tigerhawk attempted to get up again but Megatron kicked him down onto his back. The tyrant then planted his foot down on Tigerhawk's stomach.

"I should thank you," Megatron told Tigerhawk. "If not for your machinations, I may not have attained powers beyond my wildest dreams!"

"They are powers which will consume you," warned Tigerhawk, coughing up mech-fluid as he did. "If you walk the path of darkness, expect no light at the end of the tunnel."

"How very poetic of you," Megatron sneered derisively, taking out his dragon cannon and pointing it towards Tigerhawk's spark chamber.

Without hesitation, he fired.

* * *

Suddenly, the force field which had contained the Maximals vanished.

"The force field… it's gone," Rhinox gazed up.

"Tigerhawk said that this barrier was connected to his life force," Silverbolt realized. "If this barrier is gone, then that also means…"

"Tigerhawk…" Optimus lowered his head in grief, as did Tigatron.

"Are you alright?" Airazor asked her partner.

"No, I am not," Tigatron said softly. "He had so much more to live for and now he is gone forever."

As much as Optimus hated to cut the mourning period short, he had no other choice. The threat they faced was now apocalyptic. Soon, there would be no Earth left if Megatron continued on his power-mad quest.

"I'm sorry for Tigerhawk's loss," Optimus told his team. "But we have to get a move-on. If we don't stop Megatron or the ship, all life on Earth as we know it will perish."

"Agreed," Tigatron got up.

"I'm with you," promised Airazor.

"As am I," Silverbolt bowed.

"Then let's do this!" Rhinox beckoned.

* * *

"Megatron thinks he's won this war," Tarantulas swore angrily.

The wolf spider paced back and forth in frustration. If Megatron were to finally win the Beast Wars, then he would most likely return to Cybertron as his next step.

What worried Tarantulas the most was that after this was all over and the Maximals were in a scrap heap, the Predacon tyrant would most likely turn his wrath upon the next available scapegoat available, Tarantulas himself.

"He most likely won't be so merciful once he's won this war," Tarantulas cursed.

He had to find some way to save his own life and ensure his safety.

There was just one final card he could play, now that Arachnoid Prime was destroyed and he had no more allies at his disposal. Reaching to his head, Tarantulas took out the piece of the Darkspark which he had carved into his forehead as a gem.

"This may be my only chance now," Tarantulas held it tightly and opened up his spark chamber.

Gripping the Darkspark fragment tightly, Tarantulas plunged it into his own spark and screamed in agony.

After a few moments, Tarantulas felt nothing.

But then, the pain washed over him again.

"Nooo!" screamed Tarantulas as a fresh new wave of throbbing swept over his body.

Immediately, eight extra eyes popped up on his head and face. From below, Tarantulas watched in horror as his body began to stretch out and two new limbs emerged from his body.

"Yaaagh!" Tarantulas howled as his mouth was forced open and fangs emerged, dripping cyber-venom.

* * *

With the shields now down, the Maximals raced towards the still-recharging Metalhunter.

"Open fire!" ordered Optimus.

Rhinox, Silverbolt, Tigatron, and Airazor began to open fire upon the enormous Vok warship along with Optimus.

Suddenly, a dark energy swept over all the missiles and laser blasts, catching them before they could reach the Metalhunter.

From the skies, Megatron flew down, firing a round from his dragon cannon. The purple blast struck the ground near the Maximals, knocking all of them off their feet. The only one who managed to brace his ground against the sheer force of the shot was Optimal Optimus.

"It is too late Optimus!" warned Megatron. "The Metalhunter will soon set sail and I will bring this war to Cybertron itself!"

"The Predacons rule Cybertron now," Optimus reminded Megatron. "I thought that would make you happy enough."

"No, it will be enough," replied Megatron. "Nothing will be enough until I've undisputed ruler of all Cybertron!"

"We won't allow you passage!" warned Optimus. "You won't make it back! Not unless we have anything to say about it!"

"You cannot win this!" Megatron cautioned the Maximal. "I could annihilate you with but a thought!"

"Then I'll just have to scramble your brains!" Optimus raised an enormous fist and charged.

Easily, Megatron side-stepped Primal's punch and swung his tail back, catching Optimus across the back of the head to knock him forward.

As Optimus got up, Megatron was upon him in an instant. With one blow, Megatron struck him with a punch hard enough that sent the Maximal flying back. Optimus got up and unleashed his shoulder cannons, firing back. Moving at an amazing speed, Megatron avoided the shots and kicked Optimus, knocking him down again.

"Want to know why you're not seeing the Well of Allsparks yet?" taunted Megatron. "It's because I'm having too much fun with you, Optimus!"

Reaching deep inside to find the fire within his own spark, Optimus launched himself back up and punched Megatron with all his might. Surprised by the attack, Megatron stumbled back as Optimus came in, laying into him with punch after punch.

Clenching both fists together, Optimus swung and struck Megatron across the side of his face.

Then he realized Megatron didn't even flinch from the attack. Megatron merely smiled and backhanded Optimus, smashing him through a rock.

As Optimus looked up, Megatron flew into the air and shot at the Maximal with an energy blast from his cannon. Quickly, the Maximal rolled out of the way to avoid it.

Optimus managed to get up but Megatron landed in front of him, transforming to beast mode and unleashing a powerful blast of black and purple flames from his central maw at Primal's direction. Raising both arms up, Optimus managed to black the initial spray of flames, only to be pushed back further and further by its raw, destructive power.

Finally, the onslaught of flames overwhelmed him, submerging him entirely.

"Aaaaaagh!" screamed Optimus.

Optimal Optimus Primal's body fell, charred and broken.

"Ugn…" groaned Optimus, barely able to move a joint from the ferocious attack.

"You cannot harm me anymore," Megatron said, stating the truth. "As of now, you are no longer of any concern."

With that, Megatron flew back to the Metalhunter, leaving behind a trail of broken and defeated Maximals in his wake.

* * *

"Megatron, you have returned!" Obsidian greeted his master.

All the Predacons were there, minus Tarantulas. Dr. Drake was there as well per Megatron's orders.

"No more haste," Megatron told his crew. "We set sail for destruction!"

"Is the ship now ready?" asked Jetstorm.

"It is," Megatron told them. "And just as a demonstration, we will test the might of the Metalhunter's power upon Crimson City itself!"

At once, Dinobot snapped out of his daze and stared at Megatron in disbelief. The Predacon leader had everything he could ever want, power and control. But now he wanted to wreak his anger upon helpless innocents who had nothing to do with the Beast Wars?

"As I recall, the Maximals had two human children as allies within that city," Megatron mused. "Such a shame that they will never expire of old age!"

"This is wrong…" Dinobot whispered.

Alongside him, his clones were paying attention to him, taking notice of his sudden change in mood.

Megatron's eyes glowed slightly, opening up the ship's hatches with only a thought now that he and the Metalhunter were fused as one. From the hatches, several pods were launched from the enormous warship and landed within various locations in Crimson City. At once those pods erupted, transforming into robotic Vok drones, the same kind which had once invaded the city under the former Vok invasion.

"Hah hah hah!" Megatron laughed. "It has begun!"

Rising to full height, Megatron spread his wings into the air.

"Not only this city, but this planet and everything on it will burn!" declared Megatron.

"No," a lone voice declared.

"What was that?" Megatron turned his attention to the source of dissension.

"You cannot do this!" Dinobot urged. "This is wrong! These humans have done nothing to deserve this!"

"You, Dinobot, have just spoken out of turn," warned Megatron.

"I urge you!" Dinobot pressed. "You must see reason! You are powerful and they are weak! Spare them and the Maximals! Show mercy!"

"Uh oh," Dr. Drake muttered to Obsidian. "He's really going to get it now."

That was the final straw. Megatron glared at Dinobot and unleashed a purple optical blast which struck Dinobot in the chest and floored him completely.

"You feel sorry for the humans this much?" growled Megatron. "Then you can perish along with them!"

Megatron raised his cannon and pointed it towards Dinobot. Before he could fire, however, the four Dinobot clones leaped onto him.

"Protect your master at all costs!" Dinobot Alpha cried.

Effortlessly, Megatron threw all four clones off of him. In his anger, he needed another scapegoat.

"You!" Megatron pointed towards Drake. "You created them! Why are they loyal to Dinobot?"

"I… I didn't think it was important!" Dr. Drake protested. "When I created the clones, you were missing. So I programmed them to show unconditional loyalty to Dinobot!"

Again, the Dinobot clones attacked, pelting Megatron with their optics lasers and weapons in a futile attempt to slow him down and prevent him from killing their master.

"How could I have known this would happen?" Drake cried, attempting to divert attention away from himself.

"Hold him down!" Megatron pointed towards Dinobot.

Before Dinobot could do anything, two huge hands grabbed him from behind and held him down. Strika and Tankorr were now restraining him.

"Let go!" Dinobot cried.

"You dare to defy me?" thundered Megatron.

"No, I dare to do the right thing!" Dinobot shot back.

"Then your clones shall pay the price!" Megatron cried angrily.

Dinobot could only watch in horror as Megatron attacked the clone generals viciously. With a roar, he grabbed Dinobot Omega and tore his body in two. Dinobot Alpha and Gamma attacked, only to be stomped into the ground. With one swing of his tail, Megatron grabbed Dinobot Sigma and slammed him into the floor as well.

Strika and Tankorr held on even harder as they forced Dinobot to watch his own team being viciously beaten to death and torn apart by Megatron. One after another, Megatron destroyed the Dinobot clones with such ferocity that even the Predacons in the room had to cringe.

By the time it was over, mech fluid ran all over the floor as the mutilated body parts of the clones scattered everywhere.

"No!" howled Dinobot, hurling both Strika and Tankorr off of him.

Unsheathing both claws, Dinobot attacked Megatron in anger. Telekinetically, Megatron stopped Dinobot in mid-air and lifted him up as the top hatch to the ship opened up. Megatron floated himself and Dinobot up onto the top of the Metalhunter.

"The Metalhunter is now operational," Megatron smiled. "It's such a shame you will not be able to experience its magnificence on board."

"Damn you to the Pit, Megatron!" screamed Dinobot.

"No Dinobot," Megatron replied dangerously. "Damn you. Damn you for your honor and your loyalty to that human!"

Dinobot struggled to break free but Megatron's telekinetic powers were too powerful.

"Goodbye forever," Megatron pointed his dragon cannon at Dinobot and fired.

The ensuing blast enveloped Dinobot and sent his body crashing into the forest far below in a spectacular explosion.

* * *

"The main engine room should be down this hall," Cheetor pointed.

Cheetor, Blackarachnia, and Rattrap walked through the corridors, making sure not to make too much noise.

"So if we can take down the engines, 'dis bird could be grounded?" asked Rattrap.

"That's the plan," Cheetor replied forlornly. "It might be the best we can do to honor their sacrifices?"

"Their?" Blackarachnia inquired.

"Yeah, I thought only Inferno died?" Rattrap looked at Cheetor questioningly.

Because of the training he had undergone under the Vok, Cheetor's spiritual awareness had been heightened to much higher levels than before. He had sensed the passing of Tigerhawk as Megatron slew him. It had not been news he had wanted to break his teammates and lower their morale, but now he had no choice but to tell them.

"No, it's not just Inferno," Cheetor confessed. "Tigerhawk's also gone."

"Tigerhawk's… gone?" Rattrap's mouth fell open.

"Yeah, I felt his passing," Cheetor replied.

Blackarachnia stayed silent as well. She had not been particularly close to Tigerhawk but even she lowered her head in respect.

Suddenly, a clattering noise was heard from the corner.

"What was 'dat?" Rattrap took out his gun.

"Heh heh heh heh…" a familiar laugh echoed.

"Tarantulas…" Cheetor snarled.

"What is that sleaze up to now?" Blackarachnia went on alert as well.

A large strand of webbing flew down at them, forcing all the Maximals and Blackarachnia to roll away.

From the ceiling, an enormous mutated monstrosity leaped down, possessing the head and jaws of an eight-eyed spider. Its entire body was a metallic fusion of purple spikes and armored plating. On its sides, the creature possessed four large, powerful arms. On its back were two elongated slashing limbs, resembling that of the usual arachnid.

"Step into my web, said the spider to the fly…" Tarantulas hissed, drooling cyber-venom onto the ground.

"Swell, just when I thought you couldn't get any uglier," Blackarachnia told him mockingly.

"Yeah, what'd you go through?" Rattrap asked. "Arachnid beauty school?"

Opening his monstrous jaws, Tarantulas spat a large glob of cyber-venom at Rattrap who couldn't move out of the way fast enough. Blackarachnia reacted quickly and tackled him away from the cyber-venom just in time, saving the Maximal rodent.

"Eh… thanks," Rattrap said to her uncertainly.

"Don't mention it," Blackarachnia got up.

Cheetor took out both his swords, preparing for battle.

Hungrily, Tarantulas looked in all directions with his multiple eyes as Blackarachnia, Cheetor, and Rattrap surrounded him. Before any of them could attack, however, the ship began to shake slowly.

"I don't like the sound of that," Cheetor grabbed onto a crate to steady himself.

* * *

"No…" Optimus looked up as the Metalhunter began to rise.

The rest of the Maximals had nearly recovered from Megatron's initial attack at that point. The large Vok warship was now rising.

"Optimus," Rhinox went up in front of him. "This isn't going to bode well for this planet."

Optimus transformed to flight mode, turning into an enormous aircraft.

"We have to stop that thing at all costs!" Optimus declared. "Climb on!"

Rhinox and Tigatron got on top of Optimus as the Maximal leader flew up into the sky. From behind, Airazor and Silverbolt followed.

The final battle was now here. Whether or not they won remained to be seen.

But if not even Tigerhawk could stop Megatron, what chance did they have?

* * *

From the charred crater in the ground, Dinobot stirred. As he looked up again, he realized that his healing abilities had finally kicked in gear. He got up, wobbly, but still alive and feeling a bit of throbbing pain.

It was now over. The relationship between him and Megatron had finally disintegrated.

Megatron had slain his comrades in a most brutal fashion. Their lives still weighed heavily on Dinobot's mind. They had given their lives to try to save his. He could not imagine any way he would be able to honor their sacrifice at this point.

He had lost everything, his master, his home, and now his own kin. Megatron and the Predacons now considered him a pariah, a hopeless castaway who could never return.

Suddenly, the snapping of a twig alerted him.

Dinobot crawled out of the crater to witness a horrid sight. Depth Charge stumbled out of the undergrowth, falling down to his knees.

The Maximal was now a wretched, pathetic sight. His entire body had been damaged and looked to be suffering from some sort of illness.

"Ugh…" Depth Charge gurgled.

Now the formerly proud Maximal warrior was a shell of his former self. Something inside of Dinobot softened as he walked towards Depth Charge.

"You are injured," Dinobot pointed out.

"Y-You…" Depth Charge stared up at the raptor.

"Do not try to speak," Dinobot told him. "I will try to help you in any way possible."

Though Depth Charge was now on the verge of death, the very notion of Dinobot offering to help him made something inside of him snap.

"You?" scoffed Depth Charge. "Don't make me laugh. I'd sooner die than accept help from X's spawn!"

The words cut deeply but Dinobot persisted. This was not the time nor the place to be getting into an argument.

"This is no time to fight me!" insisted Dinobot. "What is going on with you?"

"Can't you figure it out?" Depth Charge snarled. "I'm dying soon! My spark's been poisoned by radioactive isotopes ever since I fought Rampage to the death!"

Dinobot paused. Rampage's spark had gone off in space. That was the most likely source of Depth Charge's spark poisoning. For that, he could think of one possible option to curing the Maximal's now-terminal disease.

"I think I may be able to help," Dinobot told him.

"How?" demanded Depth Charge, feeling a further wave of pain wash over him.

"Open your spark chamber to me," Dinobot ordered.

"What?" Depth Charge's eyes widened.

"It is the only way," Dinobot told him. "My spark contains the healing abilities which can cure you of your condition!"

"Y-You're proposing a spark merger?" Depth Charge cried. "Forget it!"

With that, Depth Charge struck Dinobot, backhanding him across the face furiously.

"You don't have a choice!" snarled Dinobot, growing a bit angry with the manta ray's stubbornness.

"I'd sooner expire than merge my spark with the likes of yours!" Depth Charge shouted. "You're a perversion! A monstrosity just like Rampage! I'll never let you—"

With one swift punch, Dinobot drove his fist into Depth Charge's gut, knocking the wind out of the Maximal.

"Ugh…" coughed Depth Charge falling to the floor unconscious.

"I'm sorry," Dinobot told Depth Charge resolutely. "But this is the only way."

Carefully, Dinobot placed Depth Charge's body to the floor and opened up his hideously mangled chest compartment to reveal his spark. Taking hold of the spark, Dinobot opened up his own spark chamber.

Without hesitation, he began to merge Depth Charge's terminal spark with his own, allowing it to bond completely with his life essence.

Suddenly, Dinobot cried out as the poisoned spark of Depth Charge began to fight his own as the merger completed. In a matter of moments, however, it stopped.

Before his eyes, the Matrix Blade, or what remained of it, floated up before him. It was now only a sheath with only a small blade fragment hanging from it. A large orb of light appeared simultaneously.

"Greetings Dinobot," it announced. "I am the Oracle and the Matrix Blade has chosen you to be its new wielder."

"What is going on?" asked Dinobot.

"Now is your moment of truth," the Oracle replied. "In the darkest hour, you have chosen the path of light."

All of it was a bit too much to take in all at once. But Dinobot was beginning to understand what was going on and his place in the grand scheme of all things.

"Take the Matrix Blade," the Oracle told him. "Take it and transform your destiny!"

At once the Matrix Blade was surrounded by a glowing light. When it was over, a completely reformatted Matrix Blade floated before him, now resembling a samurai katana.

Dinobot grabbed onto the weapon and held it tightly as he felt his own body change slowly, both from the power of the Matrix Blade and from Depth Charge's essence in his spark chamber.

His moment of truth had now come.

**A/N**: By Chapter 78, Symmetries will officially be over. I did have a few more ideas for storylines in my head but I've decided that I'm going to stick to my word and end the series at Chapter 78. Another story I had pitched in my mind was Morgan la Fey surviving to modern times and plotting her revenge against the Maximals while masquerading as a stage magician called Morgana Fox, with a male assistant called Sam LeBoeuf. Another story idea I had was to introduce these plant-like Transformers called the Botanicons led by a leader named Botanicus who would befriend the Maximals initially but eventually betray them and try to take over Earth. They would be descendents of a Maximal colony on a planet teeming with plant-life. In addition, their presence on Earth would eventually lead to the techno-organic future of my story where humans and Transformers like Botanica and Nightscream live side by side with each other. Alas, I won't be completing those stories anymore for the sake of sticking to my intended chapters length, but if you wish, just assume that the events I described happened at some point in my Symmetries series.


	77. Year of the Dragon Part 3

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Year of the Dragon – Part 3_

With an ear-piercing cry, Tarantulas hurled himself towards the three Maximals in his path. At once Cheetor, Blackarachnia, and Rattrap scattered as Tarantulas, in his hideous new body, lunged at them.

"Any plans on how to take down tall, dark, and gruesome?" asked Blackarachnia.

"Yeah," Cheetor crossed both swords together. "We hit him hard and fast!"

The three of them charged. One after another, Tarantulas dispatched them. As Rattrap came in, Tarantulas backhanded him aside. Also as Cheetor and Blackarachnia leaped at him, Tarantulas fired two pieces of webbing that struck their feet in mid-air, tangling them and knocking them to the floor.

Cheetor quickly cut the webbing from his feet and looked up. Up above him, Tarantulas raised his clawed hand and struck down, narrowly missing Cheetor and ripping right through the metal on the floor.

Rapidly, the young Maximal spun around and side-kicked Tarantulas in the waist to send the mutated Predacon stumbling back.

"You only prolong the inevitable!" Tarantulas hissed. "I will feast on all your sparks!"

Without another word, Cheetor pressed his attack. He punched the spider two times across the jaws. Tarantulas swung back but Cheetor dodged under the swing and raised both fists up, slamming them into the Predacon's chin to knock Tarantulas back again. As Tarantulas looked up, Cheetor and Blackarachnia leaped into him, kicking him in the chest and sending him flying back-first into the wall.

Quickly, Blackarachnia fired four shots of webbing which pinned all of Tarantulas' hands to the wall.

"You think this will hold me?" Tarantulas asked bemusedly.

Without warning, a pair of extra spider-legs emerged from the back of Tarantulas and struck Blackarachnia and Cheetor across the face, knocking both of them down.

Alarmed, Rattrap took out his gun and fired several rounds at Tarantulas who fired back with a stinger missile from his wrist. The stinger missile struck Rattrap's gun and knocked it out of his hand.

Though he was disarmed, Rattrap was not completely helpless. The diminutive Maximal raised a fist and punched at Tarantulas who immediately caught it.

"You've always been a thorn on my side!" Tarantulas told the Maximal rodent. "I think I'll feast on your spark first! Heh heh heh!"

With a single blow, he knocked Rattrap out and carried the rodent on his back.

"No!" cried Cheetor who lunged at him.

Tarantulas spun around and fired a powerful strand of webbing which struck Cheetor and pinned him to the ceiling. He raised all four arms and fired several more strands of webbing until the Maximal was completely webbed up.

With that, he hoisted Rattrap onto his back and began climbing the walls to reach higher ground.

"I gotta get you outta there," Blackarachnia quickly transformed to beast mode and climbed to the ceiling to help Cheetor undo the webbing.

* * *

"Oh man, it's the same robots all over again!" Jack cried.

He and Luna were on their college campus. The alien Vok drones that had once invaded Earth were returning full force once more. Had the Vok come back once more to fulfill their promise of destroying this world?

"They're all over the city!" Luna looked around.

Panicking crowds were running in all directions and fire had already been set to some of the buildings.

"Over here!" Jack motioned towards the corner of the library.

The two siblings ran over to the hiding place Jack had discovered. As of now, they had no rescue shelter to hide in like they had in the past during the first invasion. To say that they were alarmed was an understatement.

"I'll try to radio Optimus," Jack took out his communicator.

"Jack, look out!" cried Luna.

Jack looked up and just as he did, a large claw came crushing down, nearly ripping him in two as he leaped out of the way in the nick of time. One of the robotic drones had found them.

The young man grabbed onto a trashcan lid and smashed the drone across the head. In retaliation, the drone struck Jack across the ribs and knocked him several feet away.

Quickly, Luna ran over to Jack's aid.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Not sure, think I broke something…" he muttered.

The two could only watch in silent horror as the Vok drone raised its leg in preparation of smashing the two to a bloody pulp.

Without warning, a powerful green blast struck the drone, knocking it over. As the drone got back up on all four, an armored figure leaped down and impaled it through the head with his sword.

"You guys okay?" asked Lance, who was soon joined by Sonia and Rurik.

"Yeah, we are," Luna told them. "Who are you?"

"We're friends of Cheetor," Sonia answered. "He asked for us to come and watch over you."

"Nice!" Jack smiled.

Rurik powered up in his battle armor and punched right through a Vok drone that was coming at him.

"Looks like we're knee-deep in it now!" Rurik pointed out.

As Lance unsheathed his second sword, Sonia took out her bow and fired a high-powered arrow right into the eye of an attacking drone. Lance also leaped back into the fray, slashing and cutting through the drones with efficiency.

"You two ever use weapons before?" Sonia asked.

"Just a bit of kendo practice we learned in Japan," Luna responded.

"Take these," Sonia took out two laser blasters from her kit and handed it to Jack and Luna.

"Thanks!" Jack took the gun and blasted through one of the Vok drones headed towards him and his sister.

"All for one," Jack raised his blaster.

"And one for all!" Luna gripped hers tightly.

As the Vok drones began gathering in number, the siblings soon leaped into the fray alongside their new allies.

* * *

"Maximals, attack!" ordered Optimus.

The large Maximal aircraft flew right above the Metalhunter, allowing Rhinox and Tigatron to leap down onto the massive ship.

From the main hull, the rest of the Predacons emerged, ready to do battle.

"Predacons, attack!" Ravage shouted.

At once, each of the combatants began their attack.

"Optimus, you go after Megatron!" Rhinox told his leader. "We'll hold the line here!"

"I can't just leave you!" protested Optimus.

From the air, Ravage leaped at Rhinox. Immediately, Silverbolt flew into Ravage, kicking him aside.

"We will be fine, sir!" Silverbolt confirmed. "Go stop Megatron!"

"Alright then," agreed Optimus. "And good luck!"

As Optimus flew away towards the main entrance of the ship, Jetstorm fired at Airazor in the air.

"Stay still!" he shouted.

"Gotta tag me first!" Airazor flew past the shots Jetstorm fired at her.

Swerving past the shots, Airazor clobbered Jetstorm across the chin, knocking him over. The Predacon jet caught himself in the air and transformed to his condor beast mode, raising his wings and firing several wing missiles at the Maximal falcon.

Airazor dodged most of them but one missile clipped her shoulder, causing her to fall back. Jetstorm took advantage of the opportunity and punched her, knocking her down onto one of the wings of the Metalhunter.

As Airazor looked up, Jetstorm came down, grasping at her with his claws. Transforming to beast mode herself, Airazor reacted quickly and narrowly escaped the attack.

As Jetstorm looked up, Airazor was nowhere to be seen.

"Now where'd that falcon femme-bot go?" Jetstorm looked around, tilting his condor head left and right.

Suddenly, a piercing cry alerted him. From behind him, Airazor flew down and body-slammed him right in the chest, knocking both of them off the wing and back down into the sky.

"This final war will be your end, Maximal!" Ravage cried, swinging at Tigatron with his nightsticks.

Tigatron shifted to the side to dodge a swing at his head and grabbed Ravage, lifting him up by the arm and tossing him down.

"Not likely Predacon," Tigatron growled, taking out his gun.

Before Tigatrion could fire, Strika threw a bomb at him. Reacting quickly, Tigatron leaped out of the way to avoid the blast.

"Face it, you're outmatched!" Strika warned Rhinox, Tigatron, and Silverbolt. "Obsidian and I are Cybertron's greatest generals!"

Obsidian, Tankorr, Ravage, and Thrust joined by her side.

"Maybe you are," Rhinox told her. "But we Maximals have heart! And we never give up!"

With that, the Rhinox charged her along with the rest of his companions. With one powerful punch, the Maximal scientist struck Obsidian across the face, knocking her back several yards.

"Strika!" Obsidian cried.

Silverbolt took advantage of his momentary distraction and kicked him in the chest to knock him down as well.

Immediately, Thrust opened fire on Silverbolt, knocking him down from the air. As he closed in on Silverbolt, Tigatron tackled him, pinning him to the ground. Raising both feet under Tigatron, Thrust kicked the Maximal feline off and transformed to beast mode, snapping at the cat with his fangs.

Tigatron struck back, striking Thrust across the face with a massive paw. In return, Thrust struck Tigatron across the face to knock the Maximal down. At once, Thrust pounced on Tigatron, attempting to claw at his throat.

As the two opponents slashed at each other, Airazor tangled with Jetstorm from above. She raised her fist, pummeling the condor across the head multiple times before landing a downwards axe-kick across his forehead.

Jetstorm fell and fell against the hull of the Metalhunter. As he raised his head, Airazor dove into him with another punch that nearly snapped his head back. Jetstorm punched back at Airazor but Airazor unleashed two more punches and then rendered the condor-bot unconscious with a third and final uppercut.

From behind the fuzor, Ravage leaped at Silverbolt. Fortunately for the Maximal, Silverbolt turned around just in time and caught Ravage with both feet, flipping the panther off of the Metalhunter.

Ravage screamed as he fell several thousands of feet into the ocean below him.

Without warning, Strika grabbed Silverbolt from behind and held him in a tight grip. With a powerful throw, she hurled him across the Vok warship until he slammed into one of the walls.

Tigatron kicked Thrust off of him and lunged at Strika who quickly batted him aside with one of her giant fists.

Obsidian pressed his attack as well and blasted Airazor down. With a flick of his wrist, he took out his chopper blades and cut through Rhinox's hide, causing the large Maximal to cry out in pain.

Silverbolt lunged at Obsidian but the more experienced general flipped Silverbolt over and threw him away.

"The longer you fight, the more you only prolong the inevitable!" Obsidian warned.

"He's right, we gotta end this somehow!" Rhinox huffed, getting up.

"I have just the idea!" Silverbolt flew up.

He flew around the ship once and came back, grabbing Thrust and lifting him into the air.

"Hey, put me down!" Thrust cried.

Silverbolt flew right over the wide ocean, holding the still-struggling Thrust.

"As you wish!" Silverbolt declared.

At once he dropped Thrust. Soon, the screaming Thrust vanished beneath the waves as well.

"Dropping the non-flyers…" Airazor nodded. "Smart move!"

Concentrating almost solely on the ground-based Predacons, Rhinox slammed into Tankorr while Tigatron and Airazor tackled Strika, forcing her back.

"You Maximal filth!" cried Obsidian.

Before Obsidian could help his comrades, Silverbolt got right in front of him.

"To get to them, you go through me first, scoundrel!" Silverbolt growled, taking out two feather-daggers.

"Agh!" Obsidian charged with his blades.

At once, Silverbolt and Obsidian clashed with their respective weapons. While the two of them struggled against one another, Tigatron and Airazor forced Strika towards the edge of the Metalhunter.

"You cannot win!" Strika threatened.

Quickly, Airazor slipped out of her grip and got behind her, knocking her backwards with a low spin-kick.

"Aaaaahhh!" screamed Strika as she plummeted as well.

"Strika no!" Obsidian butted Silverbolt across the head with his weapon and flew down after her.

From behind, however, Silverbolt grabbed him and held him in place. Soon, Strika's body disappeared underneath the waves.

As Rhinox struggled against Tankorr, the large Predacon head-butted Rhinox to loosen his grip and then punched him off.

Rhinox staggered back but took out his chain gun and fired several rounds into Tankorr.

"Aaaagh!" shouted Tankorr as his entire body was pumped full of lead.

Transforming to beast mode, Rhinox charged and knocked Tankorr off the ship with a powerful, decisive blow.

"No, this can't be!" Obsidian cried.

"Let's finish this!" Rhinox shouted.

Obsidian opened fire upon the Maximals but Tigatron rolled out of the way and fired a shot which struck Obsidian and took him out of the fight for good.

* * *

As Optimus stepped into the main halls, he felt an eerie chill down his back.

Megatron was here somewhere and it was his duty to stop him for good and make sure the Predacon never make it back to Cybertron.

"Come out, Megatron!" called Optimus. "Let's finish this!"

No reply.

"Hiding doesn't seem like your style!" Optimus called again. "I thought by now you'd show up just to rub your newfound power in my face."

"Oh, that would be accurate," Megatron's voice broke through the silence. "But I always had a knack for building suspense."

Megatron's voice was but a low purr. Despite the elegance and refinement to that voice, the threat of danger lurked not too far from underneath. It had the same soothing sound as a cat playing around with a mouse.

"Then show yourself!" ordered Optimus.

A shower of black and purple electricity emerged from the shadows and blasted Optimus against a wall.

"You're outclassed Optimus," Megatron purred. "I would recommend that you willingly surrender yourself. Should you follow my counsel, I promise you a quick death!"

"To you?" Optimus got up. "In a pig's eye!"

Another blast of electricity emerged from above, blasting Optimus and forcing him to his knees.

"Aaaaagh!" screamed the Maximal.

Finally, Megatron, in his three-headed dragon form, emerged.

"I tried to be benevolent," Megatron stared down at his long-time enemy. "I tried to take pity on you but you… you had to take advantage of my magnanimous mercy! Your ingratitude will be your doom, Primal!"

"Clemency from you?" spat Optimus. "Don't make me laugh!"

Without warning, several metal tendrils emerged from the walls and grabbed Optimus by all four limbs, lifting him up.

"I am one with the Metalhunter," Megatron informed Optimus. "I control its every action with but a thought!"

As Megatron's eyes flashed with a glowing red, the metal tendrils, pumped Optimus Primal's body with an enormous surge of electrical energy which caused the Maximal leader to howl in agony.

"Admit defeat Primal," urged Megatron. "It is the least you can do now to alleviate your suffering!"

"N-Never…" Optimus glared at Megatron with grim determination.

"Then die!" Megatron cried, blasting Optimus with another massive surge of energy from the Metalhunter's tendrils.

"Aaaahhh!"

* * *

Slowly, Rattrap woke up. He blinked a few times to make sure he was not yet in the Matrix.

Then he realized where he was as he struggled to move his arms and legs.

"Don't bother moving," Tarantulas told him. "You're in my tangled web now, vermin."

Rattrap tried yet again to break free of the webbing that was holding his entire body but could not breach it.

Tarantulas edged closer and closer, revealing his gaping fangs and the cyber-venom which he drooled onto the floor. From the looks of it, the acidic venom from his jaws could melt even metal.

"Hold still!" Tarantulas smiled. "You're in for a world of pain!"

From out of the blue, a glob of webbing struck Tarantulas in the face, gluing his entire face. In the distance, Blackarachnia held her gun.

"Ack!" cried Tarantulas.

Soon enough, Cheetor appeared on the scene and punched Tarantulas hard enough to knock the mutated spider away from Rattrap. With both his swords, Cheetor severed the webbing which held Rattrap in place, freeing him.

"Thanks for the save," Rattrap breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't mention it," Cheetor turned his attention back to Tarantulas who by now had torn the webbing off his jawline.

Tarantulas got up but Blackarachnia fired another shot from her gun, this time tangling both his feet with a strand of cyber-webbing. She pulled back and dragged him to the floor again.

"Give it up Tarantulas," she told him. "You're just making this hard on yourself!"

"Treacherous widow!" Tarantulas snarled. "Bringing you online was the biggest mistake I shall rectify yet!"

With a burst of strength, Tarantulas ripped off the webbing to his feet and got back up. He raised all four of his arms and fired several stinger missiles from his wrists. Cheetor immediately jumped in front of Blackarachnia and Rattrap, using his twin swords to deflect all of the stingers.

Cheetor then leaped into action, striking down across the shoulder of Tarantulas with his sword, cutting through it and sending sparks flying into the air.

Tarantulas howled in pain but quickly retaliated by punching Cheetor hard enough across the jaw to daze him. Cheetor struck back with his sword but Tarantulas caught the sword with one hand. The cat swung at Tarantulas with his other sword but the spider caught that as well and lifted Cheetor into the air. With his lower two arms, Tarantulas began pummeling Cheetor in the chest and ribs multiple times.

With both arms held in place in the air, Cheetor leaped up and drove his feet into the face of Tarantulas, kicking the Predacon hard enough to break free. As he fell to the floor, Tarantulas slashed him across the chest, knocking him down.

Blackarachnia fired several cyber-venom filled darts at Tarantulas but the mutated spider reacted quickly, dodging them until he reached her. With a single stroke, he slashed Blackarachnia across her stomach, dropping her on her back.

In triumph, Tarantulas raised a clawed hand into the air, preparing to strike down on his hapless victim.

Suddenly, Rattrap leaped onto Tarantulas, placing him in a chokehold. Tarantulas thrashed about briefly, trying to get Rattrap off of him. Before the spider could get a firm grip on him, Rattrap took out an explosive and plastered it to Tarantulas' face.

After having grabbed hold of the rodent, Tarantulas threw Rattrap off of him. But before Tarantulas could remove the bomb that was planted on his face, Blackarachnia raised her gun and fired a piece of webbing which glued his hand to the bomb on his face. Taking careful aim, she fired again and again, unleashing several more pieces of webbing which glued his hand along with the bomb all over his head.

"Mmmmph!" shrieked Tarantulas.

Blackarachnia leaped up and kicked Tarantulas in the chest, sending him stumbling back. Just as Tarantulas regained his balance, Rattrap and Cheetor slammed into the spider, sending him tumbling down a set of stairs until he reached the very bottom.

It was at that moment that the bomb exploded.

By the time they reached the bottom, the two Maximals and their Predacon ally saw Tarantulas, charred and badly damaged from the blast. Half of his head had been badly mangled from Rattrap's explosives and the rest of his body was in no better condition. His top left arm lay dangling from the ceiling.

"You'll pay for what you did to me!" howled Tarantulas.

"Give it up Tarantulas!" warned Cheetor. "It's over!"

"No, no!" shouted Tarantulas. "It's not over! Not until I have the final laugh!"

With a fearsome cry, a dark black aura surrounded Tarantulas, powered by none other than the Darkspark deep within his spark chamber.

"Aaaagh!" shrieked the spider.

Soon, a golden aura engulfed Cheetor as well, while Blackarachnia and Rattrap stepped back, looking on in surprise.

"I summon the power of Unicron himself!" Tarantulas cried, half-crazed already.

He raised a single hand and unleashed a maelstrom of dark energy towards Cheetor, Rattrap, and Blackarachnia. At once, Cheetor got in front of the energy blast, taking the full brunt of it.

Finally, Tarantulas stopped his onslaught. Half the room had been destroyed and smoke was piling out non-stop from his attack.

At last, the smoke cleared. Cheetor stood there with Rattrap and Blackarachnia, alive and well. The golden aura surrounded Cheetor and extended to Rattrap and Blackarachnia in addition.

"This can't be!" shouted Tarantulas. "You should be dead!"

"Time to end this!" Cheetor snarled.

"No!" Tarantulas raised two hands up in self-defense.

It was too late. Cheetor leaped into the air with both swords and came down, slashing through both the body and spark of Tarantulas.

"Heh…" Tarantulas coughed up mech fluid. "You're no longer the helpless whelp you used to be…"

Finally, Tarantulas' body and spark exploded in a magnificent shower of shrapnel and dark energy. The Predacon scientist who had menaced both the Maximals and Blackarachnia for so long was finally dead.

"It's over…" Cheetor sheathed both his swords again.

Very briefly, he closed his eyes. Tarantulas had caused him and his friends much suffering in the past and now the spider was gone. Logically, he should have been overjoyed that Tarantulas was gone but all he felt now was a sense of bittersweet closure.

"Cheetor, you okay?" asked Rattrap.

"I'm fine," Cheetor finally opened his eyes. "Let's go help Optimus!"

* * *

"Oh how I relish your shrieks of pain!" Megatron walked back and forth, watching in amusement as Optimus was being tortured.

"You won't get away with this Megatron…" panted Optimus. "Even if I go down, the others will stop you!"

"If you could not stop me, then what hope do the others have?" demanded Megatron. "Look around you, Optimus! I control the very essence of the Vok and soon, I will gain passage back to Cybertron itself! But not before leaving behind a desolate and ruined Earth in my stead!"

"I won't let you…" Optimus warned. "Not as long as I draw breath!"

Megatron's smile disappeared. He had tortured Optimus sufficiently enough by now. Amusement was something he no longer sought. Closure was what he truly desired now. Silently, Megatron transformed to robot mode and drew his sword.

"Would you like to know why you'll die now?" Megatron told his archfoe. "It's because at this stage of my life, your death will be symbolic. It symbolizes the end of one chapter of my life and the beginning of another! Once you're finished, I shall return to Cybertron and begin a new era in the history of the Transformers race!"

Megatron raised his sword up high. Now was the moment he had been waiting for ever since the beginning of the Beast Wars. And it was a moment that he would relish for the rest of his life.

"Farewell, Optimus Primal!" he declared.

At once, Cheetor burst into the room, followed up shortly by Blackarachnia and Rattrap.

"No!" shouted Cheetor, realizing he could not reach Megatron in time.

"Oh yes!" Megatron cried and slashed down at the immobile Optimus.

Suddenly, the glass around them all shattered as a blue laser blast flew in and knocked Megatron's weapon out of his hands.

"What?" Megatron gasped.

From the skies, an enormous blue dragon flew down and landed before all of them.

"What in the Pit?" Megatron stepped back and picked up his sword.

"Who… who are you?" asked Cheetor.

The stranger before them was a blue, aquatic dragon with powerful dorsal fins running down his back and limbs. There was a pair of whiskers on his long snout, resembling that of an Eastern dragon. Two enormous bat-like wings decorated his back while a long, prehensile tail whipped back and forth.

"Dinobot, terrorize!" he shouted.

Immediately, the blue dragon transformed into a massive robot. Dinobot was now decorated in blue and silver armor with the dorsal fins having transformed into shoulder pads. A bright blue crest decorated his helmet underneath a silvery forehead plate. On glance, he had more than a passing resemblance to the samurai of medieval Japan. In his hand was an odd katana blade, glowing with a familiar energy.

"Dinobot?" Blackarachnia looked incredulously. "How'd this happen to you?"

"Hmm," Megatron wandered over to Dinobot. "I sense that you are not alone, yesss…"

Dinobot stood there stoically, allowing Megatron to survey his entire frame.

"Depth Charge is with you, isn't he?" asked Megatron. "Yes, I sense it. You merged your spark with his to gain this new form!"

"I did what I had to do to save his life," Dinobot replied. "And now Megatron, I will do what I must with you."

"Oh, and what would that be?" Megatron grinned in amusement.

"One way or another, your reign of evil will end," promised Dinobot. "I will make certain of it."

"And how do you plan on stopping me?" Megatron demanded. "How could you lay a hand on the one who gave you life?

"I will stop you by any means necessary," promised Dinobot. "I must do what honor demands!"

"You dare use the h-word with me!" snarled Megatron, raising his sword and attacking.

Immediately, Dinobot raised his sword and absorbed the first blow. With a kick to Megatron's stomach, he sent the Predacon tyrant stumbling back.

"Ngh," Megatron smiled. "So, you do intend to fight your master after all!"

"Cheetor!" Dinobot looked at the young Maximal. "Rescue your commander and make haste from here! This battleground will soon be no place for any of you!"

"Raagh!" Megatron howled, attacking once more.

With a single blow, Megatron punched Dinobot just as the new dragon-bot raised both arms to block it. The might of the punch, sent Dinobot flying back. Quickly, though, he caught himself in mid-air and raised the Matrix Blade, firing a blast at Megatron.

Megatron dodged the blast and flew up, slashing at Dinobot with his own dark sword. Dinobot blocked the blow and kicked Megatron in the face, knocking him to the floor.

As Dinobot landed, Megatron transformed to beast mode again as his three heads began to spew a combination of purple and black lightning at Dinobot. Quickly, Dinobot raised the Matrix Blade and absorbed the lightning. Slowly, he closed in on Megatron.

Without warning, Megatron's tail whipped out and grabbed Dinobot around both hands, tossing him into the wall. Before Dinobot could recover, Megatron was on him, biting down around his neck with his left and right heads, lifting him up.

The dark dragon struck down with his central head, intending on mauling Dinobot on the spot. Reacting as fast as he could, Dinobot swung upwards, knocking Megatron's jaw back with a swift kick.

Megatron staggered back but quickly retaliated by spewing forth a massive blast of black and purple flames towards Dinobot.

In turn, Dinobot revealed the dragon-cannon on his right arm and fired back. From the jaws of the dragon-cannon emerged a tremendous burst of blue flames which met the dark flames of Megatron full-on.

Both opponents stood their ground, blasting at each other relentlessly until they felt the ground beneath them giving way. Soon, the force of their combined blasts gave way to an explosion which flung them both onto opposite ends of the ship.

* * *

"We'd better get you outta here, Optimus!" Cheetor promised.

With four quick slashes, Cheetor sliced off the metal tendrils which held Optimus in place. The Maximal leader fell down to both knees.

"You okay, boss-monkey?" asked Rattrap.

"I'll be alright," promised Optimus. "Right now let's give Dinobot assistance!"

As Megatron got up, he noticed that he was surrounded by three Maximals and one turncoat Predacon.

"So, the four of you wish to have your sparks extinguished so soon?" sneered Megatron.

"Wait!" a voice cried out.

From the rubble on the other side of the room, Dinobot leaped out and stomped onto the floor.

"I alone will finish the battle with my former master!" promised Dinobot.

"Then let us finish it by all means!" Megatron beckoned.

Dinobot transformed to dragon mode and flew into the sky as Megatron did the same. Immediately, Dinobot dove into Megatron and sent both their bodies crashing through the ship and into the sky.

Megatron kicked Dinobot off and flew up into the sky to get the higher ground. In return, Dinobot flew up as well and tackled Megatron in mid-air. Revealing the razor-sharp fangs in his mouth, Dinobot sank his teeth into Megatron's central neck, causing the tyrant to cry out in surprise and shock.

Angrily, Megatron's two extra heads grabbed Dinobot and pried him off. But before he could inflict any form of vengeance upon him, Dinobot opened his jaws and blasted Megatron in the chest with a powerful surge of blue flames.

"Aaaahhh!" screamed Megatron, letting Dinobot go.

Dinobot flew up and then behind Megatron. He tackled the tyrant from behind and hurled the both of them onto the side of the Metalhunter as it neared the shorelines.

Angrily, Megatron grabbed Dinobot by the neck with two of his extra heads and slammed Dinobot onto the side of the ship. He gripped tightly and hurled Dinobot again, slamming him against the other side. He then bit down with his central head, tearing away at the protective frontal chest armor of Dinobot.

Before Megatron could sink his teeth any deeper, Dinobot kicked him off and transformed to robot mode, punching Megatron across his central head viciously.

Megatron's head snapped back but the tyrant quickly regained his composure.

Transforming back to robot mode, Megatron unsheathed his blade and slashed at Dinobot who flew upwards to avoid it.

Taking out the new Matrix Blade at his disposal, Dinobot countered by diving down and striking at Megatron who blocked the blow.

The two struggled against each other in the air until Megatron finally forced Dinobot back. In a rapid burst of strength, Megatron overpowered Dinobot, forcing him onto his knees on the top of the Metalhunter.

"Admit defeat, Dinobot!" Megatron growled. "I gave you life! I can just as easily take it away!"

Finally, Megatron kicked Dinobot down and raised his sword. In an instant, Dinobot deflected the incoming strike with the Matrix Blade and leaped up, kicking Megatron across the head with a swift roundhouse kick.

"Agh!" Megatron fell back.

As Megatron stumbled backwards, Dinobot flew into him, kneeing the tyrant in the face, causing Megatron to drop his sword. Raising his own sword, Dinobot struck down but Megatron blocked the blow and twisted the Matrix Blade out of Dinobot's hands. Reacting accordingly, Dinobot twisted Megatron's wrist and judo-tossed the Predacon several yards away.

As Megatron got up, Dinobot tackled him. Soon, however, Megatron began to overpower Dinobot once more.

With a single backhand, Megatron struck Dinobot across the face, dazing the samurai warrior.

In return, Dinobot struck Megatron across the face. As Dinobot punched at him again, Megatron swerved aside to avoid the blow and came back with his own devastating strike, punching Dinobot in the solar plexus to knock the wind out of him.

Again and again Megatron pummeled Dinobot, leaving very little room for him to mount any counter-offensive.

With a final punch, Megatron knocked Dinobot clear across the air. As the new dragon-bot flew across the air, Megatron dove ahead as well and slammed his elbow down on his chest to send Dinobot plummeting onto the Metalhunter's deck once again.

Dinobot got up and threw a punch, which Megatron caught. The Predacon tyrant grabbed Dinobot by the neck with both arms and lifted him up. Then he began squeezing.

"You're going to regret ever betraying me!" smiled Megatron, squeezing mercilessly.

Finally, Dinobot's optics blazed with power and two powerful laser beams erupted from his eyes, blasting Megatron square in the chest, burrowing into his armor.

"Aaagh!" screamed Megatron.

Finally, Megatron let go as Dinobot's optic blast penetrated and blasted right through him. Taking advantage of Megatron's injury, Dinobot punched Megatron hard enough to stagger him.

In anger, Megatron punched at Dinobot but the blue dragon-bot dodged easily. The Predacon punched again but this time Dinobot ducked underneath and then spun around, kicking Megatron in the injured part of his body.

"Aaaaaahhh!" Megatron was thrown back.

Soon, however, Dinobot noticed that Megatron's wound was beginning to mend itself. His new body was far more powerful than his previous one and it would take more than combat alone to defeat him.

At that point, all of the Maximals arrived on the scene. However, whatever assistance they could offer, if any, would amount to little in the face of a nearly unstoppable Megatron, noted Dinobot.

"Your army is defeated, Megatron!" Optimus pointed a large finger at the Predacon rogue. "You're through!"

"Never, Primal!" thundered Megatron. "I and my ship are one! Together, we will destroy Earth and conquer all of Cybertron!"

"That's it!" Cheetor snapped a finger. "His ship! Megatron's newfound power is linked directly to the Metalhunter!"

"All we need to do is destroy the ship and Megatron's operation will be shut down!" agreed Rhinox.

"No!" Megatron snarled. "I won't allow you the opportunity!"

Turning away from Dinobot, Megatron aimed his dragon-cannon at the Maximals and fired an enormous burst of flames at them.

Instantly, Dinobot leaped in front of the flames and countered the hellish flaming onslaught of Megatron with his own blue fire from his own arm-mounted dragon-cannon. Had he not done so, the Maximals would have otherwise been incinerated by Megatron's attack.

"Go!" ordered Dinobot. "I will stave off Megatron long enough!"

None of the Maximals needed to be told twice and sped off.

"No!" shouted Megatron. "You will suffer for this! Just like your decrepit human master!"

Dinobot remembered the name of Master Yoshida. But unlike before, he no longer shrank back in fear at the mention. The power of the Matrix itself had awakened his spark and enabled him to see his true providence. He had nothing more to fear, nothing more to loathe about himself, and nothing more to hold him back from fulfilling his destiny.

"Yoshida-sensei upheld the spirit of Bushido!" snarled Dinobot. "And in his name I will vanquish your evil forever!"

With a burst of power, Dinobot's flames finally began to overpower Megatron's.

"No… no!" shouted Megatron.

Finally, the blue fiery blast completely overwhelmed Megatron and the side of the ship that Megatron stood on erupted in a fiery explosion.

* * *

From the skies, a medium-sized Predacon starfighter circled above the dueling giants.

In their cockpit, both Terrorsaur and Waspinator watched the whole scene with interest.

"Whoa, looks like Dinobot got one serious upgrade!" noted Terrorsaur.

For the past hour or so, the two of them had been observing the battle between the Maximals and Predacons. As of yet, they had not taken part in it. They had simply been watching and waiting for the right opportunity.

"Terrorsaur thinks we should help Maximals?" asked Waspinator.

"No way!" Terrorsaur disagreed. "We're not in this for them! We're only in it for ourselves!"

"But Waspinator cannot sit by and let Megatron win!" protested Waspinator. "Megatron will slag us both if he wins!"

"That's why we're watching and waiting," Terrorsaur reminded Waspinator. "Remember, we may not like the Maximals, but Megatron's got a worse fate in store for us if he gets what he wants."

"Oh!" Waspinator's eyes beamed. "Waspinator begin to understand!"

"Now you understand why we have to wait?" asked Terrorsaur.

"Yesss," Waspinator rubbed hands together. "Waspinator understand plans at last…"

* * *

Dinobot surveyed the damage across the ship. So far, Megatron was nowhere to be found. However, that did not mean that Megatron was dead or defeated for good. The blue dragon-bot could still sense his life force somewhere.

Grabbing the Matrix Blade from the ground, Dinobot held it up high. At any minute now, an attack could come from anywhere.

Slowly, a shadow formed behind Dinobot. Soon, the large form of Megatron towered silently over the unaware Dinobot.

Raising both arms, Megatron reached down towards Dinobot slowly. At that moment, the Matrix Blade glowed brightly, signaling to Dinobot the danger he faced.

In a quick stroke, Dinobot spun around and cut through Megatron's armor with a clean strike.

"Aaagh!" shouted Megatron.

Dinobot swung at Megatron again but this time the tyrant leaped over the attack to avoid it. He landed and took out his own blade.

The two of them clashed again but struck at each other. Megatron pushed Dinobot back and blasted at Dinobot through his sword with a wave of dark energy.

Dinobot avoided the blast by rolling aside. As Megatron blasted Dinobot with a second wave, Dinobot raised the Matrix Blade and deflected the shot. Megatron took aim and fired again and again. Each and every time, however, Dinobot deflected them.

Finally, Megatron took his dragon-cannon and fired. Dinobot swerved to the side and fired back with his own dragon-cannon, striking Megatron and knocking him towards the edge of the ship.

Now victorious, Dinobot stood over the downed Megatron.

"No, spare me!" pleaded Megatron. "I beg of you!"

"Now you wish for mercy?" demanded Dinobot. "Where was your mercy when you slew my master?"

Ever the master of psychological trickery, Megatron could now sense an anger in Dinobot he could exploit if he played his cards right.

"I only wished the best for you!" Megatron told Dinobot, feigning sorrow. "I thought that if I destroyed the last vestige of your past, you would become stronger! And now look at you! You've surpassed all my expectations."

Though Dinobot was still visibly angry, he looked on in surprise. Megatron had wanted this all along? Was the tyrant trying to play him or was he really telling the truth? Slowly but surely, he began to lower his guard.

"You began as a Predacon warrior with so much promise!" continued Megatron. "You served under my command and I always looked upon you as the son I never had! Through all the trials and tribulations, you endured and grew stronger!"

At this point Dinobot no longer had the Matrix Blade up.

"But now is your moment of truth," Megatron told him. "Now is the moment… you die!"

Without warning, Megatron raised his hand and blasted Dinobot with a torrent of black and purple lightning. In alarm, Dinobot raised his weapon but not in time. The electrical blast struck him too quickly.

"Aaaahhh!" screamed Dinobot as Megatron's power began to tear through his armor.

After what seemed like an eternity of torment, the lightning attack subsided. But before Dinobot could catch his breath, Megatron bore into him savagely.

With one single movement, Megatron impaled Dinobot through the stomach with his own sword, causing the blue dragon-bot to scream in excruciating distress.

"You could have ruled Cybertron by my side!" Megatron hissed into Dinobot's sound processor. "We could have been lords of multiple galaxies! But now you, like your worthless human teacher, will perish!"

Megatron withdrew his sword and punched Dinobot off the ship with all his might. Transforming to beast mode, the three dragon heads on Megatron opened fire, striking Dinobot all at once with a powerful lightning bolt and knocked him into a nearby mountain.

With that, Megatron transformed back to robot mode and opened his dragon-cannon once more, firing a direct shot into Dinobot and consumed him and the mountain completely in a mass explosion of dark power.

"Yes, yes!" shouted Megatron. "I am the Alpha and the Omega! I am that which was, which is, and which is yet to be! I am absolute power itself and no man, robot, or beast shall defy my will ever again!"

With a sinister sneer, Megatron turned around and returned to the ship to deal with the remaining Maximal interlopers.

**A/N:** One chapter more and the series is over! Right now, all I want to say is that this series finale is and will be Dinobot's moment of truth. I always wanted to do a Dinobot storyline differently and give him a different backstory from the TV show. In my series, he was always meant to be a composite character of both the original Dinobot and the TMII Dinobot from the original show. Admittedly, I did hold off on introducing him for a long time but I always had a plan and a vision for him in my series nonetheless and right now, it's coming to fruition. Anyways, enjoy the rest of the story!


	78. Year of the Dragon Part 4

**Beast Wars: Symmetries**

_Year of the Dragon Pt 4_

As the Maximals hurried into the main engine room, Rhinox looked up at the enormous energy vortex above.

"I'd wager with a big enough electro-magnetic discharge, we could disrupt this energy field and cancel out Megatron's powers," Rhinox pointed out.

"I'm 'yer bot!" Rattrap took out several charges from his compartments.

Working quickly, Rattrap gave some of the charges to the other Maximals as they got to work on setting up the charges.

Suddenly, Cheetor's head perked up. Megatron was closing in on them.

"He's coming," Cheetor told Optimus. "Megatron will be here soon."

"Which means Dinobot lost the battle…" Optimus looked at Cheetor grimly.

"What'll we do now, Optimus?" asked Airazor.

"Cheetor and I will hold the line here!" declared Optimus. "The rest of you continue with the task at hand!"

As the rest of the Maximals got back to setting up the charges, a large thud was heard from several rooms away. Megatron was inching closer and closer. In readiness, Cheetor drew both his swords as Optimus clenched his massive fists.

Finally, the door opened up as Megatron stood there in robot mode… smiling if he knew just how hopelessly outgunned the Maximals truly were.

Cheetor had been prepared for him, however. He dangled from the ceiling just as Megatron took the first step into the room. Letting go, Cheetor leaped down and buried both his swords into Megatron's back.

"Aaaaahhh!" screamed Megatron who had not expected such an attack.

The mystical Vok properties which had been imbued within Cheetor's swords were what enabled him to do damage to Megatron. To drive the point home, Cheetor twisted the swords into Megatron's back, causing the tyrant to cry out again in pain. Optimus seized advantage of Megatron's surprise and drove his fist into the Predacon's face, knocking him out of the room. As Optimus stepped outside, the door behind them closed.

Megatron reached behind his back and grabbed Cheetor, hurling him onto the floor. As Megatron stomped down at him, Cheetor quickly rolled aside.

"Do you two truly think you can stop me?" demanded Megatron.

"Maybe not," confessed Optimus. "But we'll die trying!"

"And die you shall!" promised Megatron, stretching his wings out as both hands crackled with dark power.

* * *

On the ground, Dinobot lay there in a haze. He was not sure how long he had been out, but his own natural healing abilities had gone to work. The power of the Matrix Blade was also working fast in healing his broken and charred body.

Slowly, Dinobot managed to get up. Parts of his body were still throbbing but he had no choice but to rise. Any second wasted might end up with Megatron's victory and there was no way he would allow that.

The last thing he remembered was Megatron stabbing him through and then blasting him with the full force of his powers.

Fortunately, he had survived. Now the mission at hand remained and he had to stop Megatron before the tyrant could kill the Maximals and destroy Earth.

"Beast mode!" cried Dinobot, transforming back into a blue dragon and flying up into the air, back towards the Metalhunter.

* * *

Viciously, Optimus punched Megatron across the skull with enough force to send reverberations flying throughout the ship. Megatron's head snapped back into place as he glared at Optimus balefully.

With a powerful backhand of his own, Megatron knocked Optimus against the wall as Cheetor leaped over Megatron, slashing at him with his twin swords.

Utilizing his rapid speed and agility, Cheetor cut Megatron across the shoulder with his blade, drawing mech fluid.

"Cursed feline!" shouted Megatron, who retaliated by punching Cheetor hard enough to send the cat flying back-first into the wall next to Optimus.

The next thing Optimus knew, Megatron was upon him, seizing him by the throat.

"You die here and now, Primal!" Megatron hissed. "Yessss!"

Optimus struggled against Megatron's powerful grip. In addition to his own formidable strength, Megatron now let loose a powerful charge of dark energy, electrocuting Optimus on the spot.

"Aaaaagh!" screamed Optimus.

Just as Megatron could finish Primal off, Cheetor leaped on top of his head. The next thing he knew, Cheetor plunged his blade directly into Megatron's skull, drawing further dark energy.

"Raaahhh!" Megatron shouted.

As Cheetor ripped the blade out, he leaped off of Megatron as Optimus gathered enough strength to punch Megatron off of him.

Screaming in agony, Megatron began flailing as the deep wound inflicted by Cheetor began spilling over in dark energy all over the place.

"Now, Cheetor!" shouted Optimus.

The two Maximals moved in, not giving Megatron a moment to recover. Several missiles from Primal's shoulder cannons rained upon the tyrant, blasting him at full force. When that was over, Cheetor leaped into Megatron from behind with a dropkick, planting both feet into Megatron's back and knocking him forward, directly into an uppercut from Optimus.

As Megatron fell, a sudden dispersion of dark energy from the Predacon's body struck Cheetor and Optimus, knocking both of them back.

Slowly, Megatron rose as his eyes glowed with a malevolent violet light. Slowly, several black shapes formed around his body, transforming into smaller shadow dragons, flying around him like demonic bats.

"This has been most amusing," Megatron's voice echoed. "But now is the time you die!"

As Megatron pointed his mega-cannon at Optimus and Cheetor, he was tackled from behind by a large blue dragon.

"Dinobot!" Cheetor cried.

Dinobot slammed Megatron onto the ground and bit into the back of his neck, drawing mech-fluid as the tyrant screamed.

In return, Megatron drove his elbow into Dinobot's jaw to knock his former protégé off. With that, Megatron grabbed Dinobot by the neck and flung him across the air, slamming his entire body onto the ground. He then held tight and swung Dinobot again, throwing him into the wall.

In mid-air, Dinobot transformed to robot mode and bounced off the wall. He came back, planting both hands into the ground and somersaulting over to kick Megatron with both feet, sending both of them smashing through another window.

As the two dragons struggled for supremacy outside, Optimus and Cheetor faced several of the shadow dragons left behind by Megatron.

At once the shadowy beings attacked. Optimus tried to punch them but his fists merely went through them as they reformed like vapor in the air. Cheetor held both blades tight and cut through one of them, dissipating the creature with his mystical weapon in one clean stroke.

"Your weapons can harm them!" Optimus encouraged. "Let's finish this!"

* * *

From high on top of the campus building, Sonia leaped across the air, unleashing three arrows which exploded against the Vok drones, destroying them.

Below, Rurik punched through one of the drones, dismantling it with his brute strength after getting a good grasp of the creature. He turned around and grabbed the drone, hurling it into dozens more of its companions. At once they exploded.

From the explosion, Rurik emerged, gathering enough energy with both hands. Without hesitation, he launched the energy blast, destroying several of the drones which lined up in front of him.

Behind Rurik, one of the Vok drones closed in on him, raising its body high in order to strike down.

From out of the smoke, Lance leaped out, beheading the drone on contact. As he landed, he paused and looked at his friends.

"You guys alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, but these creature are never-ending," Rurik admitted. "I don't know how much longer we can keep this up."

"We do this for as long as we need to!" Sonic arched her bow back and fired an arrow directly into a charging drone.

"How are Jack and Luna?" Lance looked around.

Already, Jack and Luna were blasting through hoardes of the Vok drones. The combat lessons they had received from Kaori had come into good use for this battle.

"Looks like they're taking good care of themselves," Sonia noted.

* * *

Outside, both Dinobot and Megatron transformed to their respective dragon modes and fired at each other with their gaping jaws. Dinobot opened his mouth and unleashed a blue fireball which struck Megatron directly in the chest, knocking the tyrant back. Megatron turned around and spewed several bolts of purple and black lightning which seared Dinobot across the body, causing him to cry out in pain.

Megatron then tackled Dinobot, biting him in the neck in mid-air. In return, Dinobot bit Megatron right back, ripping savagely into Megatron's armor. Finally, the two of them crash-landed on the top of the ship. With a vicious kick, Dinobot sent Megatron flying off of him.

Finally, the two of them transformed to robot mode as Dinobot drew the Matrix Blade. In his hands, Megatron gathered enough energy from the atoms in the air to form another dark blade of unimaginable power. The blade grew larger and larger until suddenly it became nearly as long as the Metalhunter itself.

With that, Megatron brought it down, nearly cleaving Dinobot in half and causing massive damage to the top part of the Metalhunter. Dinobot quickly dodged it and ran forward, plunging the Matrix Blade through Megatron's stomach.

"Ugh!" Megatron wretched forward.

With a powerful wrench, Dinobot swung Megatron overhead and threw him across the hull.

Dinobot charged again and slashed at Megatron, intending to sever his upper body from his torso.

Fortunately for Megatron, he saw the attack coming and leaped up into the air. Dinobot flew up as well but Megatron reacted rapidly, punching Dinobot with a powerful enough blow to knock him back down onto the ship.

Slowly, Megatron's eyes began glowing again as he summoned several more shadow dragons which surrounded him.

Dinobot took the Matrix Blade and held it in the air, blasting at Megatron with a beam of light. At once the shadow dragons flew around Megatron in a planetary motion, blocking and absorbing the Matrix Blade's energy. As several shadow dragons were destroyed by the blast, even more sprang up from Megatron's dark energy to take their place and protect their master from harm.

Obeying Megatron's summons, the shadow dragons flew down and enveloped Dinobot.

Growling angrily, Dinobot slashed through them, destroying them with a single stroke of the Matrix Blade. After he destroyed the first batch, however, several more flew down to take their place. Soon, they began to overwhelm him.

"Yes!" shouted Megatron. "Yes! Soon, you will fall! Just like all who have stood in my path!"

Soon, the shadow dragons enveloped Dinobot in a blanket of black energy. At seeing that, Megatron grinned.

It was then that a small burst of light emerged from the shadowy bubble surrounding Dinobot. The next thing that occurred was a massive burst of light which destroyed all the shadowy creatures surrounding Dinobot as the Predacon warrior held the Matrix Blade firmly.

That was exactly what Megatron had counted on. Dinobot looked up, expecting to see Megatron there. By the time he turned around to face his enemy, however, it was too late to react.

Megatron pointed his dragon-cannon at Dinobot and unleashed a full barrage of dark energy.

Barely, and just in time, Dinobot raised the Matrix Blade and created a massive blue star construct around his body, but even then, the mystical Cybertronian sword was not enough to deflect all of Megatron's power. Soon, Dinobot was forced back.

Angrily, Megatron increased the intensity of his blast. Dinobot screamed in agonizing pain as the power threatened to overwhelm and consume him completely. Slowly, he watched as particles from his own body began to convulse and rip away from the sheer force of Megatron's firepower.

It was at that moment that he saw a vision of Yoshida-sensei staring at him. At once Dinobot's eyes glowed with a burning blue as he raised the Matrix Blade and roared triumphantly, deflecting all of Megatron's energy blast into the sky.

"No!" gasped Megatron. "How could this be?"

Dinobot flew into Megatron, driving his knuckles under Megatron's chin with an uppercut powerful enough to send the Predacon dragon flying.

As Megatron caught himself in mid-air, Dinobot drove his knee into the tyrant, causing Megatron to cough violently from the blow.

Then with his elbow, Dinobot spun around and drove it right into Megatron's nose, nearly smashing it in.

Megatron created another sword of dark energy in his hand and slashed Dinobot across the chest, drawing a sharp cry from the blue dragon-bot.

In retaliation, Dinobot swung his sword at Megatron's head, only for Megatron to catch Dinobot's wrist by his hand. With a sadistic grin, Megatron plunged his sword of dark energy into Dinobot's side.

"Yaaagh!" screamed Dinobot.

Breaking free of Megatron's grip, Dinobot flipped the Matrix Blade around in his hand and plunged it into Megatron's side as well.

"Aaaahhh!" Megatron bellowed in agony.

With his free hand, Megatron grabbed Dinobot by the throat and began squeezing. It would only be a matter of time before he overpowered the blue dragon-bot and he wanted to savor the moment as much as possible.

With his remaining arm, Dinobot pointed his arm-mounted dragon-cannon under Megatron's chin and fired, blasting the both of them apart and nearly separating Megatron's head from his body.

When Dinobot fell down, he crawled back up slowly. A few yards away, Megatron lay there, his entire body nearly a smoldering heap from the damage he had suffered from Dinobot's dragon cannon.

It was not over, however. Dinobot knew better than to expect an easy victory against so fierce an opponent.

Soon, dark energies began to cover Megatron, mending his wounds. Smiling, Megatron levitated his body into the air and rose.

"That will not be enough to stop me," Megatron taunted the weary Dinobot.

Dinobot breathed heavily. Though he was much stronger and more durable than before, even he was beginning to feel the first signs of fatigue to his body. He did not know how much longer he could battle the tyrant. Sooner or later, something would give and Megatron would not hesitate to capitalize on it.

* * *

"Are all the charges ready?" asked Rhinox.

"Ready and waiting!" answered Rattrap.

"Good, then let's do it!" Rhinox agreed.

Rattrap took out one of his demolition remotes and pressed down on the button.

At once a huge electro-magnetic pulse enveloped the Vok energy vortex, consuming it and corrupting its very elements. Slowly, the vortex began to change color and dissipate away into nothingness.

"It's working!" Rhinox pointed out. "Now let's blow this joint!"

"You read my mind!" Rattap took out his final demolitions charge and threw it directly into the energy vortex.

"How long do we have before it goes off?" asked Blackarachnia.

"Three minutes!" Rattrap told her. "Now let's book!"

* * *

Transforming to beast mode, both dragon-bots flew into the air in an effort to gain the higher ground.

Zigging past Megatron's electric blasts, Dinobot returned fire with several flames of blue fire, scorching Megatron across the back. In return, Megatron blasted back at Dinobot with several purple and black flames of his own.

Fortunately, mobility was on Dinobot's side as he managed to dodge the blast and fly right in front of Megatron.

"So, you wish to fight me to your last breath?" Megatron snarled. "I will gladly give you that honor!"

"I thought you detested that word," Dinobot pointed out. "After all, is not honor a human concept that stands beneath you?"

"It is," Megatron smiled. "But naturally, when faced with victory, one can't help but gloat in the face of his enemy's imminent demise!"

"Then let us end this battle!" promised Dinobot.

"Yes, let us!" growled Megatron.

Before Megatron could open fire, his eyes lit up.

"What?" he roared. "No!"

Dinobot could not believe his eyes. The dark energies of the Vok warship were leaving Megatron, slowly but surely.

"What is happening?" Megatron thrashed wildly.

Energy vapors floated into the air, exiting Megatron's body as the tyrant felt himself growing weaker and weaker. Megatron lifted his own hand, watching in horror as his body was transforming back into his original dragon form.

"Noooo!" screamed Megatron.

Soon, Megatron was back to his original form. The one-headed red dragon looked up in fear and amazement as Dinobot bared his sharp teeth. He no longer had his connection to the Metalhunter.

At that exact moment, Dinobot attacked, tackling Megatron in mid-air and sending both their bodies smashing through a window of the Metalhunter. As Megatron shook his head and got up, he saw the Maximals enter into the main hall.

"It's over, Megatron!" Optimus pointed out. "Your power is gone and you're in no position to fight us!"

Loathe as he was to admit it, Megatron knew Optimus was right. His present body was much weaker than the powerful black dragon form he had gained from the Metalhunter. There was no way he could fight all of them at once, in addition to the newly transformed Dinobot.

"This… is not over!" vowed Megatron, leaping up and attempting to fly away.

Suddenly, a pull to his tail restrained him as he lifted himself into the air. Megatron tilted his head around and saw what Dinobot had bitten down on his tail, preventing him from escaping.

With a powerful tug, Dinobot threw Megatron against the wall.

"Agh!" Megatron fell down with a thud.

Dinobot transformed to robot mode, drawing the Matrix Blade once more.

"I will never be taken alive!" Megatron screamed, charging at Dinobot.

Easily, Dinobot blocked Megatron's strike and punched him back viciously across the jaw, nearly taking the Predacon tyrant's head off.

"Aaaaahhh!" Megatron fell back.

Dinobot unleashed another punch, driving it into Megatron's solar plexus. This time, Megatron spat out mech-fluid. With a nasty roundhouse kick, Dinobot sent Megatron skidding across the floor until Megatron's body struck some of the controls near the front of the room. As Megatron got up, Dinobot punched him again and again, drawing more mech-fluid as Megatron howled in despair.

Mercilessly, Dinobot punched Megatron hard enough to send him crashing towards the center of the room as the Maximals watched the fight nervously.

As Megatron got up, Dinobot came in, slashing him viciously across the chest, missing his spark on purpose.

At that point, Megatron fell prostrate on both knees as a huge spray of mech fluid emerged from his wound. All around his body, sparks flew out from the damage that Dinobot had dealt him. His spark was now exposed and it wouldn't take too much at this point to extinguish it.

"N-No more…" pleaded Megatron.

Dinobot raised his weapon. Megatron was simply too evil… too dangerous to be allowed to live.

"I beg you…" Megatron gurgled, spitting out more mech fluid from his mouth.

Finally, Dinobot lowered the Matrix Blade. Evil though Megatron was, he was the same 'bot who had given him life. Without Megatron, Dinobot would simply have not existed. In many ways, he owed his life to Megatron and in this case, he would finally repay the debt he owed to his creator.

"You will live," promised Dinobot. "So that you can stand trial for your actions and face justice!"

"Heh, ol' chopper-face there's got a good head on his shoulders," complimented Rattrap.

Cheetor looked Dinobot in the eyes and gave a nod of approval.

"You did good," Cheetor told the blue dragon-bot.

Megatron gritted his teeth together in frustration. Deep down, he knew that he was beaten. But the sheer humiliation he was put through was unbearable. Eventually, Dinobot lowered his sword, seemingly lowering his guard for a second. Megatron smiled, realizing that he now had an opportunity.

Without warning, Megatron leaped back to life and drew an energy dagger from his leg compartment. Angrily, he charged at Dinobot.

"Dinobot, watch out!" cried Cheetor.

Dinobot, fortunately, had already anticipated such a move and raised his sword to finish it once and for all.

Just before Megatron could reach Dinobot, however, a large Predacon starfighter flew in, blazing with fire, causing both combatants to pause and look up.

"Hey Megatron!" Terrorsaur spoke through the com-speaker. "Guess what time it is?"

"It's payback time!" Waspinator buzzed as he piloted the ship right into the Metalhunter. "Megatron can kiss Waspinator's skidplates!"

At once, Dinobot leaped out of the way as the ship smashed directly into Megatron, impaling him through the stomach with its sharp tip.

The ship smashed through several walls until it entered into the main engine room. The core engine which lay in the center of the room hummed with bright energy as the Predacon starship, with Megatron in tow, dove towards it.

"Traitors!" shouted Megatron, despite all the pain he felt. "I'll have your hide!"

"Sorry Megatron!" Terrorsaur taunted. "Gotta jet!"

"Noooooo!" screamed Megatron as the Predacon starship smashed itself along with him directly into the energy core, enveloping him and his spark in a final sheet of flames that consumed everything around it.

Soon, very soon, the evil of Megatron's spark was no more as the ensuing explosion spread to all parts of the ship.

* * *

All seemed hopeless at this point. Sonic, Rurik, and Lance were slowing down. Battle fatigue had finally set in and it didn't seem that they could keep up against the onslaught of drones any longer.

In the meanwhile, Jack and Luna were facing their own problems. Jack pressed down on his trigger several times before throwing his gun to the ground in frustration.

"Sis, we're out of ammo," he told her.

"Tell me about it!" Luna stood back to back with her brother.

The Vok drones drew nearer and nearer until they had the twins surrounded. One of them raised its arm in preparation to strike down.

Instinctively, Jack reached out and put his arms around Luna, trying to shield her. At that moment, the drone struck down at them.

Luna closed her eyes, expecting the end to come. After a few seconds, however, she noticed that she was still alive. Opening her eyes, she saw the drone right above them, its arm having stopped its strike in mid-air.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"Did they just… stop?" Jack stared incredulously.

He walked forward and tapped the creature. Sure enough, it did not move or respond in any way. Little did they know, the Maximals had stopped the source power of these creatures aboard the Metalhunter.

"Looks like someone ran out of batteries!" Jack smiled, kicking the drone. "In your face, metal-bug!"

* * *

Lurching violently, the Metalhunter turned around just as it neared the shorelines. Outside in the air, the Maximals watched as the Metalhunter began its slow ascent towards a crash-landing into Crimson City itself.

Luckily, Dinobot got in front of the ship and blasted it with an energy surge from the Matrix Blade, pushing it away from the city until it finally landed in the waves, triggering an explosion which was felt by all within the vicinity.

Unbeknownst to the Maximals, a small escape pod flew out from the other end of the explosion and landed in the waves roughly but still intact.

"It's over…" Optimus said ruefully. "It's finally over."

"Yes, Megatron's spark is gone now," Dinobot confirmed. "His passing was felt throughout the Matrix."

"You helped us," Cheetor looked at Dinobot. "I knew sooner or later, you'd come around."

"Yes, thank you," Dinobot bowed before Cheetor. "I would not have come to my sense had it not been for your wisdom."

"Hey, I'm not that wise," Cheetor smiled sheepishly. "I'd have to wait a few more stellar cycles until I'm grey in the beard."

"Rattrap's the oldest crew member and we don't call him wise," Optimus pointed out.

"Hey!" Rattrap protested.

"Just kidding Rattrap!" Optimus smiled. "You did good out there. You all did. I'm proud of each and every one of you!"

"And it looks like you have finally found your place amongst the Maximals," Silverbolt embraced Blackarachnia.

"Oh, I'll think it over," promised Blackarachnia. "But in the meantime, how'd you do it, Dinobot? How'd you decide that serving Megatron wasn't worth it anymore?"

Dinobot smiled begrudgingly. "I searched my spark and realized who I was while serving under Megatron. I understood my place in this universe and it was not at the side of evil."

"Just so you know," Optimus raised a hand to Dinobot. "You're welcome to join the Maximals now, based on your heroic actions today."

"I am honored Optimus," Dinobot nodded his head in respect. "But before I do that, there is one more thing which must be addressed."

"Yeah, speaking of which," Rhinox was suddenly reminded of something of importance.

* * *

On the shores, Obsidian finally emerged. Washed up ashore were also Strike, Scorponok, Tankorr, Thrust, Jetstorm, and Ravage.

The battle had been fierce and unrelenting, but from the looks of it, they had finally lost.

"We have to radio Megatron," Strika told Obsidian.

Obsidian agreed and immediately turned on his com-link.

"Lord Megatron? Lord Megatron?" Obsidian called out.

No answer.

"Megatron's gone now," Optimus towered above the Predacons as the rest of the Maximals surrounded them.

"No, this can't be!" Strika protested.

"It is and you just lost!" Rhinox placed a pair of stasis cuffs on the baffled Strika.

Slowly, the other Predacons looked at each other, unsure of what to do. But finally, seeing how they were grossly outnumbered, they relented and offered themselves up in surrender.

"Let's go," Optimus ordered. "Maybe in a few years, you'll regret the paths you've chosen in life."

"M-Megatron's not really gone… is he?" Scorponok stammered, looking back as he was led away by Dinobot.

"Our former master is no more," Dinobot told him. "As of this moment, you are no longer bound to him."

"Oh yeah?" Scorponok turned around, glaring at Dinobot. "You think I followed Megatron because he forced me? I followed him willingly! What good is a life without anymore purpose?"

"He is gone," Dinobot said firmly. "You will have to come to terms with that."

"I don't care!" Scorponok fell down to both knees. "I would've followed Megatron to the ends of the galaxy and now he's gone thanks to you!"

Unable to control himself anymore, Scorponok finally broke down, huddling his body onto the ground as if he had nothing left to live for.

At that, Dinobot could only look upon Scorponok with disgust. Disgust, however, eventually gave way to pity, and then sympathy.

* * *

"So lemme get this straight," Jack asked as the Maximals gathered around the forest. "Dinobot finally turned good and laid an unholy smackdown on Megatron?"

"Long story short, yes," Cheetor answered.

"How'd your battle go?" asked Airazor. "Destroy all the drones?"

"It took us a while, but we did alright," Luna replied. "After a while, all of them shut down though."

Finally, the Maximals, along with Dinobot and the human twins, reached the area in the forest where Depth Charge's motionless body lay.

"Oh man, Depth Charge…" muttered Cheetor.

"Is he—" Rattrap froze.

"No," Dinobot answered resolutely. "I had managed to save his spark before it could expire and merged it with my own."

"So that explains how you attained your new form," Tigatron concluded. "It makes sense."

Slowly, Dinobot kneeled down before Depth Charge's body. The blue Maximal's body was a complete mess, having nearly been destroyed in his final battle against Rampage.

"Is there any way we can save him?" asked Optimus.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Dinobot replied.

Dinobot opened up his own chest-plate and reached inside. After a few kliks, he removed the spark of Depth Charge and placed it back within the Maximal's body. But that was not it, however. Having been merged with Dinobot's body, the spark of Depth Charge glowed radiantly as it purged all the radioactive symptoms within the body, cleansing it thoroughly of its disease.

Finally, Depth Charge's eyes opened. As he looked around, he saw all the Maximals, along with Dinobot and Blackarachnia, in addition to Jack and Luna.

"I… I'm alive," Depth Charge got up.

His entire body had been healed as well, thanks to the radiant healing properties of Dinobot's spark.

"You, you're the one who saved me," Depth Charge looked at Dinobot, not knowing what to say.

"Think nothing of it," Dinobot told him. "I did what I had to do to save your spark."

"I suppose I owe you my life now," Depth Charge looked down, almost shamefully.

Dinobot remained silent. He knew that the gruff Maximal warrior had a lot on his mind. His confusion, in this case, was understandable. After all, it had been Depth Charge's mission in the past to slay him and Rampage both.

"You know," Depth Charge finally said to Dinobot. "A while back, I had a conversation with the Oracle. It told me that our destinies were linked in some way. When our sparks merged, I finally understood the significance of the Oracle's words. You merging my spark with yours had to come to pass. It was fated that you would end the Beast Wars and bring a lasting peace."

"No my friend," Dinobot placed a hand on Depth Charge's shoulder. "The future was not fixed and my actions were my own. We are warriors, all of us… and we create our own destinies."

Depth Charge was still conflicted on the matter. Dinobot came from the same spark as Protoform X, the murderer who took Depth Charge's loved ones away from him. And yet, this was the very same Dinobot who heroically thrust himself into the front line to save his life and in addition, all of Earth and Cybertron from Megatron's wrath.

"Sheesh," Rattrap pushed in between the two. "Fish-face and Chopper-face having a bonding moment? Who'd thunk it?"

"Speaking of which," Depth Charge glared at Rattrap. "Don't you have something better to do? Like dumpster-diving?"

"Well, I would go scuba-diving," Rattrap retorted. "But… it just wouldn't have been the same without ya."

Finally, Depth Charge remained silent. He hadn't realized how much he missed Rattrap until now. Before his final voyage into space to hunt down Rampage, he and Rattrap had become almost inseparable of friends, with all the adventures they had been on.

"Good to have you back, buddy," Rattrap raised a hand.

"Good to be back, rat," Depth Charge slapped Rattrap's hand to re-affirm their friendship.

"Welcome back Depth Charge," Optimus smiled. "Hopefully now that Rampage is gone, you can take the first step towards healing and recovery."

"You know," admitted Depth Charge. "Something like that never sounded so good until now."

"So Optimus…" Silverbolt asked as he held Blackarachnia around the waist. "Where do we go from here?"

Optimus Primal's face turned solemn.

"Tonight, we celebrate," he told the team. "But first, we mourn those who lost their lives in the final battle."

With that, Optimus departed from the scene as Cheetor, Rattrap, and Rhinox followed him from behind. Then, the rest of the team followed.

"Well, what can I say?" Blackarachnia looked at Dinobot. "Nice to have another Predacon on the team."

"The honor is mine," Dinobot nodded.

After the rest had gone ahead, Dinobot moved forward.

"Hey Dinobot," Depth Charge's voice called out. The blue Maximal was the last one to linger on for just a bit longer.

Dinobot turned around in surprise.

"Thanks," Depth Charge finally admitted. "For everything."

* * *

Smiling, Dinobot turned around and followed the Maximals.

Thus was, the day was not a particularly stormy or rainy day. And yet, it was still a day of sorrow.

All the Maximals along with Blackarachnia and Dinobot stood silently as Optimus delivered his eulogy for the fallen. In addition, Jack and Luna were there, along with the humans from the former Order of the Vok.

"In conclusion, let us not forget those who laid their lives down in order to end the Beast Wars," Optimus spoke. "Let us honor Inferno, for he was the one who truly taught us that it isn't the Maximal symbol plate which makes a hero. It's the spark of the 'bot inside."

The tombstone of Inferno lay near where the tombstone of Tigerhawk stood. Cheetor walked forward and put down a small flower near Inferno's grave.

"Thanks," Cheetor told Inferno. "I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for you…"

"And let us also honor Tigerhawk," Optimus added. "Though he appeared as an enemy to us, he discovered the spark of goodness within and helped to light our darkest hour…"

At that moment, Airazor embraced Tigatron. To them, Tigerhawk had almost been the son they never had.

"As we honor the fallen, we should reflect upon their heroic sacrifices so that their valor may live on forever," Optimus lowered his head. "We gather here today to honor their bravery."

For a moment, Optimus struggled to find the right words. The events of this day had been spontaneous and unexpected. But nothing was more unexpected than the final suicidal attack Terrorsaur and Waspinator had launched against Megatron, finishing the tyrant for good while sacrificing themselves.

"And let us note that even in the darkest hour," Optimus continued. "Salvation can come from the most unexpected sources. Though we knew them as enemies, Waspinator and Terrorsaur were the ones who ended Megatron's reign permanently. It is difficult in this time to reflect on their motives or their reasoning. But let it be said that in our darkest hour, they too acted as a beacon of light."

* * *

From several yards away in the hills, a broken escape pod with its hatch broken open lay near the trees.

Terrorsaur and Waspinator were near the edge of the hill, watching the Maximals' funeral service with their binoculars.

"Would you look at that," Terrorsaur looked pleasantly surprised. "They think we've croaked."

"Waspinator feel just fine," Waspinator looked at his own arms.

"That's beside the point!" Terrorsaur exclaimed. "We're the ones who offed Megatron! This means we're heroes!"

"But… shouldn't Waspinator and Terrorsaur go down there and take credit for helping win Beast Wars?" asked Waspinator quizzically.

Terrorsaur paused for a second but ultimately decided against it.

"Don't you see?" Terrorsaur pointed out. "We're not just heroes… we're heroes who sacrificed ourselves bravely! That makes us martyrs!"

"So Waspinator can't take credit?" asked Waspinator.

"Nah, we're heroes now," Terrorsaur told his friend. "And what better for us to be remembered as heroes who sacrificed themselves for a cause?"

"So what do we do now?"

"Well," Terrorsaur stroked his beak. "For one, we go back to Quickstrike's place and pick up another Predacon ship. Then we go back to Cybertron for some well-needed rest and relaxation!"

"Sounds good to Waspinator!" agreed the Predacon insect.

"Cybertron, here we come!" Terrorsaur announced.

"Waspinator will be happy at last!" echoed his insect companion.

* * *

By the time the funeral was over, the Maximals congregated around themselves. The time for mourning had passed and the time to embrace the future had come.

Silverbolt put his arm around Blackarachnia as he strolled with her throughout the hill.

"Beloved, I have something to ask of you," he told her.

"Yes?"

"Now that the battle is over, will you join us?" Silverbolt asked. "The Predacons have been defeated and peace has finally settled upon this world. From this moment forward, I wish nothing less than for us to be at each other's side."

"Well, you know I can't say no to you at this point," Blackarachnia finally replied. "But what the heck! Maybe someday I'll change my mind and reprogram myself willingly, just for you."

"Really?" Silverbolt asked excitedly.

"Just… not now," Blackarachnia pointed a claw at his snout.

"Yes milady," Silverbolt agreed. "I would not have you any other way!"

"That's a good boy," Blackarachnia smiled.

As the two embraced, Tigatron and Airazor looked at each other and grinned.

"They make a good couple," Tigatron commented. "Perhaps we had been too hasty to judge Blackarachnia."

"Yeah maybe," Airazor nodded. "The two of us may end up getting along after all."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Tigatron.

"Hey, we could always use another femme on the team," Airazor reminded him. "The Maximal team isn't just a boys' club, you know."

"I know that all too well," Tigatron clasped Airazor's hand.

As Tigatron and Airazor walked off hand-in-hand, Optimus walked towards the edge of the cliff, watching the faraway sun.

"What're you thinking, Optimus?" Rhinox walked up to his old friend.

"I'm just surprised the Beast Wars are over," Optimus confessed. "We've been fighting this battle for so long that I'm not sure what we'd do after it's over."

"Just think of this as a new beginning, Optimus," Cheetor walked up towards his mentor. "Megatron's gone and both Earth and Cybertron are safe."

"Yeah, with Mega-butt out of the way, we can start over fresh," added Rattrap.

"Upwind of you for preference, vermin," Dinobot walked up next to Rattrap.

"Hey, you getting in my face?" Rattrap glared at Dinobot.

"Hmph, I'd have to lean over on one knee just to do that," snorted Dinobot.

"Why I oughta…" Rattrap raised both fists at Dinobot.

"Heh, I think I'm going to like this guy after all," Depth Charge whispered to Optimus, noting Dinobot's penchant for easily provoking Rattrap.

"Hey Dinobot, you up for another sparring session later?" asked Cheetor. "I'd love to have another throwdown again sometime."

"The honor would be mine, Cheetor," Dinobot smiled.

"A little friendly competition going on, I see," Rattrap pointed out.

"Yeah, you could say that," Depth Charge walked up to Rattrap. "By the way, we've got some catching up to do."

Easily, Depth Charge lifted Rattrap up, holding him high.

"Put me down right now, fishsticks!" Rattrap threatened. "Or I'll make mincemeat outta you!"

Rattrap punched at Depth Charge but the distance at which the blue Maximal held him made certain that none of Rattrap's punches connected. For once, Depth Charge had finally found contentment.

"Hmph," Depth Charge shook his head and smiled inwardly. "The more things change…"

As the rest of his friends continued their conversation, Optimus looked out beyond the waves. Slowly, he felt the Terra Matrix stirring within him. At once he saw a brief glimpse into the future and what was yet to come. He saw how the Maximal team would make their home on Earth. He saw how more Maximals would come to Earth in the future. He even saw a glance of the far future, a future where humans and Transformers lived side by side, as friends… as allies… as brothers.

"I finally understand," Optimus said, finally at peace with himself.

"Understand what, Optimus?" asked Cheetor.

"That the future's looking prime," Optimus replied cheerfully. "I say from now on, let's work towards that future."

"I agree," echoed Rhinox.

"I'm with ya!" added Rattrap.

"You in?" Depth Charge asked Dinobot.

"Most certainly," acknowledged Dinobot.

"Looks like it's settled," Cheetor smiled.

"Then let's do it," Optimus raised a resolute hand.

Very soon, the rest of the Maximals gathered near Optimus as they looked off into the sunset. Finally, at war's end, things were finally looking up, and the future had just gotten a whole lot brighter.

As Optimus looked around at his own crew, he realized that they faced tumultuous future ahead of them. But that didn't matter anymore, with his friends and allies, they would face the future together… as Maximals… Predacons… and humans alike. From now until the end of ages, they would work in unity until all were truly and forever one.

_The End._

**A/N:** At long last, the story's over, folks. As I sit here writing this, I do feel a real sense of closure for my story. At the beginning, I wanted to do a fan-written relaunch of Beast Wars and I've finally completed it. Symmetries has always been a work-in-progress. I started this series when I was new to fanfic-writing and I've had to step up my game over time and improve my writing continuously over the years.

And what can I say? Beast Wars has always been a very character-driven show. Depth Charge has always been my favorite Maximal and I think it showed in my series. As for Rattrap, I've really come to appreciate his knack for comic relief and innovative thinking at the same time, which really contrasted well with the more serious Depth Charge. Rampage, of course, is a monster and for my series, I really wanted to emphasize that more, with him being much more powerful and showing much more impressive feats than in the TV show itself where he suffered villain decay in just a few short episodes. And of course, there's Tarantulas, another favorite Predacon character of mine. I intentionally made him the Starscream of the series and gave him several standalone chapters as a villain who acts independently from Megatron. Being as evil as he was, however, it was inevitable that he also had to die. Working on the journey of Cheetor has also been a blast. I really wanted to show his growth as a powerful but flawed hero and it was only through undergoing a lot of suffering and trials by fire that he could grow into the true hero that he was always meant to be. The same could be said of Dinobot whom I've also enjoyed writing. In this finale, his moment of truth had come and it was Dinobot who defeated Megatron to help end the Beast Wars. Terrorsaur and Waspinator were a bit trickier to write. I wanted to portray them as eventually turning into anti-hero rogues who would eventually become the not-so-evil bad guy protagonists that the reader could root for. While they may not have turned "good" in the end, they still came to see that the way Megatron treated other Predacons wasn't right and this finale was also meant to be their time to shine as well, even though they didn't exactly play the biggest role in Symmetries. And of course, what Transformers would be complete without an Optimus and a Megatron? Both Optimus Primal and Megatron were also essential for my series and I thoroughly enjoyed writing for both characters, emphasizing their strengths as characters whenever I could. It's truly been an honor writing for all these characters.

When I wrote this series, I always kept in mind that I should write as if I'm actually writing a new Beast Wars show. Writing this series has really helped me to understand myself in a lot of ways. Unfortunately, I would also like to say that I am officially retiring from writing Beast Wars fanfiction. I think at this point, I've accomplished everything there is to accomplish in Beast Wars fanfiction so it's time to retire gracefully and on a high note. Symmetries should be considered nothing less than a love letter and testament to how awesome Beast Wars was as a Transformers series.

Recently I have been really getting into Transformers: Prime. So far I've been really enjoying it. Who knows, perhaps TF: Prime is going to be my next fanfic pasture now that I'm done with BW fanfiction.

In conclusion, I'd like to thank everyone who's enjoyed my series. Your support is greatly appreciated and I hope you continue to find entertainment in whatever future Transformers fanfiction I decide to write. Thank you and best of wishes to all the fans of Beast Wars: Symmetries!

It's been an honor, folks.


End file.
